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The Ultimate Vegan BLT Sandwich

Published: Mar 11, 2015 · Modified: May 5, 2021 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

This Ultimate Vegan BLT recipe is packed with smoky eggplant "bacon," crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, and homemade vegan mayo, sandwiched between two toasty pieces of your favorite bread. It's also gluten-free and soy-free. Lunchtime will never be boring again!

Why This Is the Ultimate Vegan BLT (Even with No Bacon!)

I'm serious here. The truly is the ultimate BLT (aka a Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich) . I've always been fond of BLTs and hadn't had one in years since going vegan. As a little girl, my favorite place to get a BLT was, believe it or not, Friendly's! They made the best, and I always got one with a side of mashed potatoes. Obviously, since I was diagnosed with Celiac and don't eat meat, that meal was soon a no-go. Thus, I hadn't had one of those glorious white toasty sammies in so long. Add in a soy allergy, and most vegan BLTs are out of the question, too. (I.e. tempeh/tofu won't work.) But I don't let silly things like that get in the way of my cravings!

But what's a girl to do? Well, considering I was gifted the wonderful fabulous Excalibur Dehydrator for Christmas, the solution was rather simple. The "bacon" would be made from the glorious nightshade of eggplant! Thinly sliced, coated in smoked paprika, and dehydrated for a couple of hours, and bam! You've got vegan bacon at its finest.

If I could eat this for lunch (or dinner) every day, I would. It definitely satisfied my BLT craving! Feel free to use whatever type of bread you prefer. Rye, multigrain, or wheat berry would be delicious!

I actually think this may be one of my favorite recipes now on the blog. And I don't typically make sandwiches like this, either, so this vegan BLT was a real treat. It's usually just the nut butter and fruit butter combo or a hummus tortilla sandwich.

How To Make Vegan Eggplant Bacon

I'm serious, this dehydrated eggplant actually tasted like bacon (from what I remember). No, in truth it tasted BETTER than bacon! That might just be my love for all things smoked, but I digress, you'll love it too! If you don't have a dehydrator though, you can make this in the oven. You'll just have to super thinly slice the eggplant and cook it at a very low temperature for a few hours.

My Favorite Vegan Mayo

You can make this super simple homemade vegan mayo, which will make your sandwich taste even more like the classic! It's completely allergy-free and such a great staple to have on hand regardless of whether you're making this sandwich or not! You can always use your favorite store-bought allergen-free mayo too, of course!

why you need this recipe

While BLT sandwiches are traditionally meat-focused, this vegan and gluten-free sandwich is sure to be a hit at your family table because it's:

Gluten-Free
Vegan & Vegetarian
Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
Kid-Friendly & Adult-Approved
Quick & Easy

Ingredients You'll Need

Two slices of toasted gluten-free whole grain bread
Three thick tomato slices (beefsteak or heirloom work best)
Two lettuce leaves (romaine, leafy green, or even a spring mix works great)
Four strips of eggplant "bacon"
Vegan mayo for the perfect egg-free sandwich "sauce"

How To Make the Ultimate Vegan BLT

For the eggplant bacon, follow the directions here. Essentially, you'll slice the eggplant into thin strips, season each piece well, and dehydrate in your food dehydrator or in the oven.
For the vegan mayo, just blend together the 3 ingredients s in a blender or food processor following this recipe.
Now, it's time to assemble the sandwich. First, toast your bread. Then, layer one slice of bread with half the mayo, 3 tomato slices, the lettuce leaves, the eggplant bacon, and finally the last piece of bread spread with the rest of the eggless mayo. This vegan BLT recipe makes enough for one sandwich, with additional eggplant bacon for more sandwiches.
To serve, slice it in half to reveal those gorgeous layers of ingredients, and enjoy! I like to have this for lunch with a side salad, some fresh cut fruit, or gluten-free pasta salad.

Variations

Not a fan of bread? Serve this as a lettuce wrap!
Want more veggies? Have at it! Avocado, sliced carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and even my coconut "bacon" would be delicious.
Spice it up with some thinly sliced peppers or a sprinkle of cayenne or red pepper flakes.
Add some hummus to make it even more filling!
Switch up your eggplant bacon with a thick slice of bbq grilled eggplant or the tomato with a slice of air fryer fried green tomato!
Not feeling a sandwich? Make this Vegan BLT Pasta Salad instead!

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