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
Scale
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)
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 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
- 1/4 tsp each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 1/4 cup–1/2 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 1/4 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
Keywords: vegan tempeh BLT sandwich