Green Salad with Shiitake Bacon
What’s a bacon lover to do if he or she decides to go vegan?
Miranda Hammer, MS, RD, is a graduate of The Nutrition School, and she's a genius when it comes to making plant-based meals exciting. So we're not surprised she came up with this smart vegan bacon substitute.
It sounds a little weird, but when sliced and baked until crisp, the umami flavor and color of the mushrooms will fool most bacon lovers.
Here, you can enjoy it with all kinds of delicious, healthy vegetables.
Recipe by Miranda Hammer, MS, RD, NLC, founder of Crunchy Radish.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 pinch black pepper and sea salt
- 12-15 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
- 4 cups torn butterhead lettuce
- 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, toss chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil, paprika, turmeric, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Spread out on one of the sheet trays and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.
- On the other sheet tray, toss sliced mushrooms with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes until mushrooms are crispy. Check frequently to avoid burning.
- In a large salad bowl, whisk garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fold in lettuce, and to with shiitake bacon, chickpeas, and shaved parm.
WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
An added benefit: mushrooms are one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D and the protein-rich chickpeas are tossed with antioxidant-rich spices.