A vegan BLT made with smoky tofu bacon and fresh avocado mayo for a delicious and healthy twist on this classic sandwich. It's a sandwich everyone will love!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Happy Friday, friends!
I hope you all are finding ways to enjoy these midsummer days. I'm excited to say that next week I'm headed out of town with a friend for our annual mother/daughter camping trip. Somehow this will be my first camping trip of the summer (I need to work fewer weekends) and I can't wait to get by some water, set up the tent, and relax for a few days where the stars shine and the skies are endless.
If I could have it my way I would be camping every weekend.
For car camping, these vegan BLT sandwiches are one of my favorite lunches to bring along. They require few ingredients with minimal prep. I typically prepare the marinade for the tofu bacon the day before the trip and pack it in along with all the other food. Not only does this make it super easy to fry up, but the tofu marinates for at least 24 hours making it some of the best tofu bacon I've ever had.
Recommended Ingredients and Equipment
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sandwich Bread - For the vegan BLT my bread of choice is their Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread - a hearty, flourless bread made from organic whole wheat berries and sweetened with dates. Read more about it below.
- Avocado Mayo - Avocado Mayo a mayonnaise spread that uses the fat and creaminess of avocado rather than eggs. Not only is my avocado mayo vegan and soy-free. It is also oil-free, made with only a handful of ingredients: avocado, aquafaba, garlic, lemon, and salt. For a more traditional sandwich, you can opt for a classic vegan mayo which you can make at home or buy at the store.
- Lettuce - I recommend Romaine lettuce but any time of lettuce will do.
- Tomatoes
- Extra Firm Tofu - Look for extra-firm tofu that is not water-packed, such as Trader Joe’s High-Protein Tofu or Super Firm Sprouted Tofu. These types of tofu do not have excess water and do not need to be pressed. If you have to use water-packed tofu make sure to press as much water as you can out of it first by using a tofu pressor a weighted, towel-lined cutting board.
- Soy Sauce - Use Tamari for a gluten-free option
- Tomato Paste
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce - Regular Worcestershire sauce generally has anchovy paste or fish sauce. Look for a brand that says vegan on the label. I recommend either Annie’s or Edward and Son’s.
- Maple Syrup
- Liquid Smoke
- Black Pepper
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe you will need a large, shallow dish for marinating the tofu, a large skillet, a chef’s knife, cutting board, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
Best Bread for Vegan BLT
When attempting to make the best vegan BLT ever, besides getting the perfect smoky tofu bacon and creamy avocado mayo, you want to make sure you have top-quality bread. That's why my go-to bread for this sandwich comes from Alvarado St. Bakery Co-op.
You may remember me talking about Alvarado here and here and why they are my favorite bakery but let me give you a little recap. Alvarado St. Bakery Co-op is an organic, non-GMO bakery that uses sprouted grains for all their ingredients providing a healthy and delicious product without fail. Beyond that, Alvarado St. Bakery Co-op is an innovative leader in sustainability, operating a green solar-powered bakery focused on waste reduction and pollution prevention. Click the links above to get all the details.
What I haven't gone into detail about is the cooperative part of Alvarado St. Bakery. This means that each employee has an equal stake in the company and an equal vote on business matters. Alvarado St. Bakery's cooperative model values democracy, equality, ownership, and equity.
How to Make Vegan BLT
Step One - Make the Tofu Bacon
To replace the bacon in this BLT sandwich, I prefer using tofu bacon but you can also make tempeh bacon or substitute tempeh for eggplant bacon, mushroom bacon, or store-bought vegan bacon!
To make the tofu bacon, cut the tofu in ½" strips and set aside. Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade and pour it into a shallow baking dish. Add the tofu in a single layer so that it is fully submerged. Marinate for at least one hour.
When the tofu is ready, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet, Once hot, add tofu and pan-fry for about 5 minutes per side, until browned and fragrant.
Step Two - Make the Avocado Mayo
To make the vegan mayonnaise, add all the ingredients to your food processor (or blender works, too) except for the chickpea brine. With the motor running, slowly add the chickpea brine until the dressing is rich and creamy.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pro Tip: If you buy your avocados before they are ripe, let them sit out at room temperature for a couple of days until they are slightly soft to pressure. Once they are ready, you can stick ripe avocados in the refrigerator to allow them to last longer.
Step Three - Assemble and Serve
Spread a thick layer of avocado mayo on the bottom of a slice of toasted bread. Add Romaine lettuce, tomato slices, and tofu bacon. Top with the second slice of bread and serve.
Serving and Storing
Serve immediately with Creamy Tomato Soup or a large Caesar Salad.
Store leftover tofu bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Gently reheat over the stovetop.
More Vegan Sandwich Recipes
- Classic Tempeh Reuben
- Tofu Banh Mi
- Gourmet Vegan Grilled Cheese
- Vegan Philly Cheesesteak
- BBQ "Pulled Pork" Sandwich
Vegan BLT with Avocado Mayo
Ingredients
Vegan BLT
- 2-4 large leaves Romaine lettuce
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 4 slices tofu bacon recipe follows
- ¼ cup avocado mayo
- 4 slices Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread
Tofu Bacon
- 8 ounces extra firm tofu pressed
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together the ingredients for the tofu bacon marinade.
- Cut the tofu into ¼" strips and place in a shallow container. Top with the marinade, making sure tofu is completely covered and place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 hour.
- While tofu is marinating make the avocado mayo.
- Prepare lettuce and tomatoes. Toast the bread.
- When the tofu is ready, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet, Once hot, add tofu and pan-fry for about 5 minutes per side, until browned and fragrant. Remove from skillet.
- Assemble the sandwiches with the avocado mayo on both sides, lettuce, tomato, and tofu bacon. Serve immediately
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Graham says
This seems like another one of those awesome recipes where you don't even have to tell the people you're making it for that it's vegan. You can just make a few, and when people invariably start eating them and asking what's in them, THEN you drop the fact that it's vegan. I'm not fully vegan myself, but a lot of the time vegan meals are the best way for me to stick to my diet. I've gotten a few friends to eat my vegan meals just by not telling them until after!
Sarah says
Yes, I love doing the "it's vegan" mic drop! So fun 🙂
Sarah Newman says
I love love love tofu bacon! This sandwich looks OMG amazing, especially with that avocado mayo sauce! <3
Sarah says
Thanks Sarah!
Jasmine says
Omg the photos have me drooling! This sounds great
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
That tofu looks so delicious! What a great sandwich!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
BLTs are the best! The ultimate sandwich in my eyes 🙂
Gina Marie says
I LOVE your blog! This looks so delicious!!
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Gina!
Brandie says
That looks really good! A weekend lunch treat! That mayo looks very creamy!