Let me start this recipe off by saying that yes, you can be vegan and eat your bacon too! By bacon I mean the smoky, crispy delicious varieties we can make at home, are minimally processed, don't contribute to animal suffering, heart disease and are non-carcinogenic! It's a win win win right?! 

We can be so attached to some animal based foods, and the only reasons are habit, and the fact that they taste good. Bacon in particular is all about that crispy and chewy texture, the saltiness and of course the fat and smokiness. We can recreate all of these tastes and textures in a much healthier way that also protects our fellow beings and keeps our doctor wondering what on Earth happened to us that we never went back.

We're using delicious tempeh, which is a fermented soy bean cake typical in Indonesian cuisine which you can find in any health food store and many supermarkets now. If you haven't had it before I know it sounds completely strange and like it's impossible it will taste good, but trust me, it's one of these amazing things I can't believe I didn't know about before I went vegan. You can use tofu as well if you prefer. It's amazing either way.

If you're a member of our online program My Brownble, this smoky tempeh bacon goes great in our tempeh bacon BLT's, on top of our sliders, as a side for pancakes in the morning and even to top this yummy fettuccine alfredo that we posted on our youtube channel!

Now that we've introduced you to the new side of bacon. Let's get cookin'! 

SMOKY TEMPEH BACON

Yield: 8-9 ounces of tempeh bacon ⎮ Prep time: 5 minutes ⎮ Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 package of tempeh (250 grams / 8 or 9 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 4-5 tablespoons high heat oil (canola, safflower, sunflower or coconut)

Directions

1. Cut the tempeh into thin strips.

2. Place them in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water, cover and let steam for 10 minutes.

3. Whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup and liquid smoke.

4. Heat a pan on medium-high heat and add half of the oil (reserve the other half for the second batch).

5. Add half of the tempeh slices. Make sure they don’t overlap, and cook them until golden on both sides.

6. Once golden, remove them from the pan, add the remaining oil and repeat the process with the second batch.

7. Once all the strips are nicely golden, return all of them to the pan and pour the soy sauce mixture on top. Make sure to move them around frequently as these can burn quickly.

8. Once all the liquid has evaporated and your tempeh bacon is nicely caramelized, remove and drain on some paper towels, and quickly move them to a separate plate so they don’t stick to the paper.

9. You can use them in sandwiches, on top of salads, as a side for breakfast or brunch, and even in wraps or on top of veggie bowls. Enjoy!