Your taste buds are bound to do a happy dance at first bite of these incredible vegan tempeh breakfast sandwiches with chipotle aioli, delicata squash, and avocado! Holy yum!

While I can’t say that I’m a fan of store-bought imitation “meats,” I do love to make the occasional vegan burger or breakfast patty that appears and tastes somewhat meaty. And sometimes, the people I cook for appreciate me making such things. It’s certainly a nice way to shake up your protein options! My tempeh chorizo from a couple of years ago was one of my earliest recipes, and I decided that it was time to update that recipe and take it into breakfast sandwich territory!

These breakfast sandwiches consist of tempeh chorizo patties, avocado, roasted delicata squash, and cashew-based chipotle aioli. The flavours, textures, and colours are sure to put a smile on your face and make your morning (or afternoon, or evening, for that matter) bright. 🙂

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

FOR THE TEMPEH BREAKFAST PATTIES: Tempeh, garlic, flax, rosemary, thyme, sea salt, pepper, chili flakes, smoked paprika, oat flour, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, nutritional yeast, tamari, and mayonnaise. The mayonnaise is technically not required if you don’t have any on hand, but it does create that somewhat fatty mouthfeel found in meat.
FOR THE ROASTED DELICATA SQUASH: Delicata squash, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.
FOR THE CHIPOTLE AIOLI: Cashews (soaked beforehand and drained), lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, chipotles in adobo sauce, sea salt, and water.
FOR THE SANDWICHES: Bagels (I was feeling particularly industrious/had a lot of time on my hands the day that I made these sandwiches, so I used this bagel recipe to make my own), avocado, lettuce, and tomato.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, roast the delicata squash. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into ½-inch semi-circles and place in a bowl. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
Next, make the tempeh patties. You can make them ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge- this speeds up the sandwich prep immensely. Chop the tempeh into cubes and place in a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade. Pulse a few times until crumbly. Stop before it turns into a paste, as you want it to have some texture. Transfer it into a bowl. Add the minced garlic, flax, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, pepper, oat flour, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, nutritional yeast, tamari, and mayonnaise. Stir well to combine. Form into 4-6 patties, depending on the size of your bagels (since you want them to fit your bagels pretty well). Note that the patties should hold together well; they should not be crumbly at all. If they are, add another tablespoon of ground flax.
Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Cook the patties for 4 minutes per side. If your skillet is oven-proof, transfer it right into the oven and bake the patties for 10 minutes. Baking helps firm them up in the middle; I don’t recommend skipping this step!
Make the chipotle aioli: Combine the cashews, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, salt, and water in a blender. Blend until super smooth and creamy. Transfer into an airtight jar or container.
Assemble the sandwiches: Slice your bagels in half. Place a tempeh patty on the bottom half, followed by chipotle aioli, a few slices of squash, avocado, tomato, and lettuce. Repeat as needed for additional sandwiches.

MORE SANDWICHES TO TRY

Can you believe that Christmas is just a few sleeps away? I have one more exam tomorrow, and then I’ll be off for a couple of weeks. It’s my first time having a real “Christmas break” in a few years, so I am looking quite forward to it. Likely my last one for another several years! I hope you are all doing well. If you have a chance to make these vegan tempeh breakfast sandwiches with chipotle aioli over the holidays or beyond, I’d love to hear how you enjoyed them! Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below- I really enjoy hearing from you. Don’t be shy! And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen.

Finally, if you like what you’re seeing and you’re hungry for more, feel free to subscribe to receive recipes directly to your inbox. You’ll automatically be sent a free e-cookbook with 10 never before published recipes as a thank you gift!

Okay, that’s enough yammering from me. Until next time, enjoy these sammies!