If comfort food to you is dunking a savory vegan French dip sandwich with jackfruit into a full-bodied au jus, do I have a treat for you… This hearty sandwich is served on toasted ciabatta with sautéed onions and horseradish mayonnaise.
I am so excited to share today’s vegan French dip sandwich recipe with you!
This hearty sandwich has been in the works for months. However, once the Thanksgiving cooking season arrived, I had to put it on the back burner for holiday foods. Now that there’s a little breather, it’s time to share it with you.
This is one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever created. It really scratches that nostalgia itch.
Vegan roast beef is loaded onto toasted ciabatta with sautéed onions, and a spread of horseradish mayonnaise.
But the real star of this show is the vegan au jus.
It doesn’t get cozier than dunking a savory sandwich into warm broth, rich with the flavors of red wine, onions, garlic, and vegan Worcestershire.
Vegan roast beef
The filling for this sandwich is vegan roast beef. It’s made with jackfruit.
You may recall that not too long ago, I was lukewarm on jackfruit. Oh, how things have changed!
As I mentioned in my post on jackfruit carnitas, I discovered that there are two secrets for making jackfruit really sing. (You can also see the specific kind of jackfruit I buy in that post.)
The first is breaking the jackfruit up in a food processor, so that it can get very piece-y. The smaller the pieces, the more the cooking liquid can really permeate it.
The second is finishing the cooked & seasoned jackfruit with tahini.
I know it sounds strange at first. But tahini masks any remaining flavor of brine from the can. It blends it away, like a brush on a canvas.
It adds a little bump of protein to the dish.
And it gives the “meat” some stickiness. That works particularly well when you’re making vegan roast beef. It also means that it will hold together better in a sandwich.
This vegan roast beef gets some of its richness from dry red wine. I recommend something like Tempranillo, Garnacha, or Carmenere.
La Granja Tempranillo and Albero Tempranillo, sold at Trader Joe’s, are both labeled vegan right on the bottle. That’s really handy. But if in doubt, you can also check out Barnivore to find out whether or not a wine is vegan.
Vegan au jus
Au jus is French for “with the juice.” It refers to the “juices” that come off a roast while it’s cooking.
I’ve always thought that referring to the liquid that comes off of meat as “juice” is a bit of a stretch as far as euphemisms go. (Hint: That’s not cranapple. It’s myoglobin.)
Obviously, vegan au jus is made differently. Instead it involves sautéed onions, garlic, and red wine.
(Hey, when you think about it, the vegan version is more deserving of the name “au jus” since grape juice is actually involved.)
It’s rounded out with tamari, vegetarian beef bouillon, and vegan Worcestershire.
Often Worcestershire is made with anchovies. So be sure to look for the kind labeled “vegetarian.” I use the kind by Edward & Sons with the wizard on the bottle. Annie’s is good too.
Make the au jus separately from the vegan roast beef
When I was creating this recipe, I tried cooking the jackfruit with extra broth – so that some of it could simply be set aside for the au jus. What I found out is that the au jus is much, much better when it’s cooked separately.
Young jackfruit is canned in brine. When it cooks with the au jus, it imparts some of that brine flavor. It also dilutes some of the other strong, umami flavors. So it’s much better to cook the vegan roast beef and au jus separately for best results.
Horseradish mayonnaise
Several years ago I wrote a post called, “Why do vegans eat things that taste like meat?”
The short answer is that vegans don’t want animals to suffer. But they don’t have an ethical issue with smoky flavors, chewy textures, and umami.
As I also mentioned in that post, sometimes the part of a dish you really crave is the sauce or spread served with it.
Take a French dip from Arby’s. I used to eat them occasionally before I was vegetarian or vegan. But what I really looked forward to was the horsey sauce that I squeezed on top of it.
Horsey sauce is basically a horseradish mayonnaise. That’s something that’s easy to emulate without animal products – especially since horseradish is already plant-based.
I used to adore the nose-clearing pungency of horseradish – whether it was in a cocktail sauce or spread. It has a very specific flavor that you either love or hate.
