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BTLT: BBQ Tempeh Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich

2 hr + 25 min

Main

10 ingredients or less

A twist on the classic BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) sandwich, made with protein-packed tempeh in place of bacon.

Servings

Total

2 hr + 25 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Rest

2 hr

Contains

Soy symbol

soy

Swap out

Gluten symbol

gluten

Free from

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Ingredients

  • 8.8 oz (250 g)
    tempeh
  • ½ cup (120 mL)
    barbecue sauce
  • 2 tsp (10 mL)
    vegetable oil, for frying
  • 6
    slices whole wheat bread, toasted
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
    vegan mayonnaise (optional)
  • 3
    romaine lettuce leaves
  • 1
    roasted red bell pepper from a jar, sliced
  • 1
    medium tomato, sliced
  • 1
    avocado, sliced

Directions

  1. Optional step: bring a medium pan of water to a boil. Cut the tempeh into ¼ inch (½ cm) thin strips. The thinner they are, the crispier they will be! Add the strips to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes to reduce the bitterness. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Mix the tempeh and BBQ sauce and let sit for at least 5 minutes, or ideally for 2 hours or overnight for maximum flavour.
  3. Add the oil to a large pan on medium-high heat, and once heated, add the tempeh strips and cook until golden on both sides. Keep an eye on it as BBQ sauce can quickly burn. Remove from heat when crisped to your liking.
  4. Top the toasted bread with mayo. Add the tempeh strips, lettuce, roasted pepper, tomatoes, and avocado. Enjoy!

Storage

  • Best to enjoy this sandwich the same day it's made.
  • Store the tempeh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Let us know what you think

Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 47%

slice whole wheat bread

Proteins 16%

tempeh

Fruits & Veggies 37%

romaine lettuce leaf

roasted red bell pepper from a jar

medium tomato

avocado

Calcium
No significant sources of calcium
Fat

vegetable oil

vegan mayonnaise

avocado

Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

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Discussion & Rating

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Karolina Stridh - March 11, 2024, 8:50 p.m.

I love it


Nathalie - Feb. 16, 2024, 1:32 p.m.

Swapped the tempeh with tofu. Was absolutely amazing!


Nancy - Feb. 4, 2024, 8:39 p.m.

In love! This is so good! Definitely boil the tempeh before marinating. It does make a world of difference! We’ve had this twice - as written, with mayo and mustard, and, without the avocado nor roasted pepper. Both were really good. This is now in my favourites for work and for camping!


Jean-Luc - Jan. 22, 2024, 7:06 p.m.

This has become a household favorite and is on our weekly rotation. So delicious! 😋


Kelly - Dec. 10, 2023, 10:13 p.m.

Turned out great!
Thanks


Phillipa - Oct. 8, 2023, 4:15 p.m.

This is so tasty. We didn't have any avocado in so we will have to try it again soon with some. Great lunch option. Thank you.


Patricia van Steensel - Sept. 21, 2023, 7:53 p.m.

This is so incredibly delicious.

Made this two time this week to take with me to the office. My non-veggie colleague was drooling the first time and couldn’t believe it was plantbased.
So for the second day I made an extra sandwich for her to try. She absolutely loved it and devoured her sandwich.
Let her see the app and your YouTube channel and she was amazed by how many good looking plantbased recipes there are. She is going to try to eat less meat and try some of your recipes.

PUL Team - Sept. 21, 2023, 7:57 p.m.

Oh, Patricia, we're so happy that the sandwich was enjoyed! How nice of you to make an extra for your colleague. Sharing our content is one of the biggest compliments we could ask for 🌱✨


Colette - Aug. 29, 2023, 7:11 p.m.

This was my first time trying tempeh and I found pre-prepared smokey bacon flavored tempeh at my local grocery store so I was able to skip the tempeh prep. Didn’t know if I’d like it but this was so delicious! Almost didn’t get the roasted red peppers but I’m so glad I did because they add so much yummy flavor. Another favorite added to the books! Will make again and bring to work for lunch tomorrow. Thank you!

PUL Team - Aug. 31, 2023, 9:31 p.m.

