I'm honestly a little surprised by how satisfying this vegan BLT recipe is! Although I spent the first 25 years of my life eating sandwiches for lunch, I don't eat sandwiches for lunch very often anymore. I had kind of forgotten how satisfying something as simple as the "bacon, lettuce, tomato" combo can feel.
All the comfort of the classic,
With a more health promoting twist,
5 minute homemade oil-free mayonnaise,
Protein packed tempeh "bacon",
And a whole grain seeded bread
Ingredients
As mentioned above, my more health promoting twists to this classic "bacon, lettuce, tomato" sandwich are:
- Using a whole grain bread
- Easy homemade oil-free mayonnaise made from silken tofu
- And crispy tempeh "bacon"
- Plus... the lettuce and tomato are great the way they are!
If you're wondering where the protein is in this recipe, you don't need to worry. The oil-free mayonnaise is made possible by using silken tofu! Tofu and tempeh are both soy products so they easily deliver on plenty of protein.
Recipe Cost
This vegan BLT recipe costs me about $3.15 Canadian. Most of my plant-based versions of traditional recipes tend to save you a few dollars. The cost of this one is a little higher than the traditional because traditional bacon is quite inexpensive here.
Making my full 300 ml oil-free mayonnaise recipe costs me $2.14 which is about on par with the average cost of traditional mayonnaise.
A full batch of my crispy tempeh "bacon" costs me $5.98 which is about double the price of the same amount of real bacon.
With this said, buying a sandwich from a cafe (plant-based or not) would cost me at least $5. By making this recipe at home and packing it in your lunch bag you will certainly save compared to a lunch out.
If you are a lover of sandwiches for lunch then you have to try my Chickpea Smash Sandwich as well! And for the ultimate messy sandwich, don't miss my Eggplant "Parm"!
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Vegan "BLT" with Oil-Free Mayo
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 sandwich 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A vegan BLT recipe that delivers on the satisfaction of the original with some health promoting twists. Oil-free mayonnaise & tempeh "bacon"!
Ingredients
- 2 slices whole grain bread
- 3 tbsp oil-free mayonnaise
- 2-4 pieces green leaf lettuce*
- 4 slices tomato*
- 5 slices tempeh bacon
Oil-Free Mayonnaise (makes 300 ml)
- 300g silken tofu (or soft tofu)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp wasabi or ½ tsp mustard powder
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
Tempeh Bacon (makes 20-26 slices)
- 225g tempeh*
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (or more tamari)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of black pepper
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
To build the sandwich:
- Toast slices of bread.
- Generously spread oil-free mayonnaise on each slice.
- Top one slice with lettuce, then tomato slices, then tempeh bacon. (sprinkle a touch of salt and pepper on top if desired).
- Cover with the other slice of bread and enjoy!
For the oil-free mayo:
- Add all the ingredients to your blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- This mayo will be thick enough to use immediately but will thicken even more in the fridge!
- Store in the fridge in an air-tight container for about 1 week.
For the tempeh bacon:
- Steam your block of tempeh for 15 minutes to remove its naturally bitter flavour.
- Meanwhile, mix the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish.
- Slice your steamed tempeh as thinly as you can. Lay the slices in the marinade and turn them to coat each side. Marinate for 15 minutes (up to overnight).
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Remove the tempeh from the marinade, place on the lined baking sheet and baste with any leftover marinade. Bake for 20 minutes turning halfway through (and basting again if you happen to have more marinade leftover). Depending on the thickness of your slices you may need to keep them in for closer to 30 minutes to get as crispy as you’d like.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $3.15 Canadian for the sandwich. A whole batch of my oil-free mayo costs me $2.14 and the full tempeh bacon recipe costs me $5.98. My oil-free mayo is on par with the average cost of traditional mayonnaise but the tempeh bacon is about double the cost of traditional bacon. Both are more cost effective than store-bought vegan versions and a simple sandwich purchased from a cafe would cost me at least $5.
Annika
Just left a review on the tempeh bacon but used some for a BLT and this is awesome. Love the tofu mayo and had it on fresh sourdough. Totally satisfying.
Kathryn Alexandre
Awesome! So glad you loved the mayo and enjoyed the bacon as a sandwich too. (You can never go wrong with fresh sourdough)! Thank you again for the lovely comment and star rating.