The Vegan BLT Sandwich a.ka the TLT (Tofu, Lettuce & Tomato)

One of the most common questions I get is ‘but don’t you miss bacon?’  The answer is no! Especially not when I have delicious tofu that can be made into a yummy Vegan BLT Sandwich (aka TLT – Tofu, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich)

Tofu is kind of a magic ingredient, it can be flavoured in so many ways, and one of my favourites is to turn it into a smokey crispy bacon alternative.

It’s super easy to make, and can be used on all kinds of dishes, such as sprinkling over a nice pasta for a bit of added protein such as this Our Fave Courgette & Tomato Summer Pasta

Or added to a yummy tofu scramble for a full breakfast fry-up

Or made into a yummy BLT.. (or TLT, Tofu, Lettuce Tomato) sandwich.

Because who doesn’t love a sandwich piled high with scrummy ingredients? Easy, fast and delicious. Anyone can make a sandwich!

Quality ingredients are also super important to make a great vegan BLT. 

The first key to making the TLAT is the tofu ‘bacon’. To make it  I buy smoked tofu, in Europe the best brand is Taifun, it’s organic and not genetically modified, and they make a great range of tofu styles. I slice it thinly & either pan fry or bake it with a drizzle of soy sauce &  extra smoked paprika to give an extra salty,  smoky flavour. Cook it until it’s crispy and it makes a super duper sandwich filler, snack or addition to pasta or a stir fry.  There are other brands around that do a great smoked tofu too.. be sure to find the one you like best!

The lettuce I used was from my garden, hence the holes. I like to share my lettuce with the slugs. I would urge you to at least once try growing lettuce. It’s brilliantly easy to grow in a pot and you can just snip off leaves as you need them. No more discovering horrible nasty slimy bits at the bottom of a shop-bought packet. Yergh.

The tomatoes were fresh from the market, and kept out of the fridge to allow them to keep their delicious tomatoey flavour. Chilling tomatoes destroys their flavour, and you want all the flavour you can get in a sandwich. The juicy sweet tomatoes balance out the salty tofu bacon.

Optional but yummy, is a layer of avocado. Good avocados are notoriously tricky to find and can be stupidly expensive. Head over to your local market or green grocer. Forget the supermarket avos- they’ve been chilled to death and often won’t soften. My top tip!…  To test if an avocado is ready, squeeze it near the stem. It should give a little in a slightly bouncy way, just like the tip of your nose.

The bread must be a good one. It needs to be able to stand up to whatever extra sauces you want to add to it. I like a good sourdough, but you can also go old school with plain white.

Finally, you need to pimp your sandwich with mayo, and sauces. I like a spicy tomato sauce on mine- and vegan mayo is easy to find pretty much everywhere now. (I love a good eco-store!) and increasingly in good supermarkets.

I mean; Check out this baby! 

You really must try making tofu ‘bacon’, it’s SO good, even the most hardened tofu denier, The Gardener, likes it if it’s been cooked until REALLY crispy.

Let me know in the comments below if you have tried making this yummy Vegan BLT (Aka the TLT!)

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T.L.A.T. Tofu 'bacon'. Lettuce. Avocado. Tomato Sandwich.

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

 

Calories: 563 kcal

Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Ingredients

For the Tofu 'Bacon'

• 100 g Smoked Tofu. Sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• For the Sandwich

For the Sandwich

• 2 slices Bread
• 0.5 Avocado
• 2 Lettuce leaves
• 1 Tomatoes Make sure it's ripe!
• Sauces to taste. Mayo, Ketchup or even brown sauce. You do you.

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the tofu, then sprinkle it with soy sauce & smoked paprika
2. Pan fry in the olive oil until crispy.
3. Then: Build your sandwich. Try not to eat all the yummy, crispy tofu before you make the sandwich. It's a hazard, I tell you!
4. Apply to face

Nutrition Facts

T.L.A.T. Tofu 'bacon'. Lettuce. Avocado. Tomato Sandwich.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 563 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Fat 35g54%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 1328mg58%

Potassium 1012mg29%

Carbohydrates 46g15%

Fiber 12g50%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 5218IU104%

Vitamin C 36mg44%

Calcium 244mg24%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.