Description
This delicious BLT sandwich features smoky tempeh bacon, juicy ripe summer tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and toasted sourdough bread. A healthy plant-based twist on the classic that’s perfect for lunch or a light dinner!
Ingredients
- 1-2 large slicing tomatoes - find the best tomatoes you can (they are the star of the sandwich). In season and ripe juicy tomatoes, heirlooms are excellent here.
- Salt to taste
- 4 romaine leaves - or other crisp lettuce like iceberg or little gems,
- 4 slices of sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (feel free to use vegan mayo)
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
Optional additions: avocado, microgreens, or sprouts, basil, or other herbs.
Tempeh Bacon (or see notes)
- 8 ounces tempeh, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, more to taste (or use GF liquid aminos)
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Salt the tomatoes. Using a pairing knife, remove the hard core of the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes on a cutting board, place them on a paper towel and salt them. This will help draw out some of the juices and also season the tomatoes.
- Make the tempeh bacon. Slice the bacon thinly. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and sear the slices of tempeh (season with salt and pepper) until crisp and golden on both sides. Mix soy sauce and maple syrup in a small bowl and set aside. Once golden and crispy, brush the soy mixture over the top and turn to coat the other side. Turn the heat off. Taste a piece, add more soy if you want. You want the tempeh to taste slightly salty like bacon.
- Toast the bread. Spread with a thin mixture of mayo and whole grain mustard on both sides.
- Assemble the BLT. Place a few layers of crisp lettuce on the bottom, then add the bacon, then the tomatoes. Top with any optional additions like sprouts or avocado. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Crispy Bacon– Feel free to use regular bacon or a plant-based bacon, and make sure the bacon is nice and crisp!
Mix mayo and whole grain mustard together if making more than one sandwich. I use a ratio of 3 parts mayo to 1 part mustard.
Tempeh: We skip the steaming of tempeh in this recipe, which results in faster preparation and a firmer texture. Leftover tempeh bacon will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one sandwich (vegan mayo)
- Calories: 455
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 797 mg
- Fat: 19.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 8.9 g
- Protein: 17.2 g
- Cholesterol: 5.6 mg