10-Minute Tempeh Sandwich

This is a photo of the tempeh sandwich (cross section of the inside).

5 from 34 votes

This smoky tempeh sandwich is a delicious, easy lunch with crispy tempeh slices, creamy avocado, melty vegan gouda cheese, and crisp romaine.

Prep Time2

Cook Time8

Total Time10

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 579kcal

Author: Allie Petersen

Ingredients

8 oz tempeh
3 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
2 slices vegan gouda or another vegan cheese of your choice
4 slices bread of choice
½ large avocado ripe
2 pieces romaine

Instructions

Start by slicing your tempeh into 4 squares (¼-1/2 inch thick).
Make your marinade in a shallow bowl by combining soy sauce, liquid smoke, garlic and onion powder. Mix until combined.
Begin heating a large pan over medium-high heat. Optional: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Once pan is hot, dip tempeh slice into marinade and coat boat sides. Lay out tempeh slices in pan evenly. Turn heat down to medium.
Cook tempeh slices for 2 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown.
Assemble your sandwich: Lay down a piece of tempeh on the bread, then cheese, then another slice of tempeh. Add another piece of bread on top and toast sandwich in convection oven or on stovetop until cheese is melted and crispy. Hint: Butter your bread if you want it to be nice and crispy.
Take off top piece of bread and add a slice of romaine. Spread avocado on top slice of bread. Place bread back on top of sandwich. Cut in half (if desired) and enjoy!

Notes

Pro Tips:

- If you have more time, consider letting your tempeh soak in the marinade for 10 minutes before cooking.

- My favorite bread for this recipe is sourdough because it gets really crispy and has great flavor!

- Serve this tempeh sandwich with a side of pretzels and hummus, apple slices, trail mix, pita chips, or whatever you like!

Substitutions:

- Soy sauce: For a gluten-free option try coconut aminos or tamari.

- Liquid smoke: If you can't find this or don't have it available, just add in ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika to the soy sauce you are already using. This recipe requires only 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke so the loss of a small amount of liquid will not affect the recipe much.

- Cheese: Try out vegan American, mozzarella, pepperjack, or whatever you would like!

- Avocado: Use vegan mayo for creaminess

Other additions for this sandwich:

Red onion, spinach, pesto, ranch, shredded carrots, and more

Calorie count disclaimer: Naturallie Plant-Based offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although Naturallie Plant-Based attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Nutrition