Spicy Roasted Portobello Sandwiches with Bell Peppers and Camembert

I’m eating these crazy-good, over-the-top sandwiches at least once per week.

Vertical image of a vegetarian mix inside ciabatta bread with text on the top and bottom of the image.

And even if you vowed to eat healthier this year, with salads and such, you can still eat these because they have salad on them.

So that counts, right?

Vertical image of the underside of fresh mushrooms.

The whole time AJ and I were eating them, we kept saying over and over again, in between scarfing down huge bites of mushroom, cheese, and soft and fluffy bread, that these were some of the best sandwiches ever.

Vertical image of roasted portobello mushrooms on a sheet pan.

They start with roasted portobello mushrooms in a spicy sauce made from chili garlic paste and soy sauce – the perfect combo of spicy and umami flavors.

Then, there are the roasted bell peppers, which go perfectly with the savory mushrooms.

Vertical image of two red bell peppers on a black surface.

And then there is a little bit of greens for that balance of freshness. I used baby kale, but peppery arugula would also be fantastic.

And it doesn’t stop there. Ready for this?

Vertical image of ciabatta spread with cheese on a wooden cutting board.

What ties all this together is a layer of gooey, indulgent cheese that gets melty and toasty in the oven right before you make your sandwiches. Divine.

Vertical image of open-faced sandwiches with mushrooms and a red spread with fresh arugula on a wooden cutting board.

And the finishing touch – brushing any leftover sauce on the other piece of ciabatta bread, smashing it all together into a sandwich, and then eating until your face is covered in spicy sauce and your belly is nice and full.

Vertical image of mushroom slices on bread with arugula and peppers.

It’s so easy to feel like you’re indulging, even without any meat in sight. It’s exactly how I feel with other vegetarian sandwiches, like these mushroom nut butter sandwiches, or peach basil grilled cheese. They are all jammed with bold flavors from fresh and hearty ingredients.

Have fun, get messy, and ignore those resolutions for just a little longer. Make the recipe below!

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Horizontal close-up image of a vegetarian sandwich on a wooden surface.

Roasted Portobello Sandwiches with Bell Peppers and Camembert


  • Author: Raquel Smith
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x

Description

Looking for a meaty, yet vegetarian, sandwich? Make these spicy roasted portobello mushroom sandwiches with cheese and bell peppers.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

For the Sandwiches:

  • 5 large portobello mushrooms
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 8 ounces Camembert cheese
  • 2 cups baby kale leaves
  • 1 loaf ciabatta bread, or 4 small ciabatta buns

Instructions

To Cook the Vegetables:

  1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together with a small whisk or fork.
  2. Rinse the portobello mushrooms, then use a spoon to gently remove the gills. Cut into 1/2-inch slices and place in a bowl. Add about 2/3 of the sauce to the mushrooms and use a spoon to gently toss so that they are evenly covered. Let sit for about 30 minutes while you roast the bell peppers.
  3. Turn your oven to broil and place the bell pepper about 1-inch away from the broiler. Cook, turning every couple minutes, until blackened in spots all over. Broiler strength can vary, so the time this takes will vary, as well. Mine took about 10 minutes total, but keep a close eye on yours.
  4. When the bell pepper is done cooking, transfer it to a cutting board and let cool. Once you are able to handle it, cut off the top and drain the liquid and remove the seeds. Peel off the skin as best you can, then slice into 1/4-inch strips.
  5. While the pepper is cooling, turn the oven to 350ºF. Grease a baking sheet, then spread the marinated mushrooms out evenly on the sheet. Roast for about 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until soft. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on.

To Assemble:

  1. While the mushrooms cook, slice the ciabatta bread into 4 sections, then cut each section in half through the middle to make the sandwich bread.
  2. Spread half of the bread slices (one per sandwich) with some of the camembert cheese. Place in the 350ºF oven on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is a bit toasty.
  3. Brush the plain bread slices with the leftover spicy sauce. Layer the kale, mushrooms, and bell pepper on top of the cheesy bread. Top with the sauced slices of bread. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Sandwiches
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keywords: vegetarian, portobello, mushroom, roasted red pepper, chili garlic sauce

Relax – Start the Diet Next Week

It’s fine to have a cheat day each week! And I won’t tell on you if you decide to have more than one cheat day each week…

Vertical close-up image of a vegetarian sandwich on a wooden cutting board.

Tell yourself that you don’t really need to eat just green salads and green smoothies and whole grains for the new year.

Stock up on mushrooms and good crusty bread instead, because these vegetarian delights will be your new indulgence.

At least, I know they’ll be mine!

If you want to cut down on the dairy, replace the cheese with a totally dairy-free creamy spread, like our thyme pine nut butter. Or you can use avocado for a buttery, luxurious component, like in our hummus, avocado, and sun-dried tomato sandwich recipe. Ingredients like these will add another delicious layer of savory complexity!

For more meaty (yet vegetarian!) mushroom recipes, try out a few of our favorites from our tasty collection of meatless recipes:

Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on December 30th, 2015. Last updated: July 18, 2022 at 17:01 pm. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Raquel Smith

Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).

4 thoughts on “Spicy Roasted Portobello Sandwiches with Bell Peppers and Camembert”

    • Thanks so much, Christa! When is your site going to be live?? I just checked last week and it still wasn’t up! New Year’s Resolution? ?

      Reply
  1. I just made these and let me tell you.. Man they are GOOD! Even my carnivore husband ate one and he found them delicious. This was a hit in many ways.. It’s easy to do, it’s fresh, it’s light but also so satisfying.. I just love how tasty they are.. I also added eggplant to mine and man o man.. What a hit.. Needles to say, these are going to be a regular in my kitchen from now on.

    Reply

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