Eggplant bacon and vegan parmesan hummus are delicious substitutes in this perfect plant-based BLT sandwich recipe.
My grandmother made the most amazing BLT sandwiches. I would pick fresh leaf lettuce and tomatoes from her garden. She would fry bacon to the perfect level of crispiness in a big cast iron pan. Then she would combine these tasty ingredients with mayonnaise on toasted white bread. Yum!
I’ve been on a quest to create a plant-based version of Granny’s masterpiece. The idea of eggplant bacon intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try. The results were very satisfying.
Eggplant Bacon
Making the sandwich is extremely easy. Preparing the eggplant bacon is more involved, but it keeps well in the fridge. So once you make it, you can enjoy it for a few days.
I’d like to take the credit for the eggplant bacon recipe I share below. However, I simply tweaked a recipe I found on The Spirited Spoon. She deserves all the credit. 🙂
My version of the recipe swaps a couple of ingredients and explains how to prepare the strips in a confined space. (I have a small kitchen.) However, I encourage you to look at both versions of the recipe and decide which works better for you.
Perfect Plant-Based BLT Sandwich
Eggplant bacon takes the place of traditional bacon and vegan parmesan hummus replaces mayonnaise in this tasty sandwich. I toyed with the idea of using avocado mayo, but decided hummus would add more protein. The flavors blend nicely and the ingredients make a complete meal.
I daresay Granny would be proud!
📖 Recipe
Perfect Plant-Based BLT Sandwich
Ingredients
Eggplant Bacon
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. low sodium tamari
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil plus about ¼ cup for brushing
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp. chili powder
- Sea salt
Sandwich
- 2 pieces sprouted grain or gluten-free bread lightly toasted
- 1-2 Tbsp. Vegan Parmesan Hummus
- 3-4 thin slices of tomato
- 1-2 thin slices of onion optional
- 4-6 slices of Eggplant Bacon*
- 1 handful of spring mix salad greens
Instructions
Eggplant Bacon
- Slice stem off eggplant then quarter lengthwise. Use a mandolin to slice each quarter into long strips ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. (Thinner slices will become crispier, thicker slices will be easier to work with.)
- Cover a large baking sheet with paper towels and place eggplant strips on the paper towels in a single layer. Sprinkle eggplant strips with salt and cover with more paper towels.
- Top paper towels with another layer of eggplant strips, sprinkle with salt and cover with paper towels.
- Repeat step 3 until all of the strips of eggplant have been sprinkled with salt and placed between paper towels. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425º F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pat top layer of eggplant strips with paper towels to remove any remaining moisture then brush each side lightly with olive oil and place strips in a single layer on the parchment paper.
- Bake eggplant strips for 5-7 minutes (depending on thickness) then flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
- Repeat steps 6-8 until all of the strips have baked. (Lift parchment paper off baking sheet while baked strips are still on it and set aside to cool - stack one sheet of baked strips on top of another if you are tight on space.)
- While eggplant strips are baking, combine balsamic vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, smoked paprika, ground black pepper and chili powder in a medium bowl and whisk to mix.
- Reduce oven temp to 350º F and place a baking rack on the baking sheet over parchment paper.
- Dip each baked strip of eggplant in the balsamic mixture and place on baking rack in a single layer.
- Bake for 10-12 more minutes, or until strips are crispy. (Bake time will vary based on thickness.)
- Repeat steps 12 and 13 until all the eggplant strips are fully baked. Allow baked strips too cool on parchment paper from first round of baking.
Sandwich
- Spread Vegan Parmesan Hummus generously on each piece of bread.
- Top one piece of bread with sliced tomato, onion, eggplant bacon and spring greens and cover with other piece of bread.
- Slice in half with a sharp knife and enjoy!
Notes
Note: I do not include nutrition information with my recipes because I subscribe to the theories presented in the book Whole and believe we should focus on eating a variety of whole foods instead of counting calories or keeping track of individual nutrients. Note: This page contains affiliate links. Veggie Primer earns a commission if you use the links. We only recommend items/brands we use and trust.
The Spirited Spoon
This looks fantastic! So glad you liked my recipe and were able to make it your own! Enjoy 🙂
Margaret
Thank YOU for inspiring me! 🙂
MaryEllen@VNutrition
This looks wonderful! I've heard of eggplant bacon but have never tried it. My husband really misses bacon (and BLTs) since giving up meat but I'll make this for him to give him a substitute. 🙂
Margaret
Thanks MaryEllen. I'm guessing he will enjoy it so long as he doesn't expect it to taste exactly like bacon! ha ha But it does make a tasty sandwich!