The Best Plant-Based Alternatives to Bacon
La Vie vegan bacon (from France?!)
Despite being a country that is animal-batty, one of England’s most popular foods is the bacon butty. And people realistically are not going to swap this for a hummus roll for breakfast.
So it pays to look at some pig-friendly alternatives. Obviously if you eat real bacon, then go for organic free-range brands. But before farmers start aiming their guns at vegans, know that there is not enough land in England (or anywhere) for everyone to eat free-range.
Free-range organic pigs have a lot more space to roam, in order to live as nature intended (pigs are clean animals and wonderful mothers, and have the intelligence of a four-year old child – they even sing to their piglets!)
So if you don’t agree with factory farms (and likely you don’t), it’s imperative to either eat no bacon or less bacon (something even meat-eating chefs like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall agree with).
So in this post we’ll look at some plant-based bacon alternatives. All are tasty, affordable and free from cholesterol. Kind to pigs (and your heart). And the planet. And all free from palm oil.
Chewy bacon can be a choking hazard, so don’t feed to young people or those with swallowing difficulties.
Keep plant-based bacon away from pets, as it contains salt, spices etc. Read more on food safety for people and pets.
For store-bought vegan bacons, recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle.
What is Real Bacon Made From?
Lovely pigs, that’s what. Please don’t eat them.
In order to know how to make or buy good vegan bacon, it helps to know what real meat bacon is. And you’d be surprised, as many people are not that aware of what they’re eating.
Bacon is basically cured pork, from the belly or back of a pig. It’s one of the so-called ‘processed meats’, meaning it’s not very healthy, and linked to various diseases, if eaten in excess. High in fat and sodium (salt), it’s also usually fried in a pan.
Bacon contains nitrates (preservatives) that when cooked at high temperature, form nitrosamines (a known cancer risk). World Health Organisation classifies all processed meats as Group 1 Carcinogens (with bacon linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer).
The ‘bacon taste’ does not come from the meat itself, but from how it’s smoked (hickory, applewood etc) and flavoured (maple etc). So once you know this, it becomes easy to replicate the taste.
How to Make Your Own Vegan Bacon
This requires a bit of learning. But once mastered, it’s easy and more affordable than buying vegan bacon (and no plastic packaging to recycle). As mentioned above, the secret is in flavouring your base ingredient.
There are lots of recipes online, but many are a bit of a faff. We like this recipe for tempeh bacon (Home Cooked Roots).
Tempeh is a high-protein Indonesian food that you can find in all stores (the main brands are Better Nature and Tiba Tempeh).
Combined with tamari (soy sauce), garlic powder, maple syrup and liquid smoke, this quick recipe turns the ingredients into ‘bacon strips’ that roast in the oven (leftovers keep for a few days in the fridge).
Although liquid smoke is an ingredient, it’s not recommended in the UK due to carcinogen concerns.
This blogger suggests subbing each 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke for either 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika (or 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder). So for the above recipe, just double the amounts.
Where to Buy Good Plant-Based Bacon
The options are getting better. Most supermarkets now offer vegan bacons, but some brands are better than others.
La Vie is one of the most popular brands. Made in France (yes!), it’s so good that some French farmers have tried to have it banned!
Made with GM-free soya protein, it just requires a few minutes frying in the pan. Seriously, this tastes so good, you’ll never go back! It also makes beechwood-smoked ‘bacon lardons’.
This is used for Burger King’s vegan bacon patties. But Burger King cooks vegan food on their meat grill, which rather defeats the point.
THIS Isn’t Streaky Bacon is again quickly fried in the pan, a mix of soya and pea proteins. With smoked salt and veggie extracts (radish, beetroot, carrot and paprika).
Meatless Farm offers wholesale vegan bacon for food service, made with pea protein. And in shops, look for its vegan bacon-chicken ravioli.
Vivera is a Dutch company that makes good vegan bacon, made with soya and smoky flavours. This only takes 4 minutes to cook, and is lovely in a salad or as part of a penne carbonara. You can now buy plastic-free pasta.
Just fry up some chopped rinsed leeks and chestnut mushrooms in oil, then add the vegan bacon pieces. Make a vegan butter sauce (Flora has no palm oil) with flour, salt and plant milk. Add the veggies and bacon and pasta to the sauce, cook to thicken, and serve. Yum!
Richmond Vegan Bacon apparently tastes good. But it’s owned by a company that is a major player in factory farming (Barclays has recently been criticised for supporting it). Considering there are far better independent brands around, we suggest a boycott.