(If you’re in the “hate” camp, just use vegan mayo for this sandwich.)
Horseradish is a root, like turmeric or ginger. But for this recipe, I’m talking about prepared horseradish. Prepared horseradish comes in a jar. It’s made with horseradish, vinegar, and salt.
I buy the kind sold by Bubbies. It is in the refrigerated section, next to the sauerkraut. But you can also find shelf-stable versions in the pantry section of the store. Any prepared horseradish will work fine for this recipe.
This vegan French dip is served on a ciabatta baguette that’s been cut down to sandwich size and toasted. (If you’d prefer, you can use demi ciabatta baguettes, cut in half, or ciabatta rolls instead.)
How to make this sandwich
To make a vegan French dip sandwich, start with the au jus.
Sauté onions and garlic in a soup pot. Then add water, no beef Better Than Bouillon, tamari, vegan Worcestershire, and dry red wine.
Bring the liquid to a low simmer. Then let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes, so that it can reduce.
You’ll want it to reduce by about a cup. When it’s ready to go, there will be about 2 cups of au jus.
While the au jus is reducing, you can move on to the vegan roast beef.
Drain and rinse canned young jackfruit. Dry it off. Then move it to a food processor. Pulse the food processor 5 or 6 times, until it’s broken up in shredded pieces.
Then heat a large non-stick skillet with oil. Put the jackfruit in an even layer across the skillet.
(Be careful not to overfill it, because the jackfruit won’t brown as nicely in a crowded pan. Work in batches, if necessary.)
Don’t move the jackfruit for a few minutes. Allow it to get fully brown on one side, then flip the jackfruit shreds and allow it to brown more.
Once the jackfruit is browned & dry, it’s time to fill it with flavor.
Add water, no beef Better Than Bouillon, red wine, tamari, and vegan Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Fully combine it with the jackfruit, and bring the liquid to a simmer.
Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until all of the liquid has cooked off. Then stir in tahini, and fully incorporate it with the jackfruit.
Sauté onions in a skillet to top the sandwiches.
Then cut a ciabatta baguette into equal sandwich-sized pieces. Cut the sandwiches in half, and toast them in the skillet, cut side down.
Slather the toasted bread with horseradish mayonnaise, made with mayo & prepared horseradish.
Top the sandwiches with vegan roast beef, a sprinkling of non-dairy cheese, and sautéed onions.
Put the open faced sandwiches back into the skillet, bring to a low heat, and cover. Once the cheese is mostly melted, top with the remaining ciabatta halves.
Divide the au jus into four small bowls.
(There should be enough for about ½ cup of au jus per sandwich. That is a generous amount of au jus. If you don’t need quite so much per person, feel free to halve the au jus portion of the recipe.)
Serve each vegan French dip sandwich with individual au jus for dipping.
📖 Recipe
Vegan French dip sandwich with au jus
Ingredients
For vegan au jus*
- 1 teaspoon organic canola oil
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon no-beef base
- ¼ cup dry red wine I especially like Carmenere, Garnacha, or Tempranillo
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire
For vegan roast beef
- 20 ounces young green jackfruit canned in water or brine, not syrup**
- 1 teaspoon organic canola oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon no-beef base
- ¼ cup dry red wine I especially like Carmenere, Garnacha, or Tempranillo
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire
- 1 Tablespoon tahini
For horseradish mayonnaise
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise I use Vegenaise
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish I use Bubbies
For vegan French dip sandwich
- 1 teaspoon organic canola oil
- 1 small yellow onion sliced in half & cut into thin half moons
- 1 ciabatta baguette cut into 4 even sandwich-sized pieces and sliced in half***
- ½ cup grated mild non-dairy cheese I used Violife vegan parmesan, divided****
Instructions
For vegan au jus
- Bring a soup pot to a medium heat with oil. Saute onions and garlic in oil for a few minutes, until softened, translucent, and fragrant.
