Vegan BLT

We're bringing you the ultimate vegan BLT (technically a BLTA with the addition of avocado)! Tofu bacon is the star of the show, complemented by lettuce, pan-roasted cherry tomatoes and avocado. The ideal lunch, if you ask me!

Let's break down this vegan BLTA. (The "A" stands for avocado, in case you weren't familiar.)

Sourdough bread (homemade, if you're that person, and slathered in vegan mayo), lettuce (boring, but essential), homemade tofu bacon (wayyyy better than it sounds), pan-roasted cherry tomatoes (SO MUCH BETTER THAN REGULAR TOMATOES) and avocado (no explanation needed).

Why you need to make tofu bacon

A few weeks ago, we shared a recipe we've been working on for a while: homemade tofu bacon. You guys were pretty psyched about it, for good reason!

It's crispy, chewy, salty, smoky and everything you want in your favorite breakfast food. Sure, it's not quite like regular bacon, but it's a pretty damn good alternative. Especially if you haven't had bacon in years.

Essentially, it involves making a simple marinade (soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, oil, a little onion powder, salt and pepper). Slice tofu into super thin planks, then baste with the marinade, roast and periodically brush with more marinade until the bacon is crispy and chewy.

All in all, it takes a little over an hour to make (and you'll have to stay near the oven), but it's well worth the effort!

Next-level pan-roasted tomatoes

We were really craving tomato jam for this vegan BLT. But since we're trying to limit grocery store trips (and also didn't feel like spending 3 hours making it), we had to improvise.

Oh, and we also forgot to buy sandwich-appropriate tomatoes at the store. So we were really limited, with just one carton of slightly overripe cherry tomatoes. Raw cherry tomatoes aren't particularly well suited for sandwiches, so we threw them in a pan with some olive oil and salt.

20 minutes later, we had perfect pan-roasted tomatoes that are basically a much easier version of tomato jam. They're perfect for spreading on a BLT and honestly taste WAY better than raw tomato.

Not sure about you, but I've never really liked tomatoes on sandwiches. Unless they're perfectly ripe heirlooms, they usually just don't taste that great. Pan-roasted tomatoes are the way to go!

Side note: if you have extra time on your hands, you could also make these really good roasted tomatoes from Brewing Happiness. We've heard rave reviews!

More vegan lunch recipes you'll love:

• Greek Chickpea Salad
• Portobello Mushroom Panini
• Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
• Asian-inspired Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
• Mushroom Shawarma with Tzatziki
• Fajita Panini

If you make this Vegan BLTA recipe with tofu bacon, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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