Vegan Po’ Boy with French Fries & Mushroom Gravy

Vegan Po’ Boy made with seasoned cajun french fries and mushroom gravy is the ultimate sandwich! This incredible easy recipe is from Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer by Kathy Hester. It's perfect for lunch or dinner.

Vegan Po’ Boy with Cajun French Fries and Mushroom Gravy

One of my favorite recipes in Kathy Hester's new book Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer is the Cajun French Fry Po’ Boy with Vegan Mushroom Gravy. A French fry sandwich? Sign me up!

In this recipe, seasoned potatoes are air fried to crisp perfect and then smothered with savory mushroom gravy and served on a hearty roll. It's comfort food perfection!

How to Make A Vegan Po' Boy

There are a few steps involved, but it doesn’t take much time at all. I chopped my mushrooms while the potatoes were soaking, and then I cooked the gravy on the stovetop while the potatoes were crisping up in the air fryer. It only takes about half an hour in total. The best part about this meal was that Dennis and I were able to have Cajun French Fry Po’ Boy for lunch the next day!

• First you soak the potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Then you toss the potatoes in oil or aquafaba and coat them with the spices.
• Next you cook the potatoes in your air fryer on 350°F for 10 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway point.
• While the potatoes are cooking, you make the gravy. Cook the mushrooms in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes, until they release their juices.
• Then you add the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Next you add the water and whisk in the tapioca starch.  You continue to cook until the gravy thickens.
• Finally you assemble your sandwiches by slathering your rolls with the vegan mayo and hot sauce. Layer on the tomatoes, lettuce, cooked potatoes, and mushroom gravy.

Air Fryer Cooking

Dennis gave me an air fryer for Christmas in 2015. I was super excited to receive it, but once I got it unpacked and set up on the kitchen counter, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Its maiden voyage was taken while heating up a package of Trader Joe’s vegetable spring rolls. After that I occasionally used it for packaged frozen snacks and French fries, but I wasn’t too sure what else I could do with it. Then my friend Kathy Hester reached out and said she was working on an air fryer cookbook and asked if I’d be interested in recipe testing for it. I jumped at the chance to learn more creative ways to use my handy new gadget.

Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer

Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer is now available, and I’m super excited to share it with you today along with Kathy’s Cajun French Fry Po’ Boy with Vegan Mushroom Gravy recipe, which is one of my favorites from the book!

If you’re new to using an air fryer, Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer will help you get started. Kathy includes lots of tips and tricks, and she answers just about any question you might have about it. She also shares resources for her favorite air fryer accessories

If you’re an air fryer pro and want to dive right into cooking, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find a wide variety of recipes in Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer. Recipes range from easy breakfast dishes, such as the Quick and Easy Tofu Breakfast Sandwich and Mixed Veggie Hash, to main dish options, including Vegan Mac and Cheese with a Surprise and Country-Fried Cauliflower Steaks – two of my favorite recipes from the book.

Did you know that you can bake in your air fryer? You can! I loved the Blueberry Cake for 2 and the Carrot Cake in a Mug. Kathy includes a lot of DIY pantry staples, too, including Extra-Tangy Cashew Cheese and Savory Onion Cream.

The chapters in Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer include:

• Make It Yourself
• Healthy Snacks
• Mains
• Side Dishes and Appetizers
• Breakfasts
• Desserts

I’ve made close to 30 recipes from Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer and I’ve loved every one of them. There are a few I’m still eager to make, such as Easy DIY Seitan Rolls, Bow Tie Pasta Chips, and Whole Foods Arancini di Riso (Italian Rice Balls). This book is going to get a lot of use in my kitchen.

If you have an air fryer, you need Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer!

Cajun French Fry Po’ Boy with Vegan Mushroom Gravy

Dianne

New Orleans is known for its delicious food, but did you know that it’s also the home of the French Fry Po’ Boy? Traditionally, French fries are sandwiched inside of a baguette and smothered with roast beef gravy. In this vegan version, we season and bake the fries to get a crispy crust. We also make a mushroom gravy that adds extra umami to your new favorite sandwich. You’ll never miss the meat, and I promise you won’t go hungry!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Sandwich

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 378 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

french fry ingredients

• 4 medium Idaho russet potatoes cut in half, then into planks
• 6 cups (1.4 L) boiling water for soaking the potatoes
• 2 teaspoon (10 ml) olive oil (or use aquafaba)
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) cajun seasoning blend
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Mushroom Gravy Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil (or use water)
• 3 cups (225 g) chopped mushrooms
• 2 teaspoon (10 ml) soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon (10 ml) vegan Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup (118 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) tapioca starch

Sandwich Options

• Fresh, soft loaf of French or Italian bread (or whole-grain or gluten-free bread)
• Sliced tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Vegan mayo
• Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce

Instructions

 

Make the French Fries

• Place the cut fries in a heatproof bowl or saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and then pour it over the fries, covering them. I use my tea kettle, but you can even boil the water in a large saucepan and then add in the potatoes when you take it off the heat.
• Let the potatoes soak in the hot water for 15 minutes, then pour into a strainer over the sink. Once mostly dry, toss the fries in the oil (or aquafaba), Cajun seasoning, paprika, salt, garlic and black pepper.
• Add the potato mixture to your air fryer basket and cook at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes. Then shake the basket and cook 5 more minutes.
• Raise the heat to 390°F (200°C) and cook for 5 minutes, then shake the basket and cook a final 5 minutes.

Make the Mushroom Gravy

• While the potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to release their juices. Stir in the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add the water and whisk in the tapioca starch. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until it thickens.

Assemble the Sandwich

• Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Toast the bread if you’d like or cut into smaller sandwich pieces, slather vegan mayo and/or hot sauce on it or, serve it dressed with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
• Layer the baked fries over the bottom piece of the bread and spread some of the mushroom mixture on top of the fries. Put the top piece of bread on and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe by Kathy Hester. Reprinted by permission of Page Street Publishing.

Calories: 378kcal

Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!

If you enjoyed these sandwiches, you might also like:

• Lemon Rosemary Grilled Tofu Sandwich
• Vegan Portobello Cheesesteak Sandwiches 
• Buffalo Soy Curl Wraps