My salt got really hard after baking. Is that normal?

Yes! After baking for the full 90 minutes, it is normal for the salt to be hard and even browned. Use a spoon to tap the salt until it cracks open, revealing the carrots.

Does this vegan lox taste like real lox?

The texture of the lox is spot on, but it doesn't have the same fishy taste as real fish. If you want to add a bit of fishy flavor to your carrot lox, feel free to add things like a nori sheet or a pinch of dulse flakes to the lox marinade.

Can I marinate the carrots for less time?

For the best flavor and texture, marinate for the full 2 days. It's hard to wait, but it's well worth it!

Can I make this plant-based lox using baby carrots?

Usually, we'd say yes, but when making carrot lox, the size of your carrots matters. For best results, use large, whole carrots.

Carrot Lox (Vegan Smoked Salmon)

Description

This Carrot Lox recipe will seriously knock your socks off. It’s the perfect addition to Sunday brunch and a recipe that’s always a hit with vegans and non vegans. Add it on top of your favorite toasted bagel smeared with cream cheese and dig in!

Ingredients

Carrot Lox

3 cups coarse sea salt, plus more if needed
9x13 glass baking dish (or any size suitable for the length and width of the carrots)
5 large carrots (do not peel!)
2 TB vegetable broth
3 teaspoons liquid smoke
3/4 teaspoon coconut vinegar

Then pair with:

Homemade bagels
Vegan cream cheese (Kite Hill Chive is our favorite!)
Capers
Thinly sliced red onion
Fresh dill

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.
In a glass baking dish, cover the bottom with a layer of coarse sea salt. Rinse the carrots and place them wet into the salt, making sure they do not touch the glass. Pour about a cup or so of salt over the carrots, or enough to fully cover.
Place into the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
In the meantime, make the marinade with the remaining ingredients. Set aside.
Remove from oven, and cool. Tap the salt with the back of a spoon to break it up, then remove the carrots. Peel off the skin, removing as much as you can!
With a mandolin or sharp knife, slice into long thin strips.
Place the carrots into a large ziplock bag, then pour the marinade over them. Seal, remove air, then around a few times to ensure they are all in the liquid.
Place the carrots in the refrigerator for at least two days to marinate.
Serve at room temperature. We enjoy ours on a bagel with capers, chive vegan cream cheese, red onions and fresh dill.

Notes

Recipe adapted from: Olives for Dinner 🙂
Watch us make this Vegan Carrot Lox recipe here: Homemade Bagels + 3 Vegan Meal Ideas.

Prep Time: 48 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins