Smoky Fried Tofu Bacon

Tired of hearing "But I could never give up bacon"? Feed 'em this recipe!

Whether for breakfast, as bacon bits on a loaded potato, or in a vegan BLT, this delicious vegan bacon really satisfies!

Smoky Fried Tofu Bacon
By Allison Rivers Samson

Serves 4

Ingredients
10 ounces extra-firm vacuum-packed tofu
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon natural smoke liquid (hickory or mesquite)
2 tablespoons onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sun/safflower oil

Directions
1. Prep Tofu: Slice the tofu in half length-wise and then cut each half width-wise into paper-thin strips. Set aside.

2. Marinade: In a small bowl, combine nutritional yeast, water, maple syrup, tamari, salt, natural smoke liquid, onion, and garlic. Purée in a blender or with an immersion blender.

3. In a shallow container, carefully arrange tofu slices and cover with marinade and freeze for at least 2 hours. Remove from freezer and thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours. Be careful not to move the delicate tofu around too much, unless you’d prefer bacon bits instead of strips.

3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil. Gently add marinated tofu slices and pan-fry for 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

4. Serve as desired! One of my favorites is BLTs.

 
© Recipe by Allison Rivers Samson, Self-care Coach, award-winning vegan chef and author of Quick + Easy DIY Salad Bar, The Dairy-Freedom Cookbook, Comfortably Yum, and Co-Founder of The Dairy Detox.

Photo credit: Hannah Kaminsky