There’s no place like Tofu Bacon heaven. The experience of eating this delightful salted rasher can be made even more heavenly since no animals were harmed in the making of this dish. It has been a while since I had bacon. Making it took me for a trip down memory lane, reminding me of weekends at home when my dad would rustle up weekend brunch for the whole fam. I’m speaking the whole shebang: bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, buttery toast, brown toast and maybe some hash browns if we were lucky.
The bacon rashers were predominantly of the smoked variety and for some peculiar reason, I would always rip off the rind, slurp it up and chew it until it disappeared into the depths of my gastrointestinal system, and the delicious meaty part would be handed over either to my dad or brother. Strange- I did the same with chicken too! How I didn’t get a heart attack during my tender teens beats me, but boi, those days when I could eat without consequences are no more, which kind of sucks, but it’s also made me a more responsible and sensible eater, which isn’t so much of a bad thing, quite the contrary actually.
That reminiscent journey, combined with my need to make informed dietary ‘grown-up’ choices, gave me vegan bacon inspo, which is what I present to you today.
Questions about Tofu Bacon
How to make Tofu Bacon? To make this tofu bacon, you will need firm tofu (preferably smoked), smoked paprika, maple syrup, rapeseed oil and salt. Slice the tofu into thin rectangular slices. Combine all ingredients for the seasoning and pour over the tofu. Brush gently and leave to marinade for 30 minutes. Heat a frying pan with a dash of oil and add the bacon rashers to the pan, frying on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy.
Can any tofu be used to make vegan bacon? To make vegan bacon, firm tofu is the best option as it will not crumble or rip when pressure or heat is applied. A smoky tofu adds more flavour depth and is a good choice, but the smoked paprika will still add that nice smoky flavour so it isn’t a necessity.
Is vegan bacon good for you? Vegan bacon does not contain any saturated fat so in that sense it is definitely a much healthier option than the animal-sourced version. You can control how much oil and salt goes into this recipe, but the amount used in this recipe would be considered healthier.
Tofu Bacon Recipe
Serving size:
Serves 4
Ingredients for vegan bacon:
- 250g firm smoked tofu
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 60ml rapeseed oil
Method:
- Slice the tofu thinly into rectangles and drizzle with oil and maple syrup.
- Sprinkle both sides generously with salt and paprika and mix thoroughly.
- Allow the flavours to infuse for at least 4 hours.
- Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking.
- Pan fry the tofu rashers until browned and crispy on each side.
Made this Recipe?
If you had a go at this vegan bacon please feel free to give me a shout on Instagram at @food_flaneur – would love to see your pics!
If you like bacon…
You should definitely give these recipes a try:
Big Thanks to…
A Couple Cooks for my food inspo. You can find her recipe here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/vegan-bacon-3-ways-to-make-it/.
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