Although there are very few foods I miss since changing to a plant-based lifestyle, lox is one of them. Despite not having lox in over 20 years, we recently went to a vegan restaurant, Verdura; I ordered their carrot lox and cream cheese bagel. Yes, I was indulging. Sometimes, I eat something plant-based, that isn’t necessarily on my “healthy” plan. And, it was FABULOUS!

To be honest, eating one plant-based indulgent meal, like Carrot Lox and Vegan Cream Cheese, fulfills my cravings. So, for me, this is a “cheat meal,” despite it really isn’t cheating.

Needless to say, everything at Verdura is home-made, so when I asked the owner her secret, she said the cream cheese and carrot lox are homemade.

Although there are plenty of vegan cream cheeses out there, such as Miyokos Cream Cheese and Kite Hill Cream Cheese (which are both wonderful), I made my own. Feel free to take a short cut and use your favorite store-bought vegan cream cheese.

As far as bagels go, Dave’s Killer Organic Bagels or UDI Gluten-Free Bagels are my two favorites. Obviously you can make your own, but I prefer to buy vegan bagels and keep them in the freezer for when I want to indulge.

The secret to the lox is simple; liquid smoke and the amount of time you marinations and cook it. Although the recipe is simple in execution, it is time consuming. In order to meet everyones needs, I gave a speedy option in the notes.

I also added red onions, tomato, capers, and dill to my bagel, which is how it I remember it as a kid.

So, if you are a fan of a crunchy bagel slathered with cream cheese, layered with vegetables and topped with dill and capers, live on!

Carrot Lox and Vegan Cream Cheese Bagel

Author: Kathy Carmichael

Description

Sunday Brunch NEVER tasted so good. Savory and Delicious without the guilt.

Scale

Ingredients

Bagels
Red onion, sliced thin
Large Tomato, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup chopped dill

Vegan Cream Cashew Cheese

1 cup raw cashews softened (soaked overnight)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons white miso paste
1/4 teaspoons salt or to taste

Carrot Lox:

2 cups coarse sea salt, plus more if needed (YES THIS IS THE CORRECT AMOUNT)
3 large carrots (do not peel them)
1 Tablespoon liquid smoke (I used Hickory Flavor)
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup

Instructions

Carrot Lox:

Preheat oven to 375.
To slow roast the carrots, place one cup of coarse sea salt into a glass square baking pan that offers just enough room to accommodate the length and width of the carrots so you can keep them whole.
Rinse the unpeeled carrots and place them wet into the salt, making sure that the carrots are sit on top of the salt and do not make contact with the bottom of the glass pan.
Pour about another whole cup of salt evenly over the tops of the carrots. They need to be completely covered.
Place into the oven to roast, uncovered, for an hour and a half.
Once done, use tongs to remove the carrots and place them on a plate or baking sheet to cool.
Crack away and brush off any salt, then peel away t
he skin.
It’s fine if there is still some skin left on the carrot. Then, using a mandolin or sharp knife, finely chop the carrots into jagged, thin strips.
Place into a clean glass container.
To marinate the carrots, whisk together the maple syrup, liquid smoke and apple cider vinegar. (If you have a little more or little less than 1 1/2 cups carrot, just add a little more or less of the liquid components as needed.)
Drizzle over the warm carrots and toss well to coat.
The carrots need to marinate in the refrigerator for at least two days to allow the flavors to meld.
On brunch day, remove the carrots from the refrigerator and allow the carrots to come to room temperature.
Serve with toasted bagels, capers, vegan cream cheese, red onion and fresh sprigs of dill as desired.

Cashew Vegan Cream Cheese:

Rinse and drain soaked cashews
In a small bowl food processor, add the cashews and the rest of the ingredients.
Blend until smooth
Refrigerate
You may add different flavors to your cream cheese: dill and onion, garlic and chive, jalapeño and red pepper, fresh strawberries; the varieties are endless.

Serving:

Toast Bagels
Slather with vegan cream cheese
Add red onion and tomato
Add carrot lox and top with capers and dill

Notes

Quick Version Carrot Lox: Does not require 2 days; 2 hour version

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet lined on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Bake carrots at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, depending on thickness, until fork-tender. Let cool completely.
Place the same liquid ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
Remove skins for carrots. Use a vegetable peeler to slice carrot lengthwise into thin slices.
Place in bowl with tamari mixture; gently toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours
Drain excess marinade and use carrot lox as you would traditional salmon lox.