BBQ pulled mushroom sandwiches are a flavorful plant-based alternative to traditional pulled pork sandwiches. This recipe, from Dominick Thompson’s cookbook Eat What Elephants Eat, uses shredded oyster mushrooms cooked until tender and crispy at the edges. Their texture is perfect for soaking up the beet-based BBQ sauce, giving each bite a sweet and smoky flavor.

To make the sandwiches, the mushrooms are sautéed in oil and then coated in a thick BBQ sauce. Served on toasted sandwich rolls and topped with creamy vegan coleslaw, they’re a meaty, messy delight.

Read more: Creamy ‘Tuna’ And Leek Pasta

BBQ pulled mushroom sandwiches

Pulled oyster mushrooms grilled with beet BBQ sauce on top of a soft bun and topped with coleslaw is the ultimate vegan BBQ sandwich. You can enjoy this recipe anytime of year, but especially when it's warm out and the perfect time for a barbecue.

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Servings

Ingredients

For the beet BBQ sauce

½ pound fresh beets scrubbed, peeled, and quartered,
1 8- ounce package cooked beets quartered, or 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added beets (drained, rinsed, and quartered)
⅓ cup organic ketchup
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons liquid amino acids reduced-sodium soy sauce, or tamari
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For the BBQ pulled mushroom sandwiches

3 tablespoons neutral oil such as avocado or grapeseed
1 10- ounce cluster oyster mushrooms cleaned and pulled (see Note 1)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup beet BBQ sauce or store-bought no-sugar-added vegan BBQ sauce
2 vegan soft sandwich rolls such as Nature’s Own, lightly toasted
½ cup creamy coleslaw for serving

For the creamy coleslaw

1 medium head red cabbage about 2 pounds, wilted outer leaves discarded, quartered and cored (see Note 2)
1 medium carrot peeled and grated
2½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup pickled red onions or more to taste drained

Instructions

For the beet BBQ sauce

If you are using precooked or canned beets, skip this step.
Otherwise, add the fresh beets to a medium saucepan and cover with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium- high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Reserve the saucepan.
In a blender (preferably high-powered), combine the beets, ketchup, vinegar, liquid aminos, mustard powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and blend on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Then blend on high speed for about 30 seconds more, or until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the now-empty saucepan. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking now and then, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Use immediately or cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

For the BBQ pulled mushroom sandwiches

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add the salt, stir, and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, or until their liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking, stirring now and then, for about 5 minutes more, or until some of the edges crisp.
Stir in the BBQ sauce and continue cooking, stirring, for about another 2 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and reduces to a thick coating.
Divide the mushrooms between the rolls and top with coleslaw.

For the creamy coleslaw

Place a cabbage wedge cut-side down on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut lengthwise into fine ribbons. Repeat with the remaining wedges. (Alternatively, fit a food processor with the shredding disc, and working in batches, shred each wedge.)
Place the shredded cabbage and grated carrots in a large colander, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the salt, and use your hands to gently massage it into the cabbage mixture.
Set aside to drain for 1 hour.
In a large bowl, whisk to combine the mayo, vinegar, celery seed, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Add the cabbage, carrots, and pickled onions and toss thoroughly to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

NOTE 1: Oyster mushrooms grow in a cluster on wood logs, so they don’t have much dirt, making them easy to clean. With a clean towel, gently wipe the mushroom caps and central stem free of any dirt. Leave the cluster intact and use your hands to pull downward, shredding the mushrooms through to the stem—they will come apart easily. If the stem is tough, lay it on a work surface and run the back of a fork downward against it to shred it—don’t worry, you can’t mess this up.

NOTE 2: To quarter and core a cabbage, use a sharp knife to cut the head in half through the core, then cut the halves through the core again to make 4 quarters. Locate the core at the bottom of each quarter and use the knife to make two cuts at an angle on either side to cut out the wedge of tough core. Discard.

Excerpted from EAT WHAT ELEPHANTS EAT: Vegan Recipes for a Strong Body and a Gentle Spirit. Copyright @ 2024 by Dominick Thompson. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Caitlin Bensel. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.