Bacon.

That word alone seems to be enough to start a debate in any vegan chat room. Why is it that so many meat eaters like to use bacon as an argument? What is it about our society that makes us so obsessed with bacon? What is it about bacon that seems to evoke anger in some vegans? Then it dawned on me, the reason is quite simple… bacon tastes awesome!

Gasp! Did a vegan just say that bacon tastes good? Yes I did. I haven’t eaten bacon in over a year but I still remember that chewy and crispy smoked flavour that I used to love so much. There’s something about bacon makes it so appealing. That something is smoke flavour and spices, not the actual meat.

Have you ever tried pork belly without any curing or seasonings? I have, and it’s tasteless and horrible. It even smells unappetizing while cooking. There’s a good reason why bacon is cured, smoked, and seasoned, it’s what gives it flavour.

There are many specialty stores that carry imitation bacon… or fakeon as it’s sometimes called. These are usually made from seitan or other plant based sources. I’ve had both good and bad bacon substitutes and there are a wide variety of products available. The only downfall to these products is they can be expensive to purchase. I’m on a tight budget and I need to keep my grocery bill low. Trips to the health food store are a treat and I’m usually working with what I can buy at the local supermarket.

This started me on a quest… a quest to find a vegan bacon substitute that was cheap and easy to make at home. The obvious answer to me was tofu. Tofu is cheap! I’ve seen it for $1 at the local grocery store. Even organic tofu (my preference) is cheap. It took a couple of trys but it didn’t take long to come up with a tofu bacon that’s perfect for a side or on sandwiches.

No, it does not taste exactly like bacon. It reminds me of what I knew as bacon when I was growing up. I became the cheap vegan mom because I was raised by a cheap omnivore mom. We never had bacon growing up…we had “sizzling strips”, processed meat formed into bacon like strips…they were cheaper than bacon. Yup, raised ghetto, lol. My mom bought those things for years until I got older and wised up. The tofu bacon kind of remindeds me of those. It’s got the bacon flavour but it doesn’t quite have the same texture. I guess a better name for these would be tofu sizzling strips but only those raised by cheap omnivore mom’s would understand… So tofu bacon it is!

These are simply thin slices of tofu marinated in smoke, maple, and spices, and fried until crispy on the outside. They have a smoky flavour and a texture that is both chewy and crispy just like bacon. These are perfect with a tofu scramble for breakfast or on a sandwich or burger. Best of all they are really cheap to make!

You will need

200-250g firm tofu sliced thin

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp liquid smoke

Soy sauce (dash)

A pinch of the following; Cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder

2 tbsp coconut oil

Place sliced tofu in a Ziploc bag, add maple syrup, smoke, and soy sauce. Shake it around and leave it to marinade for at least an hour, I prefer over night. Heat the frying pan to medium and add the coconut oil. Add tofu slices. Don’t throw out that marinade! If there’s any left in the bag add it to the pan. As the liquid evaporates season with salt, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder to taste. These take awhile to cook as you want the tofu to slightly dehydrate. I usually cook the strips for 20 min, turning every 4-5 min and moving them around the pan frequently to prevent sticking. Once they start to get brown and crispy in the corners they’re ready. Much like real bacon, you can adjust the cooking time to your liking for crispier or chewier strips. I sprinkle them with a little salt when they’re done but this is optional.

That simple! Homemade vegan bacon that’s cheap to make! I’ll still enjoy my occasional store bought fakeon but I would have saved a bundle if I had figured this out sooner. One more benefit to making vegan bacon at home… the smell! Not only does real bacon get its taste from smoke and spices, it’s aroma comes from them too. Cooking with liquid smoke flavouring creates a delicious aroma that confuses my friends and family… Do I smell bacon?????

Who knew! There is a cruelty free way to enjoy that delicious bacon flavour that’s cheap and simple to make at home. It’s ok to be vegan and love bacon.