When I was younger I loved fresh tomato and mayo sandwiches with a sprinkle of pepper and salt. I don’t know what it was about that sandwich that was so satisfying but it absolutely gave me the fresh and salty fix that I so often crave. Over time my simple sandwich grew into something that resembled more of veggie BLT and became my go-to office lunch and lazy evening snack. The joys of sandwiches are that they are rule-breakers by nature, sure, I am still calling this thing a BLT (even though there is no B and often I replace T with spinach or sprouts) but you can use any suitable greens you love and any vegan bacon of your choice!
If you want a B for your vegan BLT, try my making my popular Rice Paper Bacon recipe or even my recipe for Carrot Bacon, if you have carrots in your fridge!
I love love love coconut bacon, it’s smoky, salty and slightly sweet flavor is perfect with some homemade vegan mayo and fresh tomato. I once tried this with seaweed bacon and that was just as satisfying but added a slightly saltier flavor and was lighter than the coconut. So like I said, you can stick with the recipe, or break your own rules and use avocado instead of vegan mayo, or arugula instead of lettuce—I guess then it would be called a CAT with avo? Sure…
The bread, more than the “meat” of the sandwich, to me, is what holds everything together, not just literally, but also in terms of flavor. I like to buy really good whole grain breads with crusty edges and soft fluffy (but hearty) centers. A great European rye is also a badass bread option that kicks it up a notch. Vegans are foodies too, you know!
So, not matter how you like to construct your sandwich, I hope you enjoy this simple but satisfying recipe!
- 2 slices of toasted whole grain, rye or other bread of your choosing
- lettuce, spinach or sprouts (or any other green you love)
- tomato, sliced
- vegan mayo (store-boughtor made from cashews) or mashed avocado
- Smoky Coconut Bacon
- 2½ cupsunsweetened flaked coconut
- 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoonstamari
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- sprinkle pink salt
- Preheat your oven to 325F.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk all of your liquid ingredients together until well combined to create a marinade.
- Add the coconut into the marinade mixture and lightly toss to coat evenly.
- Line a large baking sheet (or two medium size) with parchment paper and spread out the coated coconut.
- Bake for 15-20 mins, flipping the coconut every 5 mins to ensure it does not burn.
- Remove from the oven when the coconut is lightly golden brown and "toasted".
- Remove from sheet right away and place it into a large bowl, add a small sprinkle of salt and allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled, store in an air tight container or jar.
- To serve, spread the vegan mayon on each slice of toasted bread.
- Top bottom slice with greens, tomatoes, and a generous amount of cocout bacon.
- Top with the other bread slice, cut in half and serve immediately.
Jason says:
How long can the Smoky Coconut Bacon be stored? Refrigerate or not?