Vegan 'Bacon' Cheese Toastie
Toastie? Completed it mate. We challenge anyone in the land to make a tastier toastie in under 30 minutes. Expect balsamic wonderfulness on your tongue from our quick caramelised onions, meaty umami from our tempeh bacon, smoky gooey delight from the high-quality smoked cheese, all toasted to perfection inside thick-cut sourdough. Cheesus! The Earl of Sandwich would be proud.
Serves
Ingredients
For the toast
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 thick slices of quality sourdough<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> fresh chives chopped<item-todo-done>
For the caramelised onion
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp balsamic vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp soft brown sugar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp plant-based butter<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red onion<item-todo-done>
For the tempeh bacon
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp plant-based butter - more for greasing<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp fennel seeds<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp maple syrup<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp soy sauce or tamari<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100g tempeh<item-todo-done>
For the smoked cheese mix
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp plant-based cream cheese<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp Dijon mustard<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp oat milk<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp sherry - or red wine vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> pepper to taste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>60g smoked plant-based cream cheese<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Small saucepan with a lid on a medium heat | Frying pan | Line a tray with kitchen paper | Sandwich iron or heavy pan that will fit inside the frying pan
Start with the caramelised onions
- Peel and thinly slice the onion
- Melt the plant-based butter in the small saucepan
- Add the onion to the pan along with the balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt
- Stir, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and put the lid on the pan
Make the tempeh bacon
- Put the frying pan on a medium heat and melt the plant-based butter
- Crush the fennel seeds and cut the tempeh into thin slices
- Add both to the pan along with the smoked paprika
- Carefully turn the tempeh slices in the spiced butter to coat, then pour over the maple syrup and soy sauce or tamari
- Fry the tempeh in the sticky mixture for about 10 minutes until starting to crisp and caramelise
- Remove the tempeh to the tray lined with kitchen paper and set aside
- Rinse and dry the pan
Meanwhile, make the smoked cheese mix
- Chop the chives and put them in a bowl with the rest of the cheese mix ingredients
- Mix everything together with a fork
Finish the sandwich
- Put the frying pan back over a medium heat and add the tablespoon of olive oil, ensuring it coats the base of the pan evenly
- Lay 2 slices of bread in the pan
- Top each slice first with the cheese mix, then the tempeh bacon
- Divide the onions between the slices
- Lay the remaining bread slices on top
- Use your biggest, heaviest pan or a sandwich iron to compress the sandwiches
- Fry for 3-4 minutes, then remove the weight, very carefully flip the sandwiches over and replace the weight on top
- Fry for another 3-4 minutes
- Remove the sandwiches to a wooden board, cut in half and serve