I think the Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips by Lightlife were the first taste of tempeh that I ever had. It was a natural for me, as a new vegetarian, when I saw the package with “Fakin’ Bacon” written across it. I was curious just how much like bacon it really was.

Well, the good thing and the bad thing both is that it isn’t really at all. This is good news if you don’t want to eat a meat analogue that’s just a vegetarian version of bacon. It’s bad news if you were hoping to get a bacon replacement.

The only thing close to bacon with these (as I remember bacon being) is the smoky part. They’ve got that right. They’re strips and you fry them up in a pan when you prepare them. They don’t leave behind a pool of grease when they’re finished (but they’re quick to soak up whatever oil you use).

No, these aren’t really meant to resemble bacon, but they’re a very tasty vegan food on their own. If you’re not quite sure about the assertive flavor of tempeh you might start here. It’s considerably tamed down.

These strips don’t crisp up like bacon. I like to brown them in a little bit of oil and then put them on a sandwich.

I’ve always found the packaging on these difficult to open. But once inside I usually cook up two or three strips and then wrap the rest in plastic and freeze for a later use. I don’t always want something with smoky tempeh strips and this is a good way for me to use the whole package before it goes bad.

Lightlife makes these with a combination of soybeans and brown rice. Not counting the oil you cook them in, 3 slices of these strips have 100 calories, 3g fat, 470mg sodium, and 8g protein.

Tonight, I’m going to have some on toasted sourdough bread with lettuce, tomato, and vegan mayonnaise. And because I still have some harissa in the refrigerator I plan to add that, too. It will make a quick, tasty, and nutritious dinner—with some zing!

I recommend these Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips by Lightlife. As long as you realize that they won’t fool any bacon eaters and you accept them for the delicious creation that they are I think you’ll enjoy them, too.