This is a copycat recipe of the TTLA Whole Foods vegan sandwich! This sandwich contains crisp butter lettuce, juicy tomatoes, smoky tempeh bacon, creamy avocado, and tangy garlic aioli in a pressed ciabatta roll. This will be your new favorite sandwich for a quick lunch or dinner!
Have you heard about the famous TTLA sandwich? It's the best sandwich at Whole Foods! Everyone has been raving about it and for good reason! I recently tried it for the first time while I was doing my weekly vegan grocery shopping (here is my Whole Foods vegan grocery list if you're looking for new products to try) at Whole Foods. It definitely lived up to the hype!
I wanted to recreate the Whole Foods sandwich at home so I bought all of the ingredients and my copycat version turned out just as delicious and for ⅓ of the cost! You can make three TTLA's at home for the price of buying one pre-made Whole Foods sandwich at the store.
Related Post: 27 Cheap Vegan Meals You Should Make for Dinner!
What is a TTLA Sandwich?
The TTLA is a vegan version of the classic BLT sandwich. A TTLA is a tempeh tomato lettuce avocado sandwich with the addition of vegan garlic aioli and some pickles if you're in the mood. The tangy tempeh bacon, crisp butter lettuce, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and zesty garlic aioli go so well together, it's the ultimate vegan sandwich!
Step by Step Instructions
Step #1 - In a medium-sized pan, saute three slices of tempeh bacon until it's hot and crispy. When the tempeh bacon is done cooking, lay it on a plate that's lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Step #2 - Slice a ciabatta roll in half and layer the lettuce, tomato slices, hot tempeh bacon, and avocado slices on the bottom half of the roll. On the top half, generously slather vegan garlic aioli and then put it on top of the sandwich.
Step #3 - Use a Misto or spray oil to lightly spray the top and bottom of the sandwich before you press it so you get nice dark grill marks from the sandwich press. Press the vegan sandwich for about two minutes or until it's golden and crispy.
More Sandwich Topping Options
You can make the sandwich just like this or you could add even more toppings!
- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Sliced Red Onions
- Sliced Cucumbers
- Sprouts or Microgreens
- Banana Peppers
- Sliced Vegan Cheese
What Goes With It?
I usually serve the vegan sandwich with a big salad and some type of vegetable side dish. Any of the following recipes would be great options:
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store the vegan bacon in an airtight container in the fridge and it should stay fresh for up to 4-5 days. If the sandwich is already assembled, it will last for 2-3 days in the fridge. If the garlic aioli is on the sandwich, it may cause the bread to get a little bit soggy.
How to Reheat it
You can put the whole sandwich in a sandwich press and heat it up for 4-5 until it's hot all the way through and the bread is crispy on the outside. Watch it closely, if the bread starts to get too dark, you need to lower the heat or take it out.
You could also put the whole sandwich in the toaster oven and warm it for 4-5 minutes using the "toast" setting. If you add cheese, put a piece of parchment paper under the sandwich to catch any melted cheese that might drip off.
Substitutions & FAQ
- Gluten-Free: The Whole Foods TTLA Sandwich is not gluten-free because of the type of tempeh and the bread that they use. To make it gluten-free, you need to use gluten-free bread and gluten-free tempeh bacon.
- Lettuce Options: Use crisp greens like butter lettuce, green leaf, or romaine for the best texture.
- Vegan Bacon Substitutions: If you don't want to use vegan bacon, you could substitute vegan deli meat (I love Field Roast mushroom meat), slices of baked tofu, or slices of roasted portobello mushrooms.
- Vegan Garlic Aioli Substitutions: You could substitute roasted garlic hummus, mustard, or guacamole (omit the avocado slices) as a vegan sandwich spread instead of the vegan garlic aioli.
- What Type of Vegan Bacon Should I Use? I recommend using the Lightlife Fakin Bacon, Sweet Earth Benevolent Bacon, or you can make your own gluten-free tempeh bacon with this recipe.
- What Type of Bread Should I Use? You can use any roll or sliced bread that you like, but a ciabatta roll is what the sandwich is made with at Whole Foods.
Success Tips
- If you don't have a sandwich press, you can toast the roll before you build the sandwich. I've made the sandwich both ways and it turned out delicious either way!
- If you want to pack these vegan sandwiches for school or work, wait to add the vegan garlic aioli so it doesn't make the bread soggy. Store the aioli in a small container and pack it separately from the sandwich.
- If you don't want to use the leftover vegan bacon to make more TTLA's, you could reheat it and serve it on the side with curried tofu scramble for breakfast the next morning.
- You can store the leftover tempeh bacon in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Want More Vegan Sandwich Ideas?
Heirloom Tomato Caprese Sandwiches
Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork Sliders
Whole Foods TTLA Sandwich
Equipment
- Medium Pan
- Sandwich Press or Toaster Oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable broth)
- 6 oz vegan bacon (I used Lightlife tempeh bacon)
- 3 ciabatta rolls (sliced in half)
- 1 small head butter lettuce
- 1 large beefsteak tomato sliced
- 1 large avocado sliced
- 6 tbsp vegan garlic aioli
Instructions
- In a medium pan over medium heat, saute 3 slices of tempeh bacon in olive oil until brown and crispy, about 5 minutes (flipping halfway through).
- While the vegan tempeh bacon is cooking, make the vegan garlic aioli.
- Slice the ciabatta roll in half and layer a few pieces of butter lettuce, 2 large slices of tomato, 3 strips of tempeh bacon, and 3 avocado slices on one half of the roll. On the other half of the roll, generously slather 2 tbsp of vegan garlic aioli. Put the sandwich together.
- Use a misto to spray a tiny bit of oil on the top and bottom of the sandwich press so it will help the bread get crispy on both sides. Press the sandwich for 2-3 minutes, or until it's toasted to your liking.
Notes
- If you don't have a sandwich press, you can toast the roll before you build the sandwich. I've made the sandwich both ways and it turned out delicious either way!
- If you want to pack these vegan sandwiches for school or work, wait to add the vegan garlic aioli so it doesn't make the bread soggy. Store the aioli in a small container and pack it separately from the sandwich.
- If you don't want to use the leftover vegan bacon to make more TTLA's, you could reheat it and serve it on the side with curried tofu scramble for breakfast the next morning.
- You can store the leftover tempeh bacon in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