Yay we're so happy to hear, Colette! Using ready-made tempeh is a lovely idea to speed things up 😊


Michaela - Aug. 9, 2023, 6:40 p.m.

Very good😋
Made it with chickpea-tempeh.


Megan Cooley - Aug. 2, 2023, 5:06 a.m.

So much easier than how I normally make tempeh bacon. Yum!
P.S. This app is simply phenomenal. I have watched your YouTube videos for years but only followed a recipe once or twice (I love the videos, but it’s just not my favorite format for cooking). Now, practically every meal my family eats is coming from the app. It is so intuitive, and I absolutely love the Nourish feature. On top of that, every single recipe has been delicious! Thank you, PUL team.

PUL Team - Aug. 2, 2023, 6:36 p.m.

Awe thank you so much, Megan! Our goal is for the app to be a one-stop-shop for all things nutrition and recipes, and we're so happy it's being enjoyed 😍 Excited to continue our culinary adventure together!


Chanel - July 30, 2023, 9:37 p.m.

Wow, these were divine! A good bbq sauce and heirloom tomato are taste elevators. Definitely toast your bread for extra texture. Best use of tempeh!


Debbie - July 1, 2023, 2:29 p.m.

Had this for lunch today, it was really delicious. I got the tempeh ready yesterday so it marinated overnight last night in the BBQ sauce and it was so easy to make today 💕

We aren’t forcing our kids to try anything plant based they don’t want to try - but they both could smell this and wanted to try it for lunch as well and they both loved it, so this will be the first meal I can make for all four of us - hopefully more will come along as I learn! Thanks Sadia 💕

PUL Team - July 4, 2023, 12:58 a.m.

Awe super happy to hear, Debbie, thank you! Hugs to you and your little ones 🤗


Andy - June 11, 2023, 4:23 a.m.

This was very good.


Anna - May 29, 2023, 5:16 p.m.

Yum! I baked the tempeh because I was feeling lazy, and it turned out great! Thank you for the recipe! <3

PUL Team - May 29, 2023, 6:23 p.m.

So happy to hear, Anna - thank you!


Sophie - May 28, 2023, 5:19 a.m.

So delicious!! Made it for my family and they loved. I will definitely be making it again 🤩


Mitka - May 19, 2023, 5:13 a.m.

The most delicious bbq flavoured sandwich I've had 😀!

Really easy to make too :)


Mariam - March 10, 2023, 6:07 p.m.

My go-to lunch!! Thank you for the recipe ❤️


Martunia - Jan. 22, 2023, 9:14 a.m.

Made this sandwich for Sunday breakfast and it was delicious! I skipped the tempeh boiling part and let it marinade overnight. I'm so looking forward to having leftovers tomorrow 😋

PUL Team - Jan. 22, 2023, 6:07 p.m.

So happy to hear, Martunia, enjoy the leftovers 😃


Jermaine - Sept. 14, 2022, 9:55 a.m.

Delicious!!


Michelle - Aug. 22, 2022, 4:43 a.m.

Fresh, light and delicious but still filling. It was easy and quick to make. I didn't boil the tempeh but didn't find it bitter at all, it wasn't crispy but I also didn't have the patience to wait 😂

PUL Team - Aug. 23, 2022, 8:05 p.m.

It means so much that the sandwich was enjoyed, Michelle - thank you!


Natasha - July 26, 2022, 9:11 p.m.

So fast and delicious! The perfect lunch sandwich. The avocado makes it filling and helped me stay full for longer than usual!

PUL Team - July 28, 2022, 7:17 a.m.

So glad it's being enjoyed, Natasha, thank you!


Jordan - Oct. 19, 2021, 2:23 a.m.

I love these! Healthy, delicious and easy to put together!


Kirstyn - July 8, 2021, 9:24 p.m.

I skipped the boiling step and I found it delicious still! I couldn't get the tempeh to be as crispy as I wanted but will try cutting the pieces thinner next time, still tasted fantastic.

PUL Team - July 13, 2021, 4:31 a.m.

Thank you for sharing, Kirstyn! Lowering the heat and allowing it to cook for longer may also help with the crispiness 😊