As a teenager growing up in the Midwest, we thought we were eating FANCY when we had pepper steak. Another comfort food meal from my youth only this time made 100% vegan and oil-free.
I used onion and bell pepper strips for the veggies, and portobello mushrooms for the steak. If you're not into mushrooms, I think soy curls would work well too.
And the sauce! Oh my gosh - the sauce!
This quick and easy sauce marries the flavors of the peppers and the mushrooms perfectly.
I also want to thank one of my readers for the suggestion. Pepper Steak is one of those long-forgotten meals I used to eat all the time when I was an omnivore - but honestly never thought about trying to replicate it - until now.
I'm SO glad I did! And it was SO easy!
If you enjoy a good stir-fry - this Vegan Pepper Steak will instantly be added to your meal rotation - guaranteed!
Vegan Pepper Steak
This stir fry is super easy to make and comes together in minutes once the prep work is done.
Onions, bell peppers, and portobello mushrooms make up the bulk of the stir fry - seasoned with a few cloves of garlic and some minced ginger.
I marinated the mushrooms in a little tamari and mirin - which is a sweet Japanese Cooking Wine you should be able to find in any local grocery store. Look in the Asian section next to the rice vinegar and soy sauce.
The sauce is a mixture of tamari, mirin, veggie broth, black pepper, cornstarch, and just a scant teaspoon of tahini for some incredible sesame flavor.
I started by marinating the mushrooms and then letting them sit while I chopped my veggies and made the sauce.
Once everything is chopped and prepped and the sauce is done, heat a skillet or wok on high heat until a few drops of water sizzle when you drop them in. Then add your garlic and ginger and a splash of water as necessary to keep it from sticking.
NOTE: I do not use oil for stir-frying.
I use an occasional splash of water in my pan to keep things from sticking - or some of the sauce - but that's it. Try stir-frying without oil - and you'll be amazed at how good your food will start to taste without it!
Once the garlic and ginger become fragrant, add the mushrooms (with the marinade), and stir fry until most of the liquid evaporates.
Removing the mushrooms to a separate pan, deglaze the wok with a little bit of water, and then add the peppers and onions. Stir fry the veggies until they begin to cook down a bit, and then add the mushrooms back in, followed by the sauce.
It will begin to thicken immediately. Stir well to coat and then serve immediately over noodles or rice.
Forget about takeout! It's so much easier (and healthier) to make your favorite Chinese takeout dishes at home!
I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!
Vegan Pepper Steak
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Stir-Fry
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A quick and easy vegan pepper steak - using portobello mushrooms. The sauce really ties the peppers and mushrooms together. So much better than takeout!
Ingredients
- 8 oz portobello mushroom caps (gills removed and sliced into strips)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
- 1 green bell pepper (sliced into strips)
- 1 0nion (sliced into strips)
- 2 cloves mined garlic
- 2 tsp minced ginger
Sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium tamari + 2 Tbs (or low-sodium soy sauce if you're not GF)
- ⅓ cup mirin + 1 Tbs (for the marinade)
- ⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 Tbs cornstarch
- 1 tsp tahini
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean mushrooms and remove the gills and stem
- Slice mushrooms into ¼" strips
- Marinate mushrooms in a shallow dish using 2 Tbs tamari and 1 Tbs mirin
- Stir well to ensure the mushrooms are evenly coated and then set aside
- Slice peppers and onion into strips
- Mince garlic and ginger
- Mix all sauce ingredients and whisk until blended
- Preheat skillet or wok over high heat
- Add garlic, ginger, and a few tablespoons of water and stir fry until fragrant (about 1 minute)
- Add mushrooms and the marinade and stir fry until the liquid has evaporated
- Remove mushrooms from the pan, and set aside
- Add onion and peppers and a tablespoon or two of the sauce
- Stir fry veggies until bright and crisp-tender
- Return the mushrooms and stir thoroughly
- Slowly stir in sauce, mixing well to coat
- Simmer until the sauce has thickened
Keywords: vegan pepper steak, asian stir-fry
ACC
Could this possibly work without the tahini? I'm doing a Mary's mini and aside from that, this could work.
Chuck Underwood
Definitely
Carolyn Wallis
My husband likes mushrooms in small amounts and I am not a fan of processed soy curls (price and processing). So I used cauliflower steaks and followed the basic recipe. It came out wonderful and will be added to our rotation.
★★★★★
Donna
Wow! Umami flavor!
I didn’t have fresh peppers so used a 20 ounce bag of frozen mixed stir fry veggies. Mmmmmm! So yummy I’ll be making this all the time!
★★★★★
Peggy Simpson
Made this tonight
SUGGESTION: double the amount of mushrooms. They get lost in all those peppers and extra sauce!
This was an amazing dish. It goes in the keeper file!!
You nailed this Chuck! Thanks!!
Dorie Kosche
I made something like this as a clean out the fridge special. Sure wish I had your sauce recipe to put on it. Bet that tahini makes it really good. I'll have to buy some more peppers and make it again with your sauce.
Brenda
Hi,
I started my plant based journey in January and I am enjoying it and all the wonderful recipes. I don't do social media at all so I know I am missing a lot of information. I see the questions that people ask you and I would love to know what your reply will be because it may help me in my journey. Is there an address where donations could be sent?
