This faux-bacon from MorningStar Farms is one of the products in their lineup that’s yet to make the leap to vegan friendly; as such, vegans should note there’s still egg used here. Veggie yes, vegan no.
We’ve been buying this bacon for as long as I can really recall. Inside the cardboard box you’ll find the following frozen wedge of ‘marbled’ bacon:
Honestly, I can’t say it resembles bacon in the tasting anymore than it doesnt in the looks department. It’s definitely a yesteryear product in comparison to newer and trendier plant based food options.
While the vegan bacon from Upton’s is probably my favorite overall, it’s also a niche product and harder to get hold off. That’s why we always return to the MorningStar, despite it being very much an artificial looking and tasting product.
I prefer to cook it up in the microwave, just be careful, it can turn to stone really quickly in powerful appliances. The finished product takes on a fun brittle texture that definitely adds bacon like crunch to burgers. It also adds (again albeit artificially) an enjoyable smoky flavor too. It’s not perfect, but as part of a judiciously assembled burger it does the trick!
Case in point, check out this Triple No Threat burger that also uses NUGGS chicken and Impossible burger, all plant based!
MorningStar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips nutrition
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!