Vegan Breakfasts Will Never Be The Same Once You Try Tempeh Bacon

There was a time when anyone who didn't eat meat had no option but to miss out on arguably the best part of breakfast: the bacon. But vegetarians and vegans are now blessed with an abundance of plant-based meat alternatives to create tasty cooked breakfasts, lunches, and dinners — including various vegan 'bacons' to add to sandwiches or an egg-like chickpea scramble. While these products are usually convenient and tasty, the downside is that getting that bacon taste and texture often requires a lot of processing.

The best way to avoid this is to make your own plant-based bacon at home. But if you've found mushroom bacon or banana-peel bacon a little lacking in the meatiness department, let us introduce you to tempeh. Tempeh is a soy-based product traditionally used in Indonesia, made by fermenting whole soybeans and forming them into a firm block that can be sliced and cooked.

And while you can argue that it's still a processed food, it's usually comprised of just beans or grains and a fermentation starter. It has a firm, chewy texture that makes it an ideal base for homemade bacon, and it absorbs the flavors of any marinades or spices you want to add to it. While you might not be thinking about your health when you're craving crispy bacon, tempeh is also highly nutritious. Tempeh is packed with protein (sometimes double what tofu offers) and rich in fiber, manganese, and calcium.

Turning tempeh into bacon is a simple process and can be easily customized to suit your tastes. The first step is choosing your tempeh. Regular tempeh is made from just fermented soybeans, but it is also available made with the addition of seeds, nuts, or grains, such as rice or mung beans. Regardless of which you opt for, look for a brand with no unnecessary additives, like this Lightlife Organic Tempeh.

For the marinade, start with equal parts neutral oil, maple syrup, and soy sauce or tamari. The bacon flavor will come from a dash of liquid smoke (there are many brands available online, like this Stubb's hickory liquid smoke), but if you find this too intense, you can use smoked paprika instead. Warm spices like cumin, coriander, and black pepper can be added to taste, to round out the flavor. Cut the tempeh into ¼ inch slices and leave to marinate for at least 30 mins, but 2 hours will give you a richer flavor.

When it comes to cooking your tempeh bacon, you have options. After removing the excess marinade, you can pan fry it over medium heat, bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or put it in the air fryer for 7-19 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The result will be a crispy, savory bacon alternative to add to any vegan breakfast, like this eggless breakast casserole.