Smoky Tempeh Sliders On Homemade Buns [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

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These smoky tempeh sliders on homemade buns are full of bold flavors. The roasted beet, golden shredded carrot, and arugula are the perfect match to the smoky tempeh. A little spicy mayo pushes these sliders to a whole new level of awesomeness! Serve these mini sliders up at a party or have a couple for lunch.

Smoky Tempeh Sliders On Homemade Buns [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Ingredients

For the Slider Buns:

3/4 cup warm water (120°F)
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 1/2-2 cups spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon liquid sweetener of choice (maple syrup, agave. honey)
1 teaspoon black and tan sesame seeds
1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tablespoon melted vegan butter

For the Tempeh:

1 8-ounce package of tempeh, thinly sliced/shaved
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup tamari
3 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vegan beef-flavored stock cube, plus 1 cup of water or 1 cup vegetable stock

For the Toppings:

1 golden carrot, shredded
A handful of arugula
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 small beet, scrubbed and thinly sliced into 6 rounds, then roasted
Olive oil
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

Preparation

To Make the Mini Slider Rolls:

Sprinkle yeast in the bottom of medium bowl. Add warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes until yeast is bubbly/foams. With a wooden spoon or your hand, mix 1 1/4 cups of flour, salt and sweetener into the yeast mixture. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. knead the remaining 1/2 cup of flour into the dough until the dough becomes smooth, 7-8 minutes. Please note the dough will not seem to have a lot of elasticity to it. place dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double in size. Preheat oven to 425°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. After the first rise, shape dough into six equal rolls. Cover and allow to rest and rise for an additional 20 minutes.
After the second rise, melt vegan butter.
With a sharp knife score the top of each roll with an “x”. Brush the tops of the rolls with the melted vegan butter.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and Himalayan salt. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool. rolls can be made up to one day in advance. Dough can be made up to five days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Note, if you are gluten-free, use gluten-free bread, as spelt contains gluten.

To Make the Tempeh:

In a shallow baking dish combine all marinade ingredients. Place the sliced tempeh in the dish ensuring all pieces of tempeh are immersed in the marinade. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Can be made a day in advance.
Roast your beets for 15 minutes while the oven is preheating for your bread.
To roast your beets, toss the beet slices in canola or olive oil and spread on a small baking sheet.
In a small bowl, mix Sriracha and mayonnaise.

To Assemble:

In a large skillet, pan sear/braise tempeh in half the marinating liquid. Braise until liquid is mostly evaporated and flip the tempeh. Once all the tempeh is flipped, pour remaining half of marinade over tempeh and sear/braise until all liquid is gone and tempeh is golden/has a nice sear.
Cut the slider roll in half lengthwise.
Spread a bit of the spicy mayo on the top half of the roll and top with arugula. Place a few slices of the tempeh on the bottom half of the slider roll and top with tomato, a bit of shredded carrot and a beet slice. Put the two halves together.
Assemble all six sliders and serve.

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AUTHOR & RECIPE DETAILS

Tasty and amazing vegan food with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce. Heather Poire, the creator, recipe developer & photographer behind the blog Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes has a passion for sharing with the world how tasty and amazing vegan food can be with an emphasis on supporting local farms & businesses. Heather's work and photography can be seen in VegNews Magazine, Take Stock Magazine, Chickpea Magazine in addition to several online publications