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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.
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
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread
For the caramelised onions
- 1 red onion
- 1 tbsp plant-based butter
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
For the tempeh bacon
- 1 tbsp plant-based butter
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 100g tempeh
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1⁄2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
For the smoked cheese mix
- handful of chives
- 1 tbsp dairy-free cream cheese
- 60g smoked dairy-free cheese
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp oat milk
- 1⁄2 tsp sherry or red wine vinegar
- black pepper
Method
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1.
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
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2.
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
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3.
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
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4.
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
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5.
Serves 2