Yes you read that right: here you'll find my recipe for carrot bacon, a plant based alternative to a meaty treat.
Plant based alternatives to meat
Since 2020 the range of plant based meat substitutes that are available in supermarkets has absolutely boomed. You can now get everything from "chicken" breasts to "beef" strips and even sausages that would trick even the biggest carnivore into thinking they were eating meat. These processed alternatives are super handy to have in the fridge or freezer.
But, many vegans want to avoid eating highly processed foods. That's where my carrot bacon comes into play. It's a simple way of making something that tastes like bacon without having to resort to a product made in a factory with ingredients you can't pronounce.
Although you can make seitan at home, even that requires a vital wheat gluten - an ingredient that not many people are familiar with. This carrot bacon on the other hand is made up of ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard or that you can easily buy from your local store.
Does it really taste like bacon?
Yes! OK, it's not exactly the same but it's a pretty good imitation! It's slightly sweet but also salty and smoky. It's also cut into strips that resemble American style streaky bacon.
How to make carrot bacon
Let's start with the ingredients. To make carrot bacon you will need carrots, and a marinade made up of tahini, maple syrup, soy sauce and liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is one of those surprising ingredients that I didn't ever use when I ate meat, but now I'm vegan I can't do without it! You can even buy different varieties that mimic different wood chips. Amazing right?
All you need to do is whisk these ingredients together and then lay srtips of carrot in the marinade for 30 minutes. It may sound like a long time to leave the carrots marinating but this is an essential step you can't skip if you want delicious carrot bacon.
Once you've let the carrot marinate, simply lay each slice onto a baking tray and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the carrot is soft in the middle but slightly crispy around the edges. It doesn't get easier than that.
The recipe
Carrot Bacons Rashers
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1.5 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- First, cut the ends off of your carrot.
- Then, if the skin is particularly rough, peel the skin, otherwise just give it a good scrub under warm water.
- Next, slice it really thin, just a few millimeters thick.
- You want to aim to cut it as thin as a normal slice of streaky bacon.
- Whisk together the oil, tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup and liquid smoke.
- Taste and adjust the marinade until you have the perfect bacon marinade.
- Lay the strips of carrot into the marinade so that they are completely covered.
- Leave them to rest in the marinade for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, pre-heat your oven to 200 C / 400 F / gas mark 6.
- Line a baking tray with grease proof paper then place the strips of carrot onto the tray. (Make sure you leave a gap between the carrot strips, you don't want them to overlap.)
- Cook the carrot bacon in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until they are the perfect amount of crispy!
Nutrition
How to use carrot bacon rashers
Carrot bacon is a great addition to a Vegan Full English Breakfast, you can also use it in salads, on pizzas or in sandwiches and wraps! Just use it as you would regular cooked American style bacon.
More vegan breakfast recipes
If you like the sound of carrot bacon then you're going to love some of these other vegan breakfast and brunch recipes.
A Vegan's Guide to Meat and Fish Substitutes
This carrot bacon forms part of my much bigger guide to meat and fish substitutes. Click the image below to find out more about how tofu, tempeh, seitan and a wide range of vegetable can be used to mimic both meat and fish.
If you find this guide helpful, do check out the other resources on my Go Vegan! page. It's the perfect place to start if you're thinking about moving to a plant based diet.
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