Carrot lox is delicious on a toasted bagel, piled high with vegan cream cheese, capers, thinly sliced red onion and fresh dill. The salt-baked method used in this recipe creates an incredible texture similar to salmon lox. This vegan smoked salmon recipe will definitely liven up your brunch plans!
How to Make Smoked Carrot Lox
Smoked carrot lox is made by salt-baking whole, unpeeled carrots in a 375-degree oven for an hour and a half. During this time, the salt hardens and creates a shell around the carrots, locking in moisture and promoting even cooking. When the bake time is complete, the carrots will have a soft, silky texture. The salt does not act as a seasoning here—think of it as more of a cooking vessel!
Once you’ve salt-baked your carrots, you have a couple of more steps to go. Hang in there. It’s sooooo worth it. Let them cool, then crack away all of the salt, brushing it off as best you can with your hands. Peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler (it’s tedious but, again, worth it!), then slice very thinly, like salmon lox.
How to Make the Marinade
This marinade has three ingredients: olive oil, liquid smoke and an acid. I use coconut vinegar because it has a slight buttery undertone, but apple cider vinegar works as well. Place the sliced carrots into the marinade for at least two days (I know!) but it’s worth the wait. During this time, the acid gently cooks the carrots, the liquid smoke infuses into the carrots then mellows, while the olive oil adds to its soft and silky texture.
This method isn’t difficult. It just takes time, which is mostly passive. After a few days, you’ll have a big batch of vegan lox that you can pile onto a bagel and shove into your face or share with friends. This has become my go-to recipe for brunches and I love it for its simplicity. I hope you try it and love it as much as I do!
This Plant-Based Lox is Delicious and Versatile
This carrot lox isn’t just for bagels. I’ve used it in sushi recipes, like this spicy carrot and avocado sushi roll. If you want to skip the bagel, this vegan lox is also great in this Japanese-style breakfast bowl.
How I Developed this Smoked Carrot Lox Recipe
Salmon lox was one of those things that I used to eat a lot of as a pescetarian and think, “nope, never going to stop” as I piled it over a bagel smothered in cream cheese and topped with red onion and capers. I loved seeing pieces of if drenched in cream-based sauces over pasta, and dug into boxes of it during the holidays. Whenever I went to a deli, I always ordered a salmon lox bagel. The smoke, the salt, the texture—everything about it just worked.
But when I went vegan, I was content with simply slathering vegan cream cheese onto a bagel and topping with red onion and capers instead.
Following the same slow, salt-roasting technique I recently did with golden beets, I used carrots to see what would happen. I found that a vegan version of lox was easy to recreate, although it took a few tries. After making several test batches, I discovered that the secret to getting that lox-y quality is to marinate the carrots for two or three days after salt-baking them. They develop an impossibly soft and velvety texture during this time, and the smoke flavor mellows to a perfect level.
Can I Reuse the Salt After Baking the Carrots?
Absolutely! Just discard any really hard pieces and break up the rest. Store in a airtight container and use again for your next batch.
More Recipes that Use this Vegan Smoked Salmon!
Hungry for more recipes that use this plant-based lox? These recipes are great for brunch and beyond.
- These Carrot Lox Crackers are great for entertaining! I used this vegan carrot salmon on crackers, but you can also use serve on toasted baguettes with cream cheese and herbs or microgreens!
- This Vegan Lox is also perfect for bagels. The best part about this carrot salmon lox is a batch of it makes several servings, making it a great idea for a crowd, or for yourself throughout the week!
- I love this Spicy Carrot Lox Sushi! This vegan sushi has a little kick of heat from sriracha and a rich creaminess from avocado. Check out my sushi rolling tutorial here … it’s so easy and fun!
- This Japanese-Style Breakfast Bowl is a great dish for using up leftover rice. The smokiness of the vegan carrot salmon, the cold rice, seaweed and furikake work so well together!
- Making this Carrot Lox-Stuffed Ravioli is a labor of love, but so fun if you want to spend some time making ravioli and fill it in a unique way. The vegan lemon ricotta and dill are so nice!