- Add 3 cups water, 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon, ¼ cup dry red wine, 2 teaspoons tamari, and 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire. Bring to a low simmer.
- Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, so that the au jus ran reduce. (It needs to reduce by one cup. When it's ready, there will be about 2 cups of au jus.)
For vegan roast beef
- While the au jus is reducing, start on the vegan roast beef. Drain and rinse the jackfruit in a colander. Then move the jackfruit pieces to a towel, so that they will be as dry as possible. (Lots of extra water on it will make it harder to brown.)
- Move the jackfruit pieces to a food processor. Pulse the food processor a few times, until the jackfruit is broken up into shredded pieces. (Don't do it so many times that you end up with jackfruit hummus. Just 5 or 6 pulses should be good.)
- Bring a large non-stick skillet to a medium high heat with a teaspoon of oil. Put an even layer of shredded jackfruit in the skillet. (If you're using a medium sized skillet or smaller, be careful not to overfill it. Work in batches, if necessary. It won't brown as well if there's too much in the skillet.) Don't move the jackfruit for a few minutes. Allow it to get fully brown on one side, then flip the jackfruit shreds and allow it to brown more.
- Once the jackfruit is browned & dry, it's time to fill it with flavor. Add 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, ¼ cup red wine, 1 teaspoon tamari, and 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire to the skillet. Fully combine it with the jackfruit. You want the liquid to be at a simmer, so adjust your heat accordingly. Allow the jackfruit to simmer in the liquid for ten to twelve minutes, until all of the liquid has cooked off.
- Once the liquid has cooked off, turn off the heat. Put the tahini on top of the jackfruit. Use your spatula to fully incorporate the jackfruit with the tahini, making sure it's evenly combined.
For horseradish mayonnaise
- In a small bowl, combine vegan mayonnaise with prepared horseradish.
For vegan French dip sandwich
- Bring a non-stick skillet to a medium heat with oil. Scatter thinly sliced onions across the skillet. Saute for a few minutes, until softened & fragrant. Remove the onions from the skillet.
- Place the sliced baguette sandwiches onto the skillet, cut side down. (You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your skillet.) Cook for a minute or two, until they are toasted on one side.
- Remove the baguette sandwiches from the skillet. Turn off the heat. Slather the cut side of the sandwiches with horseradish mayonnaise. Then top the bottom halves of the sandwiches with several spoonfuls of vegan roast beef, 2 Tablespoons of grated non-dairy cheese per sandwich, and a sprinkling of sauteed onions. Turn the skillet to low, and put the sandwiches back into the skillet. Cover the sandwiches, so that the cheese can melt. Once it's melted (or mostly melted), turn off the heat.
- Top the sandwiches with the remaining top halves of the baguette. Evenly divide the au jus into four bowls. (There should be enough for ½ cup of au jus per sandwich.)
Notes
Nutrition
Rick
Hello! Working on my shopping list now for this. Better Than Beef No Beef is only available in a larger quantity than I want. Wondering if I can use a vegan beef broth (I’m not sure the difference between broth, stock and bouillon) or if I use a broth like that do I need to up it’s flavor some?
Cadry Nelson
Hi, Rick! Have you tried doing a Google search for “Better Than Bouillon no beef”? You’ll get shopping results first across the top of the page, and there may be stores in your area that carry it. For me at least, local stores often have a better price than what’s available on Amazon. Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, Hy-Vee, and co-ops often have it, in addition to other shipped options like Vitacost.
If you don’t have any luck with that, then yes, you can use vegan beef broth or mushroom broth instead. Just swap out the water + bouillon in the recipe for broth. Since all brands vary in flavor, adjust to taste if you feel it’s necessary with more tamari, Worcestershire, and/or wine.
Good luck, and please let me know how it goes!
Mackenzie
This recipe was kind of stupidly good. I was panicked that it wasn’t going to work out (despite the jus tasting delicious and having good bread and charred onions) but that scoop of tahini really did bring it all together– you really can’t skip it! I made this with only minor substitutions (steak sauce instead of Worcestershire, Chipotle ranch instead of horseradish mayo) and was blown away. Very excited that I can store some leftovers to have another couple sandwiches tomorrow or over the weekend!
