RECIPE: Bacon from carrots? Yes.
Pork bacon is smoky, salty, rich, sweet and oh, so satisfying. Did “good for you” make it onto that list? No.
Recipes for carrot bacon in plant-based food blogs and cookbooks made me decide to give it a try. I bought sweet, fresh from the field carrots from Aluma Farm, just off the Westside Beltline, and got to work.
I tried a half-dozen recipes starting off with carrots sliced on the mandoline. Turned out they were too thick and never developed the crunch I was looking for. I turned to a Y-peeler, a $1.99 tool available at most grocery stores. By laying the carrot flat on a work surface and holding the thin (root end), then pressing firmly with the Y-peeler, I got perfect slices maybe 1/16-inch thick.
I experimented with seasoning mixes. In the end, I settled on two mixtures: one for farm fresh carrots and one that worked well on storage carrots, the ones that have been in your vegetable bin for weeks.
It was fun to watch them bake in the oven and see these thin strips curl and twist just like pork bacon. And then finally to use those carrot bacon strips in a BLT and on avocado toast.
- 1/2 pound carrots, scrubbed well, tops trimmed
- Spice Mixture #1 or Spice Mixture #2 (see recipes)
- Holding the root (small) end of the carrot, use a Y-peeler to peel off long strips of carrot, pressing firmly. Arrange strips in a pie plate and sprinkle with spice mixture. (Use the whole amount produced by the spice mixture recipe you choose.) Toss to combine and let sit 15 to 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange strips on prepared baking sheet. Roast 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the strips. Remove from oven before they are completely crisp as they will crisp more as they cool. Makes approximately 30 strips depending on the size of the carrots.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per strip, Spice Mixture #1: 8 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 21 milligrams sodium. Per strip, Spice Mixture #2: 6 calories (percent of calories from fat, 4), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.Spice Mixture #1
Use this mixture if your carrots are farm fresh and very sweet.
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a pie plate, combine oil, garlic powder, paprika, sugar and salt. Stir together. Makes 2 tablespoons.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/2 teaspoon: 24 calories (percent of calories from fat, 83), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 81 milligrams sodium.Spice Mixture #2
Use this mixture if you are working with storage carrots.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- In a pie plate, combine maple syrup, paprika, onion powder and black pepper. Stir together. Makes 1 1/4 tablespoons.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/2 teaspoon: 10 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), trace protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1 milligram sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
