Vegan BLT (BBQ Tofu, Lettuce and Tomato): Meat Free Monday

I haven’t really missed bacon at all (It’s the first thing people ask when you say you’re vegetarian – probably just as annoying for a vegan being asked again “what do you eat?”) but for some reason I haven’t really found a satisfying alternative to the simple BLT sarnie (bacon, lettuce and tomato). So I decided to create one. A BLT needs to be slightly smoky, slightly salty and a good contrast between crispy ‘bacon’, crunchy lettuce and juicy tomatoes!

BBQ Tofu Strips, Lettuce and Sliced Tomatoes

What I liked about this sandwich was the fact that the tofu packed some great flavour but it also had a creamy subtleness which was delicious against the toasted bread. I actually left the tofu marinating for quite a while as we went to the pub and I can confirm that after a few cold pints of beer on a rainy day, this sandwich was perfect to come home to! Luckily I took a lot of photos to get the few decent ones because I was obviously a little tipsy when trying to photograph this quickly before devouring it! 🙂

First you need to thinly slice the tofu so it is around 1cm in thickness. I did three slices per sandwich which made for quite a hearty portion. You need the tofu to be really firm so place the strips onto some kitchen towel and then place more kitchen towel on top and press firmly. You can either place something heavy on top and leave it or if your tofu is already firm then just a good gentle press with your hands will do the trick. Just be careful not to press to hard and squash it!

For the BBQ sauce you need:
2 tablespoons Ketchup
1 tablespoon Light Soya Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Maple Syrup
1/2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 tablespoon Chilli Powder

Mix all of the ingredients together and put to one side. This can be put in the fridge for later use if you are preparing in advance! The flavours develop nicely over time.

Spread the bbq sauce over both sides of the tofu and heat your grill to high. Place the tofu on a grill rack under the grill and cook for roughly 3-4 minutes on each side. This takes a little tender loving care as you don’t want the tofu to break. Also turn it frequently and apply more bbq sauce to each side as it cooks untill evenly coated and the sauce is beginning to blacked slightly.

When cooked put in a toasted bun with some freshly sliced tomato and some crisp lettuce! The smoked paprika gives it a real smokiness which reminds me of bacon and the sweetness from the ketchup and maple syrup balances it all out nicely!

The best bit is that because the tofu is nice and creamy there is no need for anything added like mayo (albeit vegan) or butter! I recommend toasting your bun for the ultimate BLT!

I’ve put this forward to be part of Souper Sundays (also now salads and sammies!) at Kahakai Kitchen 🙂