Coconut Bacon

A lot of people have a special relationship with bacon. This is can be a big reason why they find it so hard to transition to a vegan diet. But here at vega.io we are committed to giving you as many resources as possible to get you to stick to this lifestyle. That's why I'm so happy to add this Coconut Bacon recipe to the book. 

I've been making coconut bacon for a while now. It is incredibly easy to make and you can store it in a jar and have it handy for whenever you need it. That way you can add it to salads, sandwiches, dips, stir-fries, and so many other things. 

I've seen bacon on salads for a long time, and even though bacon didn't really appeal to me I was always curious about the crunchy texture. I love having crunchy bits in salads. I'm not sure what it is but I really enjoy having different textures in them.

One of my favourite dishes to add these coconut bacon bits is a Kale Quinoa salad. It's a super healthy recipe, packed with fresh veggies and a ton of flavour. But it was really missing that crunch, so these bits were perfect for it. 

Other than being nice and crunchy, our coconut bacon is also incredibly flavourful. We are using coconut flakes and seasoning them with two different kinds of soy sauce and smoked paprika. This gives it that salty and smokey flavour you get when you roast regular bacon. 

The thing with this recipe is that you have to really pay attention to your cooking time. If you leave these crisps in the oven for too long they will come out super bitter. Not a really pleasant flavour I would say. So make sure you are checking the oven frequently. Just don't eat them all while you do so! 

I like mixing light and dark soy sauce to get the right flavour. When I used dark soy sauce only the flavour was too overpowering and salty. And on the other side light sauce only won't get our coconut bacon where we want it to be. A mix of both does the trick. 

And, what I would say is the star of this show is the paprika. I love using paprika, it is super versatile and you will see it in a lot of my recipes here. I think it adds a nice smokey flavour to food and a bit of a kick.

Also, consuming paprika on a regular basis is very beneficial for the human body. You get a bunch of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help you fight disease. It is good for your heart, for your eyes and it helps avoid certain types of cancer. That is just the short list, there are so many more. 

With those simple ingredients and an oven, you'll be all set. These coconut bacon bits can sit in your kitchen for quite a while so you can just add them sparingly when needed.