Perfect Plant-Based BLT Sandwich

Eggplant bacon and vegan parmesan hummus are delicious substitutes in this perfect plant-based BLT sandwich recipe. 

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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 shared 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 replaces 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!

What’s Needed

You’ll want to use a mandolin to slice the eggplant into thin strips evenly. It’s hard to get the same results with a knife—unless you have mad skills!

The hummus is made in a food processor. I gave my Hamilton Beach model away when I got my fancy Breville food processor. But truth be told, I miss it for jobs like this recipe. The built-in scraper is a handy feature.

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Perfect Plant-Based BLT Sandwich

Preparing the eggplant bacon will likely take at least an hour – depending on size of eggplant and thickness of strips. The sandwich can be made in minutes.

Servings 1

Author Veggie Primer

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 1/4 cup for brushing
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• ⅛ tsp. chili powder
• ⅛ tsp. Sea salt

Sandwich

• 2 pieces sprouted grain or gluten-free bread lightly toasted
• 1-2 Tbsp. Vegan Parmesan Hummus see recipe
• 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 1/8 to 1/4 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 425 °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 350 °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

Eggplant bacon recipe adapted from The Spirited Spoon.

*Obviously the eggplant bacon recipe makes more than you need for a single sandwich. Keep leftovers in the fridge to enjoy with more sandwiches or have it for breakfast with a Veggie Chickpea Flour Scramble.

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate for special dietary needs. 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 0.4mg | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 1507mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 4055IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 3mg

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