Recipe: Smokey Maple Beet Bacon
Smokey Maple Beet Bacon
Vegans got bacon too!
Thanks, VeganStreet, I’m happy to add one more to this list: beet bacon!
I first enjoyed this at Heirloom Vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver, BC, and it was a crafty and tasty innovation they call ‘Beet Back-Bacon Benny’ added to their tofu Benny. I tried my own hand at it, and was pleasantly surprised!
Note: this isn’t intended as a ‘main dish’, but as a flavourful garnish for various breakfast dishes, or anywhere else you might want ‘bacon’, like salads and sandwiches.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- beets (the bigger the better)
- liquid smoke flavouring
- oil (organic canola or olive are great)
- salt
- peeler
Preparation
Mix together the following in a small bowl, then set aside:
- 2tsp liquid smoke flavouring
- 1-2tsp maple syrup
- 2Tbps oil
- dash of salt (can add later, but will likely want to add for flavour)
Wash and peel beets. Chop as shown – ideally like the golden beet, you’re going to want to have access to wide area of the beet.
Using your peeler, slice strips of the beet, aiming for as wide as you can. (A food processor can work, just make sure it’s on a very thin setting.)
Marinade beet bacon slices for 20-60 minutes. The longer, the better.
Saute beet bacon slices. Don’t go too hot, they burn easily. Watch for the edges too, as they burn quickly. They’ll sizzle up, and the edges may curl as well, which is fine. Saute for 5-10 minutes, you’ll want to make sure the beets are cooked.
If they’re on the oily side, pat down with paper towel. Here’s how ours turn out:
Here is some of the beet bacon, in a tasty open-faced BLT bagel:
This is what the golden beets look like, the appearance takes a bit away from the ‘bacon’ if that’s what you’re going for, but taste just as good.
Enjoy making your own beet bacon! Let us know in the comments below how it turned out for you!
For more vegan bacon-y goodness (products and recipes), check out this vegan bacon guide from Your Daily Vegan!
One final beet item, a favourite skit from Portlandia:
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The Vegan Junction
April 8, 2015
“Bacon” is such a go-to excuse from many people for why they won’t go vegan. A pretty lame one I’d say, especially given awesome options like this to be plant-based, cruelty-free and still enjoy a crunchy texture. Thanks for adding another great veggie bacon option, and for featuring beets in such a great recipe. Gotta love beets! And a great clip too. It’s so true, people often wig out, at least the first time. Maybe they should just eat veggies more often. ;) Thanks for sharing.