I ran into this recipe the other day, and wondered if I could make it with vegan bacon. I had a bunch of white beans in the fridge, so I picked up a pack of SmartBacon and gave it a whirl.
I started off by making the dip. I used minced garlic and dried rosemary, both pantry staples at our house. I was able to just mix it with a potato masher in a mixing bowl. I used a little less than a quarter cup of olive oil, way less than the cup she recommends. I also had to add a significant bit more garlic and rosemary to get a good taste. Just keep mixing and tasting till its good.
Next came the SmartBacon. When I took it out of the pack it smelled like Slim Jims. The slices kind of stuck together and I had to separate them with a butter knife. I used about an eighth of a cup of neutral vegetable oil in my 12″ stainless steel skillet and followed the directions on the box. The bacon turned out GREAT. Just like real bacon, the edges were crispy and the center chewy. It was hard to keep from eating it all right out of the pan!
The SmartBacon didn’t leave any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, so there was nothing to deglaze. The oil had absorbed some bacony flavor. I solved the problem by tearing up little bits of bacon and throwing them back in the pot.
From there on in I just followed the original recipe. The result is an amazingly delicious , rich and complex soup. Its completely vegan and pretty low fat, too. We’re serving it with crusty french bread and vegan SmartBalance “butter”.
Considering cooking these for dessert…
I read this awhile back but did not comment. When I read it again, I was reminded how interesting it sounded. Anything new on the menu lately?
Hi,
Here in India, its quite difficult to get things like SmartBacon. Its difficult to get good Bacon itself.
How does the SmartBacon taste by the way>