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To make the tempeh bacon, stir the soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar and liquid smoke together in a shallow dish. Cut the block of tempeh in half, width-wise, then cut each half into about 8 thin strips. Place the tempeh into the dish with the soy sauce mixture. Allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes.
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Coat the bottom of a large skillet with vegetable oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tempeh slices and marinade. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the marinade has dried up and slices are crispy on the bottom. Flip and cook about 5 minutes more, until the strips are browned on the other sides. Remove the tempeh from the skillet and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
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Place the beans, lime juice, cumin, garlic and jalapeño, if using, into a blender and blend until smooth (or leave it a bit chunky if you like). Season the mixture with salt to taste.
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Slather each bread slice with the black bean mixture, then pair up the slices and stuff them with tempeh bacon, tomato slices, spinach, and jalapeño, if using. Lightly oil the bottom of a large skillet (you can use the same one that you used for the tempeh bacon, just wipe it out a bit first), and place over medium heat. Place the sandwiches into the skillet and grill for about 4 minutes on each side, until browned. You can optionally cover the skillet during cooking to help heat up the sandwich fillings.
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Divide the sandwiches onto plates and serve.