Tempeh Bacon Avocado Breakfast Bowls
on Mar 27, 2019, Updated Jul 18, 2024
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These Vegan Tempeh Bacon Avocado Breakfast Bowls are filling, balanced and full of nutrition to help start your morning right. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, whole food plant-based and a good source of fiber, protein and healthy fats.
How to Make Tempeh Bacon
Tempeh bacon is so easy to make. All I use to make it is soy sauce, pure maple syrup (use can use stevia for sugar-free), garlic powder, salt and pepper. I thinly slice the tempeh and let it marinate for 10-20 minutes then either broil or cook in a pan until crispy. That’s it!
Healthier Breakfasts
As much as I love oatmeal, pancakes and smoothies, I know that savory, low-sugar breakfasts work so much better for me. In comparison to sweet breakfasts, they keep me fuller longer, keep my blood sugar more stable and reduce or eliminate my sugar and carb cravings throughout the day. I feel way better when I start my day with a fat, protein and fiber-rich breakfast that’s low in sugar.
Macronutrient Balanced Meals
When building healthier breakfasts, think about including a source of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Healthy, complex, low-GI carbohydrates provide energy while the protein and fat help slow digestion and keep your blood sugar levels more stable as you digest your food. This avocado breakfast bowl is the perfect combination of carbs from the sweet potato, protein from the tempeh and fats from the avocado.
Savory Avocado Breakfast Bowl
To make this delicious plant-based breakfast, start by marinating the tempeh. While that sits, chop the veggies and start cooking them in a skillet. Get the tempeh in the oven on broil for about 10 minutes until crispy then load everything into a bowl and enjoy.
I called this a breakfast bowl but it can really be enjoyed any time of day. It also packs up well for meal prep if you want to make a few in advance for healthy breakfasts during the week.
Pre-Cook the Sweet Potato
To speed this dish up, I cook the sweet potato in advance as part of my Sunday meal prep. If you don’t have baked sweet potato ready to go, you’ll need an extra 30-40 minutes to make this.
Learn how to bake sweet potatoes here.
Nutrition Details
This bowl is rich in healthy fats from the avocado, especially the monounsaturated fatty acid, omega-9. Avocado is also a good source of potassium. The sweet potato provides an antioxidant, fiber and nutrient-rich source of unrefined, complex carbohydrates. The tempeh adds plant-based protein and is a fermented food that’s good for gut health. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat and adds a ton of nutrition to your morning.
This bowl is fairly low in calories considering how big and filling it is. Each serving provides 397 calories with 22 grams of plant protein, grams of f15 at and 39 grams of carbs, along with 10% of your daily iron, 15% of your daily calcium and 80% of your daily vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamin A.
More Savory Vegan Breakfasts
Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash // Easy Vegan Breakfast Skillet // Vegan Breakfast Burrito Bowl // Vegan Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos // Savory Vegan Breakfast Bowl
Tempeh Bacon and Avocado Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
For the Tempeh Bacon
- 100 grams thinly sliced tempeh, about 6 slices
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup or a sprinkle of coconut sugar, or liquid stevia for sugar-free
- sprinkle of garlic powder
- salt and pepper
For the Bowls
- 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 big handful chopped kale
- 1/2 tsp avocado oil, sub extra virgin olive oil, can be omitted for oil-free
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 small to medium baked sweet potato
- salt and pepper
- sauerkraut, optional
Instructions
- To make the tempeh bacon, place the sliced tempeh in a shallow dish and add the rest of the bacon ingredients. Tilt the dish to coat each piece of tempeh. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, the flip the sliced tempeh and let it sit another 5-10 minutes. In a pinch you can skip marinating it or if you have more time, let it sit up to an hour.
- Once it's marinated for about 20 minutes, place the strips on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 450 F until crisped. You can also broil on a rack for 5-10 minutes, flipping every couple minutes until they're crisped.
- While the tempeh bakes, make the kale and mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and avocado oil to a skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring every couple minutes until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Add the kale and green onions and cook for a few more minutes until the kale is soft and the green onions are wilted and browning.
- To assemble the bowls, add the cooked mushrooms, kale and green onions to a bowl along with as much avocado as desired, half a baked sweet potato (or more, if desired) and the tempeh bacon strips. Add a scoop of sauerkraut or kimchi, if you want. Season the bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper and enjoy right away or pack up as part of a meal prep.
I like it! Thanks for the recipe.
I am new to this. Sounds yummilicious. Can you pls share how do your reheat the frozen sweet potatoes usually please? Also can we bake the tempeh bacon strips in advance and keep for next meal?
Yes, you can make the tempeh bacon up to 4 days in advance and reheat as needed. I don’t usually freeze sweet potatoes but you can thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop or in the oven or microwave. Thanks!
For my first time trying tempeh, not bad! Even my mom (who detests all things remotely healthy) liked it! Would make again.
That’s awesome. So glad you both enjoyed it!
This was SO good! I’ve been vegetarian for 8 years but am newly vegan. I love it so far but the thing I’ve been struggling with the most is breakfast. This made me believe that it can be done and can be done well! It was filling, nutritious, easy and delicious. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear it, Faith! Thanks for trying my recipe!
Also, what is the dressing in the avocado?
I think it’s just a bit of the juices from cooking the veggies!
Hi! Going to try this! Also, I think there’s a wee typo in the last paragraph “Each serving provides 397 calories with 22 grams of plant protein, grams of ***f15 at and 399 grams of carbs***, along with 10% of your daily iron, 15% of your daily calcium and 80% of your daily vitamin C.”
I should think there’s not 399 grams of carbs 🙂
It’s 39 grams of carbs. Thanks!