Thank you.
Chuck Underwood
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=SYV4X82Z785X8
j
If you use the tamari and mirin to marinate the mushrooms, what ingredients go into the sauce? Or do you use part to marinate and the rest in the sauce? Thank you
DebW
It looks like the marinade for mushrooms is 2T tamari & 1 T mirin. The sauce ingredients in the recipe are all for the sauce. My interpretation.
Suzy
Hi Chuck, Is the tamari and mirin for the marinade taken from the 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup respectively from the sauce? Or is this separate from the sauce? When reducing or doubling a recipe, the measurements in the instructions don't correspond. 🙁 Thanks!
Michelle
My husband loves this! Regular rotation at our house!
★★★★★
Maria
Wow, that was the best recipe, even my dad likes. I’m the only vegan in my family so this was a great recipe. My dad asked me to cook it again next time. Thanks Chuck. ?
★★★★★
Mary L Martin
I make this every few days lol is it wrong to eat it that often? Lol love it!!
★★★★★
Bea
Fabulous recipe, even my non-vegan husband enjoyed it very much!!
I didn't have the mushrooms, so I used some pepper steak tvp. Next time I'll make sure to try it with the mushrooms! Thank you so much for a keeper recipe!!
dianne
I doubled the sauce recipe on this. added beef to half for my non-vegan daughter and husband, then made the other with the mushrooms. I loved it. I think next time I will make 2x the sauce because I like to have more sauce on the rice, but it was AWESOME. Excited I found another vegan chef! Can't wait to try more!
★★★★★
Susan P
Hi Chuck, I love all your recipes that I’ve tried! This Chinese pepper steak was pretty awesome.. I made it just as a recipe said
★★★★★
Carol Ann Robrahn
This was wonderful. My husband said he couldn’t believe the mushrooms were so flavorful. He thought we would never eat this sort of meal again. Another good one, Chuck! Thank you
★★★★★
Truly
I made this tonight. The only additions were that I added a couple of fresh diced jalapenos and some cayenne pepper to give it a little spice. This pepper steak was delicious.
★★★★★
Lilo_714
I love this recipe! Thank you! Tonight I made it and found I didn't have any fresh ginger so I subbed in half a teaspoon of Chinese five spice to the sauce. In the marinade I put in two pinches of Chinese five-spice.
★★★★★
Scott C Ausburn
Awesome flavor combo.I used sunflower butter in mine coz i didn't want to go to the store for tahini that i seldom use.Thanks you come up with some good ones ; )
★★★★★
Judy
Can you recommend a sub for the alcohol? I don't use any, even for cooking, but love your recipes.
Janis
Ditto! I do not use alcohol even for cooking. I would love to learn a substitute! 🙂 Thank you! 🙂 I was thinking 1/2 white grape juice and 1/2 rice vinegar???
Scott C Ausburn
I am going to use rice vinegar and a spoon of maple syrup should be close to the same flavor
★★★★★
Carolyn Nowling-Archer
Duuuuuude! It’s me again. Just made this tonight. DEEEE-li-cious! You are the man!
★★★★★
Red Pill Green
1. This was amazingly delicious
2. There is no way this serves four people. I ate 3/4 and the only reason I didn’t finish is because I wanted to leave leftovers for tomorrow
Thank you!!
★★★★★
buff c barr
Hi Chuck, Didn't care for the tahini in the recipe, maybe my tahini's not so good but it came out tasting strongly of tahini, almost a peanutty taste. Think I will try the sesame oil next time.
★★★
Scott C Ausburn
Maybe your tahini was rancid it can get that way pretty fast if it isn't stored in the fridge.I used sunflower butter in mine turned out great.
★★★★★
Karen
Hi Chuck, would it alter the flavour to much if l left out the tahini.
patcee14
Sounds like it would be wonderful on top of a baked potato! I'm trying that.
Sue Resig
All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you! I create recipes all the time for ME, but I have to be so strict that my hubby just isn't a fan. I would like to cook healthier for him and still have him like it. I think your recipes are the ticket. Healthy enough for me to be happy fixing it for him. Does that make sense? I can't wait to cook for him now. If you get a chance check me out on youtube. You won't like my stuff, too plain, but we are very like minded. I am just so thrilled you have no idea. Sue Resig Gerson
Ray C. Parrish
Love it.....I am on this one.
AdamCGray
Chuck, you are amazing. This looks awesome, going to try it out this weekend. Once again, thank you for all that you do!
chickavegana
Chuck, what is the brand of mirin do you use? The ones at the grocery stores usually have hfcs, sugar, etc. Eden Foods brand costs $10...would love to make this very soon! TIA ^_^
Chuck Underwood
I use Mitsukan that I bought at Fred Meyer/Kroger. It does have corn syrup, but it's not HFCS. Hope that helps. If you find a healthier version let me know.
chickavegana
So I decided to forgo the mirin and used 1/4 cup of dry sherry and added 1/2 tbs maple syrup instead since I always have those on hand. I kept everything else the same. It turned out amazing! Husband raved about it too. I love all your Asian dishes...thank you so much for the fabulous recipes!