Vegan "B.L.A.T."s: Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, and Crispy Smoked Mushroom Sandwiches Recipe

Baked, marinated, and smoked mushroom slices are an ideal substitute for bacon in this classic sandwich.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated November 23, 2023
A vegan B.L.A.T. sandwich halved and served on a white plate.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • Dehydrating thinly sliced mushrooms in the oven gives them a tender-crisp texture very much like real bacon.
  • A balanced sweet and savory marinade and a quick trip to a jerry-rigged stovetop smoker give the mushrooms a smoky, bacon-like flavor.
  • Salting the tomato slices while assembling the sandwiches improves their flavor and makes them slightly juicier—an especially wise step when tomatoes are out of season.
  • Avocado slices and homemade mayonnaise made with silken tofu add a creamy, rich counter-point to the salty bacon and acidic tomato.

You saw this recipe coming, didn't you? I mean, I showed a picture of it in my post about mushroom "bacon". Given that I already have a recipe for vegan mayonnaise and that my mom recently gave me a few of those surprisingly-not-terrible Campari winter tomatoes, it was in the stars.

The B.L.T. has always been one of my favorite sandwiches; it's a natural extension of my absolute favorite sandwich, the T.M.T. (that'd be Tomato-Mayo-Toast), and if there's one thing that'll make my favorite things even favorite-er, it's to add some avocado to it.

Crispy smoked mushrooms are layered atop the tomato and lettuce of a B.L.A.T. sandwich.

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Also, no joke: the freshly smoked crispy mushrooms are honestly better than any store-bought bacon I've had. Seriously. The sandwich is crisp and fresh, smoky and sweet, creamy and juicy, and other adjectives as well. Basically, everything you'd ever want in a great sandwich, and it makes a fine dinner, vegan or no.

February 2014

Recipe Details

Vegan "B.L.A.T."s: Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, and Crispy Smoked Mushroom Sandwiches Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 15 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 2 servings
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Ingredients

  • 4 slices white bread

  • 4 tablespoons store-bought or homemade vegan mayonnaise

  • 2 leaves iceberg lettuce

  • 1 medium tomato, sliced

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 recipe crispy mushroom "bacon"

  • 1 small avocado, sliced

Directions

  1. Spread 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on each side of the bread slices. Preheat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add bread in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown. Flip and cook until second side is golden brown. Transfer bread to a cutting board.

  2. Spread remaining mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. Stack lettuce and tomato evenly between 2 slices of bread. Season tomatoes with salt. Top with mushroom "bacon" and avocado. Close sandwiches, cut in half, and serve.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
673 Calories
47g Fat
59g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 673
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 47g 60%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 648mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 21%
Dietary Fiber 16g 58%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 29mg 146%
Calcium 124mg 10%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 1275mg 27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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