This vegan carrot lox is just as smoky and delicious as the real thing! I recommend using large, thick carrots for this recipe, as they're easier to peel into ribbons than smaller carrots.
Ingredient
4 large carrots
Sea salt, for coating
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Big squeeze fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
bagels
vegan cream cheese
cucumber slices
capers
chives and/or dill
Direction
Preheat the oven to 475°F and line a medium baking dish with parchment paper. Coat the bottom with about a ¼-inch layer of salt, then place the whole carrots in the dish and sprinkle with a good amount of salt (see photo). Don’t worry, you won’t be eating all this salt in the final result. Roast the carrots until easily pierced with a fork, but not mushy. The timing will depend on the size and freshness of your carrots. Check them, starting around 40 minutes - my very large carrots took 60-90 minutes. This step can be done in advance.
Make the marinade: In a shallow dish or small bowl, combine the olive oil, rice vinegar, paprika, lemon juice, and several grinds of freshly ground black pepper.
Remove the carrots from the oven and let cool. Use your hands to rub off any excess salt. Use a knife to slice a thin strip off one side of the salty skin, and then use a peeler to peel the carrot into ribbons. If your peeler get's snagged on the soft carrot, that's ok, just slice pieces as thinly as you can with a sharp knife. Place the strips in the marinade and toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and marinate for 15-30 minutes.