2

I'm making a batch of Brown Sugar Smokies for a potluck, and wanted to provide a vegetarian alternative.

I know that brown sugar'd carrots are good, so I figured they're a decent substitute for the sausages. Is there a good alternative for the bacon?

I was thinking of using mushrooms, which probably have the right texture, but I don't eat them enough to know whether that would be a decent taste or just gross.

Improve this question
2
  • 1
    Speaking as a non-meat-eater, I would vastly prefer a completely other food than some kind of meat substitute. While there are a lot of vegetarians who like fake meat, there are a lot who don't.
    – FuzzyChef
    Dec 21, 2011 at 1:47
  • Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I ended up going with carrots wrapped in sliced portobello mushroom caps. They matched the form of the smokies well, but were a completely different taste. The mushrooms pretty much overpowered the carrots, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I think they accomplished what they were meant to - they were a decent alternative that matched the form of the original. I wouldn't eat them if it were up to me, but then again, I'm a dedicated carnivore.
    – James Beninger
    Dec 23, 2011 at 17:03

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
3

I'm assuming your goal is to try and capture the main elements that make bacon wrapped smokies great: sweet, salty, meaty, and smoky.

For a vegetarian finger food, grilled tofu would be my first choice. This recipe mirrors the flavor profile of the bacon wrapped smokies pretty closely: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/crispy-barbequed-tofu-slices/detail.aspx

Straight up breaded, fried tofu is also very tasty and versatile (it is fried, after all), and you could serve it with a variety of dipping sauces.

If you're not a fan of tofu, mushrooms would be my second choice. Stuffed mushrooms that are grilled instead of baked would give you a nice subtle smokiness, and they are always a crowd pleaser: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mouth-watering-stuffed-mushrooms/detail.aspx

And last but not least, I'm a big fan of grilled eggplant. This grilled eggplant and ricotta crostini recipe keeps a nice balance of sweet, salty, smoky, and rich: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/grilled-eggplant-and-ricotta-crostini-recipe/index.html

Improve this answer
0

This may be off-base as a one-to-one substitute, but I like Vegan Naked Fatties.

Basically, it is riffing on the Naked Fatties recipe here, only I had some alternative folks to appease. Obviously it's not bacon but I modified it to make for a similar salty-savory taste. That said, if you're trying to impress vegan/vegetarian friends with a replicant, this one is an easy-to-accomplish endeavor.

Otherwise, you can just use Fake Bacon strips or Tofurkey slices to wrap it in faux-meat; those don't allow you much flexibility to complement flavors as well though.

Naked Fatties

Improve this answer
0

There are a few vegan/vegetarian bacon products out there. The one that we have been happiest with is Smart Bacon. It has a good smoky flavor and if you're careful to not let it dry out, it has a pleasant, meaty texture. If you're planning to wrap something in Smart Bacon, I would recommend using toothpicks, as it won't stick to itself like I've seen pork bacon do.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.