Tofu, quickly seared and seasoned, is the "meat" of this hearty, comforting vegetarian and vegan sandwich. (Of course, actual bacon can be subbed in for any meat-eaters in the house!)
Yield: 4sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Tofu Bacon:
1tablespoonolive oil
114-ounce block extra-firm tofu, cut in 1/4-inch slices (no need to drain)
Pinchkosher salt
1/4cupTamari or low-sodium soy sauce*for gluten-free choose a GF Tamari
2teaspoonspure maple syrup
1/2teaspoonsmoked paprika
For the sandwiches:
8slicesof your favorite crusty artisan breadtoasted) (for gluten-free use your favorite GF sandwich bread
2-3slicesTofu bacon
2large ripe tomatoessliced
8green leaf lettuce leaveswashed and dried) (butter lettuce is another fabulous choice
1/4cupmayonnaisevegans use a mayo alternative such as Vegenaise
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Set a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add the tofu along with a pinch of salt. The tofu will hiss and jump around a bit, so watch out! Cook, flipping occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, 8-10 minutes. While the tofu cooks, mix the Tamari, pure maple syrup, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. When the tofu is done, reduce the heat to low and pour the Tamari mix over the top. Cook, flipping occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer the smoky seared tofu to a plate.
Toast the bread then smear each piece with mayonnaise, as little or as much as you like - 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons or so. Top four pieces of bread with tomatoes; sprinkle with a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the tofu, then pile with the lettuce. Top with remaining slices of bread. Cut in half and serve.
Notes
*I find that I prefer the lower-sodium options for soy sauce - if you use regular soy sauce, you may want to go a bit lighter, as the end result might be rather salty.
Meat option:
Pretty self-explanatory - just use bacon instead of tofu for the meat-eaters in the house! But I uphold that the carnivores are missing out. ;)
Vegan option:
Use a vegan mayonnaise.
Gluten-free option:
Choose gluten-free Tamari and your favorite gluten-free bread.