Carrot Lox
- Total Time: 1 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This carrot lox recipe is perfect for breakfast or brunch. Pile this plant-based lox onto a toasted bagel and enjoy! Use this smoked carrot lox in place of salmon-based lox for a vegan seafood option. Use this salt-baking method to develop a silky texture and create this three-ingredient marinade to soften and infuse a smoky flavor into the carrots.
Ingredients
for the smoked carrot lox
- 2 cups coarse sea salt, plus more if needed
- 3 large carrots (do not peel them)
- 1 TB olive oil*
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut vinegar
to serve
- toasted bagels
- vegan cream cheese
- capers
- minced red onion
- fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- To salt bake the carrots, place one cup of coarse sea salt into a glass pyrex 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 nestled in the salt and do not make contact with the bottom of the pyrex. Pour about another whole cup of salt evenly over the tops, adding a bit more as needed to ensure they are fully covered in salt.
- Place into the oven to roast, uncovered, for an hour and a half.
- Once done, tip the pyrex over onto a baking sheet and allow the carrots to cool just enough that you can handle them. Crack away and brush off any salt, then peel away the 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 olive oil, liquid smoke and coconut 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. At this point, the flavor will not taste very “lox like”—they will need to be placed in the refrigerator for at least two days to allow the flavor to deepen and mellow, and for the carrots to get really soft and silky.
- *If the carrots start to look dry during marinating time, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil and give it a good stir. (You want the carrots to look soft and slightly shiny throughout the marinating time.)
- When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and allow the carrots to come to room temperature, then serve with toasted bagels, capers, vegan cream cheese, red onion and fresh sprigs of dill as desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Vegan Seafood
Keywords: vegan lox, vegan smoked salmon, vegan carrot lox, smoked carrot lox, carrot lox vegan, carrot salmon lox, plant-based lox, vegan lox
Jess says
Unfortunately this recipe didn’t work for me the first time around. I cooked it as directions stated, but in my counter top convection oven. Maybe that’s where I went wrong. But it ended up over cooking the carrots making the texture mushy and making it impossible to thinly slice on my mandolin slicer. I agree with another reviewer that the Colgin hickory was a bit too strong and I’d opt for another smoke flavor next time. Otherwise, the marinade was perfect. I added a touch of maple syrup and a bit less oil. My husband and I agreed that next time we’ll skip baking the carrots but instead thinly slice them raw, then put them in our wood pellet smoker for a short period to cook and infuse the smokiness, then marinade. I like another reviewers idea of adding nori for a bit of fishy flavor and will figure out how to incorporate that, even if I simply sprinkle some on right before serving.
★★★★
Doris says
This looked SO delicious that I rushed out to buy carrots and a LOT of salt. Followed the recipe exactly and put it in the fridge.
I know that it won’t taste like fish, but I didn’t expect it to taste so much like carrot. Never mind, it added a beautiful smokiness to a vegetable soup and also a caramelised leek and potato dish.
★★★
Nayla says
Hi Erin, can’t wait to make this! Would it be a terrible idea to marinate for just 24 hours? I was hoping to make this for a dinner party and I am late to the 2-day mark! xoxo
erinwyso says
Hi Nayla, 24 hours may soften them up just enough, but you may not get that perfect “loxy” texture. Good luck!
Paul Sirotta says
I have created a recipe for vegan lox using strips of steamed (15 minutes) red cabbage. It’s much easier to handle, less fragile, and fairly tasteless before marinating. My marinade is a blend of ground Nori, capers, red palm oil, demerara sugar, coconut vinegar, water, sea salt, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and red food dye, all pureed in a blender. I marinade in a large plastic jar for at least 48 hours in the fridge, turning daily, then strain and rinse off before storing covered in the fridge.. It has a very light seafood taste and excellent texture, very near to Nova Lox.
Adina says
Hi! would this still work without marinating in the fridge for 2 days? i’m excited to try this out tonight to make vegan sushi and my brain missed the 2 days part haha.
Thank you!!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Hi Adina, the marinating portion is critical for taste and texture, so I’m afraid the carrots won’t be very good just salt roasted!
