Name: Vegan BLTA with Carrot Bacon
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup coconut aminos; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoons pure maple syrup; 1 tablespoons orange juice; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 large carrots, cut lengthwise into thin strips (about ⅛ inch thick); 8 slices 100% whole wheat bread, toasted; 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added chickpeas, liquid (aquafaba) drained and reserved; 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 2 tablespoons tahini; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; ½ teaspoon curry powder; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons sliced scallion; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; Sea salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 4 leaves romaine lettuce; 1 red tomato, sliced; 1 yellow tomato, sliced; 1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced

Prep-time: 20 minutes / Ready In: 1 hour 40 minutes
Makes 4 sandwiches
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When tomato season is at its peak, pick out the juiciest ones you can find in both red and yellow shades to make these eye-catching vegan BLTAs. Creamy avocado slices, smoky carrot “bacon,” and a zesty chickpea-based spread add tons of flavor and texture that will banish any thoughts that sandwiches are boring. The key to an extra delicious BLTA? Toasting the bread just before stacking it all together. The warm, crispy bread perfectly complements the cool and creamy fillings so each bite takes you to sandwich heaven.

By Nancy Macklin, RDN, Jun 3, 2022

Ingredients

¼ cup coconut aminos
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoons orange juice
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 large carrots, cut lengthwise into thin strips (about ⅛ inch thick)
8 slices 100% whole wheat bread, toasted
1 15-oz. can no-salt-added chickpeas, liquid (aquafaba) drained and reserved
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon curry powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sliced scallion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 leaves romaine lettuce
1 red tomato, sliced
1 yellow tomato, sliced
1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced

Instructions

For marinade, in a small bowl combine the first five ingredients (through paprika). Set a resealable plastic bag in a shallow dish. Place carrots in the bag. Add marinade; seal bag and turn to coat carrots. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Drain carrots, reserving marinade. Place carrots on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until carrots are lightly browned, turning occasionally and brushing with reserved marinade. Cool on a wire rack.
For Zesty Sandwich Spread, in a food processor combine chickpeas, 3 tablespoons of the aquafaba, nutritional yeast, tahini, lemon juice, dry mustard, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Process until smooth. Stir in scallions and parsley. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Makes 1⅔ cups; store leftovers in airtight container in the fridge.
Spread toast with Zesty Sandwich Spread. Add carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. Serve immediately.

tags:

sandwiches

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12 Comments

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(4.8 from 5 votes)

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Barb Y4 weeks ago

QUESTION – What can I use in place of the Aquafaba since I pressure cook the chickpeas from dry beans and not the can I don’t get the aquafaba ??

Forks Over Knives3 weeks ago

Hi Barb,
You can make your own aquafaba at home in the pressure cooker when you cook the chickpeas. Check out our how-to article on all the best tips and tricks for doing that: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-sauces-condiments/homemade-aquafaba/ Let us know how it goes!

Chris4 weeks ago

Hello the aquafaba is in the pressure cooker I use it all the time.

Susan7 months ago

This is excellent!

Phyllis9 months ago

what the heck is coconut aminos?

Tanya8 months ago

A soy sauce substitute made from coconuts.

LaRee11 months ago

Why don’t you list the food values for those of us with kidney problems or other health issues where we need to know Sodium, potassium and phosphorus etc? Many other Vegan sites offer this courtesy!

Cindi4 months ago

Respectfully, there are many such calculators online so if you see a recipe you might like, it should be easy enough to determine if it would work for you. So many people have so many different issues that I understand why some sites don’t do it. And since “safe” levels of stuff change so often, I can’t say that I blame them. I hope you are able to find a good calculator and then you can make adjustments to any recipe and still see if it is safe for you. Best wishes!

Amanda7 months ago

You could always read the ingredient list.

Tracy12 months ago

Very tasty sandwich! It was a lot of work, but I guess not much more than a regular BLT. My carrot bacon was good, but a bit chewy. I think I may have basted too much.

merce12 months ago

i love this recipe!!!!! i have made it soooo many times. sometimes i am too lazy to make the carrot bacon so i make the hummus only and add the maple syrup and aminos to it instead (just a little).

Katie12 months ago

This was really tasty! I made a few mods tho… I added a half tsp liquid smoke to the marinade and added thinly slide tempeh with the carrots. Baked it together they came out great! I wasn’t sure about the humus spread at first but it grew on me. Had a slight deviled egg flavor, I think from the mustard but it was very good on the sandwich. Between the Smokey carrots, tempeh and hummus spread this was the best “V”LT I ever had! I didn’t have any ripe avocado but am definitely going to add next time.

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about the author

Nancy Macklin, RDN

Nancy Macklin has a bachelor of science in dietetics from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in health services administration from the University of Saint Francis. Macklin worked as a hospital-based clinical dietitian, providing counseling for diabetes, heart disease, and weight loss and as a food service director in health care dining sites. She now serves as a test kitchen dietitian, developing 500+ recipes per year. She is a member of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Find her on LinkedIn.

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