Eggplant Bacon (aka Smoked Eggplant Slices)

Eggplant lovers rejoice and say hello to your new best friend: eggplant bacon.
Slices of our favorite purple-skinned vegetable are seasoned to smoky perfection with liquid smoke, paprika, soy sauce, maple syrup, and a few other ingredients to make the ideal companion to any sandwich, burger, wrap, tartine, crostini, flatbread, bruschetta, et cetera et cetera et cetera...

To be completely honest with you guys when I heard at first about this idea I wasn’t completely convinced.
I followed a few links and had to make a few tweaks before I was happy with the recipe.
However, what came out of the oven were pretty darn tasty eggplant slices.

I labeled this recipe as eggplant bacon though I believe the right way to call ‘em should be “smoked eggplant slices”, for no other reason than that’s what they are.
They also reminded me of a barbecue potato chip, especially the crispier bits.
Packed with flavor and a great vegetarian/vegan alternative to regular bacon, this is a recipe that will surprise you.

Eggplant Bacon (aka Smoked Eggplant Slices)                                                                          Print this recipe!
Adapted from the Minimalist Baker

A couple of notes: to make this recipe vegan you should make sure to use vegan soy sauce and vegan Worcestershire sauce (such as 365 Everyday Value).
Also, depending on the thickness of your eggplant slices, baking times will vary. So I recommend keeping an eye on them during the second half of baking. Cook until they are the way you want them.

Ingredients
Makes 16 slices

1 medium eggplant
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (I used Stubb’s Liquid Smoke)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of garlic powder
Ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 230° F (110°C) and place a rack in the middle. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut one of the halves in half lengthwise once more so you have two long, skinny pieces.
Using a sharp knife (or a mandolin) slice 16 thin strips (they should resemble the size/shape of bacon), they should be about ⅛th inch. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Whisk until fully combined.
Place eggplant slices on the baking sheet and brush both sides of each slide with the sauce. Sprinkle with more pepper.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the eggplant has a deep red color and is slightly crispy.
Cooking time depends on how thick the eggplant is, it could take more than 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Eat immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat in a skillet with a bit of vegetable oil.

Nutrition facts

One slice yields 27 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs, and 0.5 grams of protein.