Doc says
Excellent flavor, texture. A great substitute from a MOT who misses lox, tomato, capers and a shmeer at a weekend brunch with family. I followed the recipe and found I could fit 4 very large carrots into a small glass (2.2 qt/2L) Pyrex dish. Could not find Coconut vinegar after a thorough hunt so substituted Bragg’s cider vinegar. The 4 large carrots just meant I needed a bit more marinade and I increased the amount slightly. I also added some small Nori sheets about 1×3 inches to the marinade for a more authentic lox flavor. It seemed to work well, but I may adjust this in future batches as the Dried Nori soaked up a lot of the marinade. Maybe a seaweed powder would work in a cheese cloth? Peeling was not too much of an issue. I “cracked” off the salt and then placed a vertical slit down the center of each carrot. As another person commented, this made it easy to peel off the skin in a “peeling tree bark” fashion. After that, slicing by hand worked the best. My mini-Mandolin did not work well and I did not want to waste any precious carrot “lox”. I made homemade vegan bagels (tasted like real bagels, appropriate size, the right chew, and not just like circular bread with a hole in the middle) and put a shmeer of Kitehill vegan cream cheese on the bagel, carrot “lox”, a generous sliced tomato and capers (I don’t tolerate raw onions well). Thoroughly satisfied my lox craving all while being vegan-friendly, much healthier, lower fat, and plant based. A definite win. Thank you.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
So happy you enjoyed, thanks for your feedback … homemade bagels sound delicious too!
Kelly says
Absolutely amazing! We’re not vegan but enjoy incorporating more veggies wherever possible, and this recipe is spot on. My skeptical husband and skeptical father both kept saying how good it was. It was also suitable for my AIP mom (she could eat everything except the bagel and cream cheese). Thank you for figuring this out and sharing. Will definitely be making more!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Kelly, I love to hear that! 🙂
Marta says
Erin,
Help! I used the biggest carrots I could get. I made sure they were covered in the salt and baked them for the hour and a half. The salt became hard as a rock and totally encased the carrots. I had to hammer on the salt to get the carrots out, damaging many of them. They were about half of their original size. The salt was browned in places. Once I got the carrots out, it was impossible to remove the peels with out breaking the carrots into pieces and slicing them on the mandolin was out of the question. I had to slice with a knife. They are now marinating. Any help would be appreciated. Can’t wait to taste them. Still really hopeful the flavor will be good.
erinwyso says
Marta, that’s normal for the salt to get hard in some spots, and even get browned in some places. I’ve broken the carrots as well, but it’s fine! It will still be delicious after marinating for a couple days, as long as your slices are thin. I hope you enjoy!
Marta says
Erin,
So glad to know what I experience was correct. Just ate my first bagel with cream cheese, capers, sliced red onion and the carrots! Absolutely amazing! Can’t wait to make more. Is it a problem if you put more carrots in the same pan? Can they touch?
Thank you so much for this is awesome recipe. Can’t wait to use these carrots in other ways.
★★★★★
Danielle says
I wonder if this could be made on a rock salt sheet instead of a Pyrex with salt.
Lauren says
Hi Erin, question: can you reuse the salt in the next batch?
Thank you, can’t wait to try this! Also, I love the title of your blog. Yum
erinwyso says
Lauren, yes you can break it up and use it again. I hope you enjoy!
Courtney Farmer says
This was incredible. The smokey, silky carrot works PERFECTLY with the capers and red onions! Best wat to have a vegan bagel and cream cheese. Mu husband has been perfecting his sourdough bagels, and this became our new favorite way to enjoy them. The end result is worth the wait. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
MAUREEN A. TULLY says
I’m very interested to try this recipe however, how long will these carrot lox keep? Due to the salt do they last a couple weeks? Or forever like pickles?
erinwyso says
Maureen, after marination is complete, I’ve kept the carrots stored for up to a week.
Nigel says
Looking forward to trying this today! How often can you re-use the salt?
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Hi Nigel, I break up and re-use the salt once or twice. I hope you enjoy!
Felix says
Dear Erin,
thanks for this inspiration!
I’m not vegan, but I love to try unusual things!
The vegetable sheet cutter of my KitchenAid I used to cut thin long sheets of the raw carrots. The sheets were piled together with the marinade and pieces of nori, then vacuum sealed and cooked in a 85 °C (185°F) bain-marie for 2 hours. Stored in the fridge for 4 days, finally served as savory appetizers or canapés, garnished with lemon «caviar».
