How about bacon made out of eggplant? LOVE it! I harvested 6 eggplants from my garden and couldn’t wait to make bacon. The flavors are pretty typical of vegan bacon, smoky and maple-y. I doctored up my recipe for parsnip bacon because eggplants are more intense in flavor and the result is divine.
This salad is the perfect vehicle for eggplant bacon. Little bites of sweet, salty eggplant combined with the creaminess of the dressing makes for an outstanding lunch! Or dinner or whatever!
Eggplant Bacon & EBKT Salad
Ingredients
Eggplant Bacon
- 1 small eggplant
- 1 pinch smoked salt
- 3 shakes smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
EBKT Salad
- Eggplant Bacon
- Kale
- Tomatoes
- Croutons
- Cashew Mayo Dressing
Instructions
Eggplant Bacon
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Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
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Cut the top and bottom off the eggplant. Slice the eggplant the long way, not to thin and not too thick.
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Add to a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and paprika. Toss around.
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Whisk together the oil, tamari and maple syrup. Add to the eggplant and toss well to coat.
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Place the eggplant slices onto the parchment and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the slices are getting browned, even a little burnt in some places.
EBKT Salad
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*The dressing is just a thinned out version of my cashew mayo. Make the mayo and then add a little bit of water to thin it out to a dressing consistency.
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To make the salad, cut the bacon into small bite sized pieces. Chop the kale. Slice the tomatoes. Add the croutons and toss it all together with the eggplant bacon. Enjoy!