Recipes

The Best Vegan Bacon Sandwich Recipe – Veggie LAD BLT

Bacon…the final frontier. After countless experiments this is the best vegan bacon sandwich recipe I’ve made so far and it tastes just like the real deal! The secret? TWO TYPES OF VEGAN BACON. That’s right, this vegan bacon sandwich is so badass that one just wasn’t enough. The tofu bacon gives the springy, proteiny texture and the coconut bacon gives the unmistakable and delicious crunch as well as adding the fat we’re used to in a classic bacon sarnie. Try it for yourself using this recipe.

vegan bacon sandwich veggie lad

Time: 10 mins | Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
1 block Smoked Tofu
Raw Coconut Flakes (I buy mine online)
4 tbsps Tamari
2 tsps Liquid Smoke (I use this one)
2 tbsps Maple Syrup
2 tbsps Rapeseed Oil
1tsp smoked Paprika (optional)
1 Avocado
2-4 Tomatoes
1 Romaine or Cos Lettuce (optional)
Veganaise
Your favourite bread
Ketchup or Brown Sauce
Vegan Bacon Sandwich Veggie LAD
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C
  2. Make the magic bacon marinade. In a bowl combine the tamari, maple syrup, oil, liquid smoke and smoked paprika (if using). Stir briskly until all the ingredients are combined.
  3. Make the coconut bacon by lining a baking tray with greaseproof paper and pour in coconut flakes, enough to cover the bottom of the tray but don’t cram it in too much.
  4. Cover the coconut flakes with half the marinade and stir gently with a spoon to make sure they’re all covered.
  5. Cook in the oven for about 7 minutes. When it’s done, the coconut flakes should have a lovely colour on them but not be burned. When they first come out they’ll be chewy but as they cool, the turn into the most insanely delicious bacon bits. If you’re worried about doing everything at once, you can pre make this before dealing with the tofu bacon.
  6. Thinly slice your smoked tofu, as thin as you can get it without it falling apart.
  7. Cover each slice in the remaining magic bacon marinade (you can do this a few hours before if you like to really create a flavour-bomb but it’s not essential)
  8. Heat a griddle or frying pan on a high heat with a little rapeseed oil.
  9. When it’s screaming hot add the tofu, you may have to cook it in two batches but you should be able to fit 8 slices in at once, enough for two sandwiches (my size anyway!). Give it about 30secs-1minute on each side. It’s done when you’ve got lovely coloured char marks on each side of the tofu.
  10. Slice tomatoes, avocado, lettuce (if using) and your bread and assemble your sandwich! I like to slather on vegan mayo on both sides, add the two bacons to one half and the veg on the other then combine after a good squeeze of tomato ketchup.
  11. Enjoy your vegan bacon sandwich!
There’s more where that came from!

Check out my other recipes here. 

Recipes

Vegan Paella Recipe

Vegan Paella Recipe Veggie LAD

Vegan Paella

To make this vegan paella, I’ve thought about how I can replace the array of seafood, chicken and smoky bacon/chorizo/pork you’d find in a meaty version with something plant based. So, we’ve got smoked tofu and paprika, salty capers, earthy porcini and an array of delicious veg. It’s a winner, just don’t serve it to your Spanish mates!

Continue reading “Vegan Paella Recipe”

Recipes

How to Make Vegan Coconut Bacon

Vegan Coconut Bacon Veggie LAD

I’m on a mission. A mission to develop the recipe which is the final answer to the classic anti-vegan slur: ‘But…bacon’. Vegan coconut bacon just may be the answer. You can’t make rashers with it but rather delicious crispy bacon bits. So coconut bacon is an incredible addition to so many dishes where you would traditionally add chorizo, pancetta or other crispy bacon, it’s a real win. The fat content in the coconut is what does it, tricking our palate into thinking we’re getting the real deal. The good news as well: it’s so easy! You just need to order a couple of ingredients online or go to somewhere a bit more specialist than the supermarket and then you’re good to go!

Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
Raw Coconut Flakes (I buy mine online)
2 tbsps Tamari
1 tsp Liquid Smoke (I use this one)
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
1/2 tsp smoked Paprika (optional)
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C
  2. Make the magic bacon marinade. In a bowl combine the tamari, maple syrup, oil, liquid smoke and smoked paprika (if using). Stir briskly until all the ingredients are combined.
  3. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and pour in coconut flakes, enough to cover the bottom of the tray but don’t cram it in too much.
  4. Cover the coconut flakes with the marinade and stir gently with a spoon to make sure they’re all covered.
  5. Cook in the oven for about 7 minutes. When it’s done, the coconut flakes should have a lovely colour on them but not be burned. When they first come out they’ll be chewy but as they cool, the turn into the most insanely delicious bacon bits. If you’re not happy with the colour, give it a bit more time in the oven.
  6. That’s it! Simple as that. The perfect vegan bacon.
There’s more where that came from!

Use your coconut bacon in my perfect vegan bacon sandwich. 

 

Recipes

ToFish Vegan Tacos Recipe

One of my favourite vegan taco recipes

I first came across the concept of ‘to-fish’ thanks to the awesome Club Mexicana who’ve been serving up incredible vegan mexican food in London for a number of years now. My version uses seaweed seasoning and polenta to create crispy pieces of tofu deliciousness that taste exactly like fish fingers! These are the sides I like to serve it with but by all means use your favourites. Vegan tacos? Yes please!

 

To-Fish Vegan Tacos Veggie LAD

Ingredients

To-Fish 

1 block firm tofu

100g polenta

2-4 teaspoons seaweed seasoning (I used Flavit)

salt

1 tablespoon corn starch

3 tablespoons warm water

 

Sweetcorn sour cream

2 handfulls sweetcorn (frozen)

2 tbsps vegan yoghurt (unsweetened)

juice 1 lime

1 tsp smoked paprika

 

Mashed Avocado with Lime

2 ripe avocados

1 lime

 

Cabbage Slaw

½ red cabbage

juice 1 lime

Drizzle of oil

Salt

 

8 corn tortillas

1 chili

Small bunch coriander

Method

  1. For the sweetcorn sour cream, pour boiling water over the sweetcorn in a saucepan and put the lid on until thawed. Put it in a food processor, add two generous tablespoons of vegan yoghurt and the juice of half a lime. Season with salt and paprika then blitz to your ideal consistency (I like it quite smooth so leave it for at least a minute).
  2. First make the toppings. Mash the avocados with lime juice, season with salt and place in the fridge. Don’t worry, the lime juice will keep it from going brown.
  3. Make the slaw by slicing the red cabbage and mixing it with a drizzle of oil, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of salt.
  4. Now for the To-fish. Take the Tofu and wrap it in kitchen roll. Squeeze it gently to get as much moisture out as possible but don’t let it break apart or lose its shape. Slice it into rectangular slices about a centimetre thick.
  5. In a bowl, combine the polenta (uncooked) with the seaweed seasoning (this is what’s going to give it that fishy flavour) and a pinch of salt.
  6. In another bowl combine the corn starch and warm water. Mix it well, this is your egg substitute.
  7. Take your strips of Tofu, dip them in the corn starch and then toss them in the polenta and seaweed mixture until they are completely covered.
  8. Heat a griddle pan or a frying pan if you don’t have one. Warm your tacos (I used a combination of standard corn and blue corn which are great) and set aside.
  9. Heat a drizzle of oil in the griddle pan, on a medium heat, and fry the tofu strips on each side for about a minute. You should get a crispy crust and lovely char marks along your To-Fish pieces.
  10. Assemble your tacos with a dollop of sweetcorn sour cream, to-fish, smashed avocado, cabbage slaw, chopped chilli and coriander and then drizzle over your favourite chilli sauce. BOOM!

For more epic Veggie LAD recipes click here.