These vegan tempeh BLT sandwiches are made up of homemade tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and spicy tahini sauce! A healthy vegan spin on a classic that’s high in protein and rich in flavour.
If you’ve been eating plant-based for awhile, you’re probably familiar with tempeh. This fermented soy product of Indonesian origin is a versatile ingredient, one that I use in a lot of my recipes! You can chop it up, toss it in a delicious marinade, and bake or sauté it. You can crumble it into vegan chili. You can even make a delicious “bacon” substitute by marinating it in a mixture of apple cider vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika, and then either baking or frying it. Today, you’ll learn how to make tempeh bacon, which you’ll use on these vegan tempeh BLT sandwiches!
what is a blt sandwich?
The BLT is a household name in North America, but perhaps not as well known in other parts of the world. BLT stands for Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato, and while there is some uncertainty as to when and where it originated, a sandwich that included bacon, lettuce, and tomato, along with a slice of turkey, was mentioned in the 1903 Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book.
how is this vegan blt different?
Well, for starters, there are no animal products in a vegan BLT. As I mentioned, you’ll be making tempeh bacon to replace the bacon. This particular BLT has another twist, though. While I love mayonnaise and have nothing against it when it is made with quality ingredients, I opted to replace it with a spicy tahini sauce in my recipe. (I truly can’t get enough of the stuff, can I?) I also included some avocado for added texture and satisfaction factor.
ingredients you’ll need for this sandwich
- For the tempeh bacon: Tempeh, tamari, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, smoked paprika, freshly ground black pepper, and olive oil.
- For the spicy tahini sauce: Tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, tamari, hot sauce, maple syrup, garlic, salt, pepper, and water.
- For assembling the sandwiches: Sourdough bread, avocado, tomato, and lettuce!
step by step instructions
- First, make the tempeh bacon. I like to steam the block of tempeh for a couple of minutes before slicing, since this makes the tempeh more absorbent and capable of taking on the flavours of the marinade. After steaming, slice the tempeh. The width is really up to you–some like very thin slices; others like them on the thicker side. Arrange the tempeh slices in a 9×13 baking dish. Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, pepper, and olive oil in a small dish and pour over the tempeh. Tilt the dish so that the marinade coats the tempeh evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- To cook the bacon, you have two options: baking and frying. If you’re baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the tempeh is nicely browned. If you’re frying, warm some oil in a large skillet and fry the tempeh over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
- To make the tahini sauce, place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- To assemble the sandwiches, toast the bread. Arrange a few slices of tempeh bacon on one slice of bread and top with tomato, avocado slices, lettuce, and tahini sauce. Top with the second slice of bread and repeat to make up to four sandwiches.
substitutions for allergies
- To make this vegan BLT sandwich soy-free, make carrot bacon or eggplant bacon instead of tempeh bacon! (Just remember to use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce/tamari in the marinade, as well as in the tahini sauce.)
- To make a gluten-free sandwich, use gluten-free bread, or wrap everything up in blanched collard leaves.
- If you have an allergy to sesame seeds, you can definitely use vegan mayonnaise instead. I recommend Chosen Foods aquafaba mayo!
in a hurry, but still want to make this sandwich?
We’ve all been there. There’s no shame in picking up store-bought tempeh bacon from time to time. I love the fact that Tofurky makes one using organic American-grown soybeans, which is widely available at North American grocery and health food stores.
in the mood for a vegan blt bowl?
All of these components would be delicious served as a bowl along with some cooked quinoa!
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I hope you love these vegan tempeh BLT sandwiches! If you make them, be sure to let me know how you liked them with a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you. 🙂 And if you share a photo on Instagram, tag me @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen so that I can feature it in my stories!
ENJOY!!!
Vegan Tempeh BLT Sandwiches
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan tempeh BLT sandwiches are made up of homemade tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and spicy tahini sauce! A healthy vegan spin on a classic that’s high in protein and rich in flavour.
Ingredients
Tempeh Bacon
- 1 block (240-250 grams) organic tempeh
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Black pepper, to taste
Spicy Lemon Tahini Sauce (makes extra)
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank’s original cayenne pepper sauce, but sriracha also works)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- ¼ cup–½ cup water, as needed to thin
For Serving
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 1–2 tomato(es), sliced
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- Romaine lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Make the tempeh bacon: Steam the tempeh for a couple of minutes to open up its pores and make it more absorbent. (This step is optional, but will result in the most flavourful tempeh bacon.) Once cool enough to handle, slice it lengthwise to your desired thickness and place in a rectangular baking dish. Whisk together the tamari, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, smoked paprika, and pepper, and pour over the sliced tempeh. Tilt the dish so that the marinade coats the tempeh evenly. Cover and transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- Cook the tempeh bacon: You can either bake or fry the tempeh. If baking, arrange the tempeh in an even layer in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated and the tempeh is nicely browned. If frying, warm a couple teaspoons of oil (olive, avocado, grapeseed, coconut) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.
- Make the spicy lemon tahini sauce: Add the tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, tamari, hot sauce, maple syrup, salt, and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Start with ¼ cup of water and add more gradually if desired. I like to keep the sauce on the thicker side, since it’s being used as more of a spread.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Toast the bread, if desired. Top with a few slices of the tempeh bacon, followed by a few slices of avocado, tomato, tahini sauce, and lettuce. Top with a second slice of bread and repeat with the remaining bread to make 4 sandwiches.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Supper, Main Dish
- Cuisine: American
Jennifer says
Fabulous!
Anne says
This is a great sandwich. The temper is crispy and delicious.