Yes…I said vegan bacon. I know my bacon loving friends are shaking their heads in disgust…but don’t knock it until you try it! Before I started my plant based journey, I used to make a killer bread salad during the summer. This recipe took advantage of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh basil and bacon. I can’t even remember where I found the recipe as I looked for it today and can’t find anything resembling it on the internet. Some versions of bread salad have red onion or cucumbers in them, but I keep mine simple. Bread, tomatoes, white beans, ‘bacon’ and balsamic vinegar with minced garlic for the dressing. You could add oil for some richness, but I don’t think it really needs it.
Now for the ‘bacon’. I’d seen this recipe some time ago and it caught my attention as it was made with coconut flakes (unsweetened); I decided to give it a try for this recipe. I found bulk coconut flakes at Whole Foods, but you can find them in packages also…just BE SURE TO USE UNSWEETENED! I used a combination of two recipes (the base recipe comes from Vegweb, and I added another touch of smoked paprika from Beard and Bonnet). Both recipes use the same ingredients, they just vary slightly in the measurements, and the baking temp/time. If you google Coconut Bacon, you’ll find their websites. The ‘sauce’ is a mixture of tamari (low sodium, gluten free soy sauce), liquid smoke, maple syrup and a little water. I added a touch of smoked paprika also. You mix this in a shallow pan with the coconut flakes (which really don’t taste very coconutty as there is no sugar added to them) until they absorb the liquid. I baked them at 325 for 15 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, then baked another 4 minutes. You have to watch them in the end as they can burn. OMG…I couldn’t stop eating them after they cooled (I’m not sure I even waited for them to cool to be honest!). They contain ALL aspects of the pleasure trap-salt, sugar and fat, but they are VERY yummy. The coconut adds a great texture and needed amount of fat. They did get a little soggy in the salad, but would be great on many dishes, including salads.
I minced up a LOT of garlic and add it to balsamic vinegar and shake it to blend…it makes a VERY spicy dressing. Hubby added some oil to his, and a touch of parmesan cheese. I ate mine as it was made…it’s very yummy! The best part about this recipe is you can adjust the quantity of ingredients based on how many people you are serving. I’ve also made this with cooled, whole wheat pasta instead of the bread, it works just as well.
Ladybug’s Panzanella with Vegan Bacon
Ingredients:
Tomatoes (I used two large, and 5 cocktail tomatoes), cut into 1 inch sized pieces (or quartered if using cocktail tomatoes)
Whole grain baguette (got mini sized baguettes at Whole Foods, and used 1 1/2 mini loaves) cut into 1 inch sized pieces, slightly toasted in oven to crisp it up (you can use day old bread too)
Half a can of white kidney beans (Canellini)
2 good sized cloves of garlic, minced on a microplane (zester)
Balsamic vinegar (maybe 1/2 cup or a touch less)
Lots of fresh basil
Vegan Bacon
Instructions:
- Mix garlic and vinegar in a small container, set aside.
- Place bread, beans, tomatoes in a bowl and add dressing. Toss gently to coat the bread, you may need to add a big more balsamic as the bread will soak up all the liquid.
- Tear fresh basil into the salad and toss gently again.
- Add the vegan bacon if using, tossing one final time.
- Serve in big pasta bowls and garnish with fresh basil.
Here’s a photo of the vegan bacon out of the oven..it really looks like bacon bits!
Here’s the salad, plated up…YUM-O
Ladybug in the Kitchen 