This Savory Filling Makes Sandwiches Feel Complete — Without Meat

At its most basic, a sandwich is defined as prepared ingredients placed between two pieces of bread. And the world has taken full advantage of this broad definition to come up with a wealth of recipes. Proteins like cold cuts, tuna salad, chicken cutlets, and even eggs tend to be the stars of the show, but the savory filling that makes sandwiches feel complete without animal products is mushrooms.

The epitome of umami-richness, mushrooms are savory, funky, and earthy all at once with a satisfyingly meaty, juicy, and tender texture. They have a robust enough flavor and chew to make them take the lead in your next meat-free sandwich. Plus, there are so many different varieties of mushrooms that you can make a new sandwich every day for weeks. 

Mushrooms have unique textures and flavors, many of which are well-known meat substitutes. For example, oyster mushrooms are the perfect substitutes for chicken, while portobellos and cremini mushrooms are meaty and rich enough to substitute for steak. Enoki, shiitake, and King oyster mushrooms are funky enough to bring an almost oceanic umami akin to fish. Not only does their meaty flavor and texture substitute meat, but many types of mushrooms have protein content of their own. Portobellos contain around 3 grams of protein per cup; considering mushrooms cook down to about a quarter of their raw size, you're potentially looking at 5 grams of protein per sandwich. Pairing mushrooms with protein-rich spreads like hummus and cheese will supply all the protein you need.

Whether you're buying in bulk or packaged, mushrooms usually have dirt on them. However, we'd advise against running them under water, much less soaking them to get the dirt off. Mushrooms have a high water content, which is why they cook down to a mere fraction of their raw size. So instead of saturating them with even more water, you can clean them by wiping them gently with a damp paper towel. The great thing about mushrooms is that they cook in a matter of minutes. If you want the best browning and a more intense mushroom flavor, hold the fat till the end of the saute. Dry sauteeing helps most of the water evaporate from the mushrooms, thereby concentrating their flavors and making for an especially chewy texture.

As for potential sandwich combinations for mushrooms, we have plenty of ways to turn mushrooms into plant-based meat, not to mention a few mushroom sandwich recipes for you to try. If you're craving a meatless barbecue sandwich, for example, try this BBQ mushroom sandwich with carrot-apple slaw and homemade aioli. We use portobellos to mimic roast beef in this vegetarian mushroom French dip sandwich. Just as mushrooms are an excellent hummus topping, you can add them to a hummus wrap with tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled red onions. Transform mushrooms into vegan bacon for your next plant-based BLT. Or, marinate shiitake mushrooms in a sweet soy sauce before adding them to a vegetarian Bahn Mi.