Carrot Lox [Vegan Smoked Salmon]

5 from 18 votes

Roast carrots in a salty, savory, smoky, tangy marinade to make a surprisingly impressive vegan salmon alternative– Aka carrot lox. It’s perfect for making lox bagels, salads, and more!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Marinate1

Total Time1 25

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: bagel slices

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large and thick carrots
½ teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 teaspoons of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika
Pinch of black pepper

For serving:

2 bagels, sliced in half and toasted
Plant-based cream cheese
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of capers
1 tablespoon of fresh dill

Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and drizzle the olive oil. Set aside.
Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the carrots lengthwise to about ¼ inch thick, or thinner, if possible. With your fingers or a brush, brush the oil all around the baking sheet to evenly coat it. Place the carrots on a single layer on the oiled baking sheet and sprinkle the salt. Set aside to absorb some of the salt while you make the marinade.
In a small bowl, mix the water, olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
With a brush or your fingers, evenly and heavily coat all of the carrots with the marinade. Tightly cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside to marinate while the oven preheats. If you have some marinade left, save it to brush the bagels.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the aluminum foil and test one carrot. If it’s very soft, it is ready, if not, add another 5 minutes. Continue baking in 5-minute increments until they are soft. Cooking will vary according to the thickness of the carrots.
When they are ready, carefully lift them one by one and place them in a tupperware with a lid. Close the lid while they are still hot and allow them to cool and continue to absorb the marinade flavors for 1 hour.
To serve, lightly brush some of the extra marinade on the bagel slice and then spread some plant-based cream cheese. Top with 3 to 4 carrot slices (depending on the length of the slices) and place them so they fold on top of the bagel. Sprinkle 5 capers, 3 small slices of shallot, and some fresh dill on top.
Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Make the slices thin enough: Similar to regular salmon slices.
To speed up prep: A mandoline/vegetable peeler gets the carrots ribboned in seconds.
Tightly cover the baking sheet: This traps the steam to ensure the carrot becomes tender.
Allow the flavors to meld: After baking, leave the vegan lox to marinate for an hour minimum. However, if you have the time, we highly recommend adding a little excess marinade and leaving it for 24 hours.

Nutrition