TLT: Tempeh Lettuce Tomato Sandwich

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What is Tempeh?

Many people (especially non-vegans) have never heard of tempeh before, even though it is quite a superfood. Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food product made by a fermentation process that naturally binds soybeans into a block form.

Thus, its nutritional value is quite remarkable
  • High in protein: (~19g per 100g)
  • Source of fibre (~9g per 100g)
  • Rich in probiotics through fermentation process

The secret to a good TLT?

Even though this sandwich only has a few ingredients, there are major aspects you have to consider in order to create a great and flavourful dish.

Marinating the Tempeh

In contrast to tofu, tempeh is not flavorless, but the sensation is neither strong nor appealing to everybody, which means we have to infuse the smokiness and saltiness we know from bacon by creating a marinade and frying the slices.

Marinated tempeh after frying

Juicy and seasoned tomatoes

Just as important as the tempeh are some good quality tomatoes. When in season, I recommend using Beefsteak or Big Rainbow Tomatoes.

To elevate every dish that features (fresh) tomatoes, season them with a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper. This step is non-negotiable.

The sauce

You can keep it classic by just using vegan mayonnaise, but this is the point, where you can switch things up. I like to use equal parts mayo and another sauce to have different flavours each time I make this sandwich. In this variation, I used pesto to have a rich and herby sauce.

Seasoned Tomatoes
Pesto-Mayo sauce

Bread👍

As a German, you already know I love myself some good quality, fresh bread. So if you are being cheap on this one, I might need to call the police. Whether you use your self-made sourdough or buy a good loaf from the bakery, make sure to toast one side in a pan using vegan butter, and you are good to go.

The Recipe

TLT – Tempeh Lettuce Tomato Sandwich

This is a spin on the famous BLT Sandwich, which replaces the bacon with smokey and salty Tempeh.
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Vorbereitungszeit 10 Minuten
Zubereitungszeit 20 Minuten
Marinating Time 30 Minuten
Gesamtzeit 1 Stunde
Portionen: 2 sandwiches
Gericht: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Zutaten
  

Smokey Tempeh
  • 200 g tempeh sliced
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (see Notes 1)
Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegan mayo
  • 2 tablespoons vegan pesto genovese (see Notes 2)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
Other
  • 1 large beefsteak tomato sliced
  • 1 lettuce head
  • 4 slices breaded
  • 1 teaspoon vegan butter
  • Salt
  • Fresh Black pepper

Method
 

Prepare the tempeh
  1. To a container, add the marinade ingredients and mix to combine. Place the tempeh slices into the container, shake to coat, and place in the fridge for 30mins.
  2. In a pan, fry each side of the tempeh on medium-high heat for 7-8mins or util slightly brown.
Make the sauce
  1. In a small bowl, add the listed ingredients, grate in the garlic, and stir to combine.
Prepare the other ingredients
  1. Remove the stem from the lettuce head and wash the leaves.
  2. Sprinkle over salt and fresh black pepper on each side of the tomato slices.
  3. In a pan, melt the vegan butter on medium heat and toast the bread slices on one side only.
Assemble the TLT
  1. Spread the sauce on the non-toasted side of the bread slices and add the remaining parts by layering the lettuce, tomatoes, and fried tempeh on one of the slices. Place the other bread slice on top and cut the sandwich in half.

Notizen

  1. You can substitute maple syrup for any sweetener of your choice
  2. Substitute the pesto with any other sauce to switch things up. Use hummus, chipotle, hot sauce or just be creative
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