Cadry Nelson
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Mackenzie! Thank you for letting me know!
Maree
Any chance I can make this day or two ahead of serving?
Cadry Nelson
You can make all of the sandwich components ahead of time, but for best results, I recommend compiling the sandwich just before serving. So go ahead and make the au jus, vegan roast beef, and horseradish mayo up to three or four days ahead of time. (You could even make and store the sauteed onions ahead of time if you like.) Store them all separately. Then when you’re ready to serve, reheat the au jus and roast beef in the microwave or on the stove. Then continue with the last section of the recipe card, “For vegan French dip sandwich.” Hope that helps!
Lara
Okay, I was sceptical …I have tried to make jackfruit before, and not been impressed. But you said you’d not been impressed by it before, and I was craving a french dip sandwich, so I made this … and it was fantastic. It will def go in the dinner rotation. As with everyone, I made a few necessary changes – I didn’t have vegan worchestershire, so I used worchestershire powder, plus a little salt. I didn’t have tamari, so used dark soy sauce. I didn’t have horseradish, so made wasabi mayo. I didn’t use any cheese. And I love mushrooms, so added them to the onions on top. But I made the jackfruit as closely as I could, and it was awesome. (I will say, one can of jackfruit made enough for two well-stuffed sandwiches, I wouldn’t have thought it was enough filling for 4).
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad you enjoyed the sandwiches, Lara! And thanks for sharing your variations & thoughts on the recipe.
Earlene
Another outstanding jackfruit recipe!
Cadry Nelson
Yay! So glad to hear that, Earlene!
Abby
Thank you for this delicious recipe!! I was craving French dip and this totally hit the spot! The au jus was absolutely amazing! My only question is about the jackfruit. I feel like it always turns out a bit too salty/briny even though I rinse and dry it. I don’t mind it necessarily, but I’m wondering if there is a trick to it. Thanks again!
Cadry
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the sandwich, Abby! Thanks for the great feedback!
I know what you mean about the brine flavor of jackfruit. Since the jackfruit is packaged in it, it can be tricky to dominate that flavor.
The first option would be to buy jackfruit that’s packed in water instead. Then you won’t have to contend with it. The only issue is that jackfruit packed in water is a lot less common. I can never find it locally, but maybe you’ll have better luck! (I was hoping that Upton’s jackfruit wouldn’t include brine since it’s vaccuum-packed, but the flavor is still there.)
The second thing is to really make sure you dry out the jackfruit in the skillet, and get it as brown as possible. I find that when I cook it a long time before adding the liquid ingredients, I have much better success.
Finally, you could try upping the tahini. To me, that really helps mute the brine flavor.
Oh, and you could make the French dip with seitan instead! I love the chewy bite of seitan, and there’s no brine involved. Buy your preferred seitan slices, and then just dip them into the warm au jus before adding them to the sandwich.
Best of luck, and please keep me posted!
Tiffany
Looks delish and can’t wait to try. Love anything with jackfruit and so miss French dips!! Question though…is there something you can suggest that is a substitute for the wine?
Thanks!
Cadry Nelson
Thanks, Tiffany! I would try replacing the wine with tomato juice. I haven’t tried that substitution, but it seems like it would work well with the other flavors. Maybe try halving the amount, so that the tomato aspect doesn’t overpower? (2 Tablespoons in the au jus, 2 Tablespoons in the jackfruit) Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Lori
Fantastic recipe! I substituted seitan because I had it on hand and it was perfect. PS: on a kimmelweck roll, it’s a great sub for the Western New York “beef on weck.” Thanks for reviving a hometown favorite ❤️
Cadry
Lori, thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Substituting with seitan sounds delicious. I’d never heard of beef on weck, but I just looked it up. You’re right! This sounds like a great way to do a vegan variation. Thanks again for the feedback!
