Portland French Dip with Sun Dried Tomato Aioli, Arugula, Caramelized Onions & Au Jus

 A meaty, thinly sliced portobello french dip sandwich marinated in fennel, garlic and tamari then grilled and stuffed inside a toasted french roll with sun dried tomato mayo, fresh arugula and sweet caramelized onions. Serve with warm au jus sauce for the perfect vegan version of a classic sandwich.

Portland French Dip
2 sandwiches
1/3 cup vegetable broth
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tbl tamari
1 tbl vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tbl onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp pepper
4 large portobello mushroom caps, gills scraped out, thinly sliced
sundried tomato aioli
2 french rolls, toasted
1 handful baby arugula
caramelized onions

Combine the broth, 2 tbl olive oil, tamari, worcestershire, onion powder, garlic powder, fennel seeds and pepper in a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms and marinate for 1 hour.
Prepare a grill to medium-high heat.
Brush the grill with a little bit of oil and grill the mushrooms until lightly charred and cooked through, 10 minutes.
Spread the sundried tomato aioli on each roll and top with mushrooms, arugula and onions. Dip in warm au jus.

Sun Dried Tomato Aioli
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
3 tbl vegan mayonnaise
4 medium-large basil leaves
2 tbl chopped chives
2 tbl water
salt and pepper

Boil the water and add the tomatoes. Set aside and allow to reconstitute for 10 minutes. Drain the water.
Combine the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to chill for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Caramelized Onions
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 lb sweet onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and maple syrup and reduce the heat to medium-low. Saute, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes, until the onions start to soft, sweet and dark brown.

Au Jus
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup mushroom broth
1/2 cup creamy portobello soup ( I used Imagine Brand)
1 tbl vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tsp tamari
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Saute the shallot and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes until tender. Add the broth, soup, worcestershire sauce, tamari, pepper, thyme, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Serve warm.