Crispy Maple-Dijon Tempeh Sandwiches

Crispy cornmeal crusted tempeh is drenched in sweet maple-Dijon sauce and stuffed into toasty bread with wasabi slaw to make these satisfying and scrumptious vegan tempeh sandwiches.

Prep Time: 15 mins   Cook Time: 10 mins   Total Time: 25 mins   Serves: 3 

Perfect For: Breakfast

Here’s what you’ll need: 

For the Wasabi Slaw

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 scallion, chopped
• ¼ cup vegan mayo
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. powdered wasabi, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Cornmeal Crusted Tempeh

• ⅓ cup whole grain Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup
• 250g PlantVita Organic Tempeh/Himalayan Tempeh
• ¼ cup aquafaba, liquid from a can of chickpeas, could substitute non-dairy milk
• ⅓ cup cornmeal
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• about 3 tbsp. canola oil, for frying

For Serving:

• 4 to 6 slices of PlantVita Protein Bread, toasted
• a few pieces of baby spinach or other greens, optional

Let’s get cooking: 

1. Stir all ingredients for the wasabi slaw together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Stir maple syrup and Dijon mustard together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Slice the tempeh in half, width-wise (or in thirds, if you want to make 3 sandwiches), then slice each piece in half, thickness wise.
4. Stir cornmeal, salt and pepper together in a shallow dish. Pour aquafaba into a separate shallow dish.
5. Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with oil and place over medium heat. Dip a piece of tempeh into aquafaba, flip and dip the other side, so it's fully coated. Dip each side in cornmeal mixture and then place into the skillet.
6. Repeat for as many pieces of tempeh as you can fit into the skillet. Cook until crispy and lightly browned on bottoms, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until crispy and browned on opposite sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
7. Repeat until all tempeh pieces are cooked, adding oil to the skillet as needed between batches.
8. Dip both sides of each tempeh slab into maple-Dijon sauce before stuffing between a pair of bread slices. Top with slaw and greens, if desired. Optionally, drizzle with additional maple-Dijon sauce. Serve.