Steve Farina
Freaking deliciousness!!! Loved this recipe. I added sautéed mushrooms and onions to the sandwich as well. 🤯
Cadry
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Steve! Good call on the addition of mushrooms. That sounds delicious!
Brandi Danielle
Made this last night after seeing it posted on Garth Davis’ page. It was amazing. I am so happy to have found your page. Thank you so much!
Cadry
That’s so wonderful to hear, Brandi! I’m glad to have you here & delighted that you enjoyed the sandwich.
ElleK
SO GOOD! I haven’t had a French dip sandwich in years and pre-vegan they were my absolute fav. I haven’t been a huge fan of jackfruit in the past so I was a little skeptical. You have changed my mind! The au jus was so flavorful and delicious – the whole thing was perfection. Followed the recipe almost exactly, just used a Portuguese roll instead of ciabatta. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Cadry
That’s so great to hear. Thank you for the excellent feedback! I really appreciate it, and I’m delighted you enjoyed the sandwich.
Shan
I can’t get the better than bouillon, but I have not-beef bouillon cubes…do I use just 1 cube (directions are 1 cube for 2 cups broth)? Also, i don’t have a food processor, should I just cut it up or try it in a regular blender? I can’t wait to try this recipe!!! I’ve really missed french dip sandwiches!!!
Cadry
Good questions! According to the Better Than Bouillon jar, one teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon is the equivalent of one bouillon cube. That would mean you’d use 3 cubes for this recipe, which seems like a lot. Maybe try it with 1 or 1 1/2 in the au jus and a half cube with the jackfruit, and then see if you need more? After all, you can always add more if it feels like the flavor isn’t quite there, but you can’t take it away if it’s too salty. Remember to let the au jus reduce before adding a lot more.
Since you don’t have a food processor, I would definitely recommend just chopping the jackfruit in small-ish pieces. In my jackfruit carnitas recipe, I show how I break it up in the skillet with a spatula, and that would work too. I’m afraid a blender would turn the jackfruit into a smoothie, which would be bad. Haha!
I really hope you enjoy the recipe, and keep me posted on how it goes!
MeatSubSeeker
I never comment on blogs but I had to share – I’ve been looking for a vegan recipe that will itch my red meat craving for years and THIS IS IT. The combo of umami flavors dipped in the au jus are to die for and the definition of comfort food! My boyfriend also has a red meat intolerance and has never been able to enjoy a meal like this and asked me to thank you! Adjustment: I used 2 tsp of tahini instead of a tbsp so that its flavor wouldn’t come through since I started tasting traces of it at that point (he isn’t a fan) and it still worked worked well! A great idea to make it stick together after running through the food processor by the way!
Cadry
Thank you for the lovely comment! It made my day. I’m so glad that the sandwich was a hit with you and your boyfriend. That’s a good note on the tahini for others who aren’t as into the flavor of it. Thanks again!
Merrymepenelope
This comment and rating is for the au jus only. This is hands down, so delicious! I used my Instant Pot Ace Plus blender with the lid slightly askew to allow steam to escape. Super easy and really delicious! The soup 2 function on the blender simmered, stirred, reduced then blended the au jus beautifully! Thank you so much for this lovely recipe, Cadry!
Rae
My daughters and I made this recipe for my son’s birthday last night. His request was French dip sandwiches with jackfruit, so naturally I Googled that and your recipe came to the rescue!
I was unsure how it would all come together. I’ve made these sandwiches with portobello and seitan in the past and didn’t think jackfruit could quite pull it off in the same way. Wow, is all I can say! Jackfruit is the best version for this sandwich. We were all so impressed. We used two different-sized cans (20 and 14 oz) so we’d have heartier filling and were glad we did that.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. It was easy to make and tasted fantastic!
Cadry
I’m thrilled it went over so well with your family, Rae! Thank you for letting me know, and happy belated birthday to your son!
Kelly
I made this last night, and OMG, it was SOOO GOOD! I am not vegan or vegetarian, but my S.O. is, as well as a few others in our family, so we cook vegan often. I was very impressed and can’t wait to make this again. Highly recommend!
Cadry
I’m so glad to hear that, Kelly! Thank you!
Morgan
I absolutely love this recipe! It’s easy and delicious. I’m not vegan, so I add swiss cheese to it, and it’s so good. Thanks for sharing!
Morgan
I made this recipe for supper tonight and it was delicious! I haven’t had a french dip since I went vegetarian almost 2 years ago, and I definitely was not disappointed with this recipe.
Cadry
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know, Morgan.
chris
this might be my favorite vegan sandwich of all time including anything i’ve eaten at a restaurant. the combo of the dipping sauce with the toasted sandwich and the delicious savory jack fruit filling is perfect. prior to making this recipe, i did not like have very good jack fruit experiences, but the addition of tahini at the end is inspired.
Cadry
Wow, that is high praise! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Lydia from Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen
This sounds delicious and I appreciate the thoroughness of the recipe. Pinned and shared.
Cadry
That’s nice to hear. Thanks, Lydia!
Sam
Okay, now I’m hungry!!! I really want to try this recipe right now 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing
Cadry
You’re welcome! You’ll have to give it a whirl sometime. 🙂
Sarah De la Cruz
Wow, this looks amazing! Would you believe that I’ve never had a French dip sandwich, vegan or otherwise? I’m excited to try this, as I think Irving will really like it! And I love your idea of the tahini with the jackfruit to mask the briny taste. So smart!
Cadry
Oh, my goodness! You need to get on this, Sarah. I’m excited to hear what your family thinks of it. I discovered the tahini trick, because Herbivorous Butcher includes tahini in their shredded jackfruit (pulled pork & chick’n style). It’s a small thing that makes a big difference!
Chris
This recipe was amazing. It’s been years since I’ve had a French Dip. This vegan option was a 10/10. Wish I could make this every night! Super easy ingredients, well put together recipe, amazing taste.
Cadry
Thank you, Chris!! I’m elated that you enjoyed it so much.
Jodi Brandon
I made this tonight and it is spectacular! I followed the recipe exactly (the instructions are very easy to follow), although had to substitute sour dough bread since I couldn’t find ciabatta. It was amazingly delicious and we devoured it in record time, probably my husband’s favorite meal in the six years since we went vegan.
Cadry
Aw, that makes my heart so happy!! I’m thrilled that you and your husband enjoyed it so much, Jodi. Thanks for the great feedback!
Susan
This sounds phenomenal! I have only ever had a few french dip sandwiches, and always in the US. I guess they aren’t a big thing in Australia. But there is something so nice about dipping into the jus. I definitely need to make this.
Cadry
Even in the US, it seems like French dip sandwiches aren’t as prevalent as they were once. I never see them in vegan restaurants for whatever reason. Too bad, because I would order it without question! I’m excited for you to make this sandwich, Susan!
Becky
Oh my gosh, that sandwich looks LEGIT! It has been so long since I had a French dip, and I’m definitely making this ASAP!
Cadry
I’m eager for you to try it, Becky! We have a lot of overlap in our tastes. I think you’ll love this one!
Lisa
Can I substitute seitan? Not a fan of jackfruit.
Cadry
I don’t see why not! I’d probably just make the recipes for the au jus, sauteed onions, and horseradish mayo. Then warm the seitan and put it on toasted ciabatta.
If you wanted, you could warm the seitan with a bit of the au jus to create some moisture and bump up the flavor a little. If you have access to Herbivorous Butcher pastrami, it would be delicious in this sandwich. Let me know how it goes!
Jeni Hernandez
These sandwiches look amazing! I can’t wait to make this recipe asap!
Cadry
Thanks, Jeni!! I hope you love it as much as I do. I’ll be eager to hear what you think!
Dianne
Would you believe that I’ve never had a french dip sandwich? This looks amazing, so I need to fix that ASAP!
Cadry
What?? You need to rectify that immediately! 🙂