Best regards from Far-East,
FEL!X
★★★★★
Marie says
This is quite possibly my favorite recipe ever. I go back to it over and over again. Thank you so much!! 🙂 Living in Los Angeles, I’ve tried carrot lox at a couple different vegan restaurants but none of them have nailed the texture and flavor like you have. The only thing that keeps me from making it every week is having to peel the carrots After baking them; I find it very difficult since they just want to smush and fall apart. So I’m thinking of giving it a shot peeling them ahead of time. Anyone tried this? I know it won’t have quite the right texture, but I’m hoping it will be close enough with much less effort.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Marie, thank you for your sweet comment, and I am so happy you like the recipe! I agree, it’s sort of a pain peeling the carrots after they’ve been salt-baked, but if you peel them before salt-baking, they will likely turn into salt bombs! I find peeling to be easier while they are still warm, and try to grab an end and peel around the circumference of the carrots (leaving on some of the peel is fine). A mandoline may come in handy too … good luck!
Marie says
Thank you!! Yes, we recently got a mandolin, and I’m obsessed haha.
Gail says
Hi Erin,
For how long can one store the vegan lox?
I sometimes have to cater for a few vegans, so it would be good to make ahead.
erinwyso says
Hi Gail, I’ve kept this lox for up to 5 days. I hope your guests enjoy!
Imma says
I’ve been making this recipe for a couple of years now – really the best. Thank you so much, you’ve changed my life! <3
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Awesome, I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed!
Pamela says
When you say coarse sea salt, is kosher salt too coarse? What happens if you only have regular, fine salt?
Thanks!
Joshua Howard says
Hi! Great recipe and amazing photos! Two days ago I made it and it was soooo delicious! Thank you for your work!
★★★★★
Annie says
This is my favourite recipe ever. It always impresses vegans and non vegans, I have made it >10 times and never had anyone disliked it!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Love to hear that, thank you Annie!
Mary says
Words cannot even express how delicious this is! Thank you for this recipe – I’ve made it a few times and it is truly one of my favorites! I only wish I could find bigger carrots…
★★★★★
Hanne says
Oh my these luscious photos are fantastic. I was at a brunch over the holidays and the “real” smoked salmon on the table has inspired me to create a riff on carrot lox. I want to attribute the inspiration to the correct source. I was wondering if you were the originator? or were you inspired by someone else? Thank you! I cant wait to make it.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Hi Hanne, I explain this in the post!
Aliyanna says
Hi! Drom me, and from Mary’s Test Kitchen!!1 Great recipe…looking forward to making this!!
Chin Chin says
I loved this recipe so much made it twice already!
But the only thing is that baking the carrots… Peeling them.. getting the salt sorted has been really hectic. Was wondering have you ever experimented boiling the carrots with salt water (not boil for too long)) then marinate? It might not have that flakey texture though.
★★★★
Nina says
Today my dear hubby got me my first bottle of liquid smoke. Can’t wait to try this veggie carrot/salmon.
Can I use an other vinegar than coco vinegar? Sushi vinegar?
Zach says
Made these the other day and finally had my first vegan bagel with Kite Hill cream cheese and carrot “lox”. So good! I tasted the carrots after one day and couldn’t believe the change from day 1 to day 2 in the marinade. I used apple cider vinegar because I didn’t have coconut vinegar and I added a bit more marinade after day 1. I’ll definitely make this again and I’ll try other veggies salt roasted.
★★★★★
Sanka says
Amazing recipe! I used apple cider viniger and it turned out great! I also smoked the carrots on my smoker bbq for extra flavour, then I used the left over “salmon” for vegan sushi the next day with avacado and cucumber in rice paper wraps.
★★★★★
Stacy says
How long will this last in the refrigerator? Also, would it be okay at room temperature for a half a day. I’m wondering if I can travel with it. Thank you.
erinwyso says
It lasts about a week in the refrigerator. I’m not sure about leaving it out for half a day … maybe travel with a small ice pack to be safe if possible?
Kimberly says
These are perfect if you add a sheet of nori (powdered) into the oil/vinegar mixture. Helps achieve that “fishy” taste.
★★★★★
Amanda says
I just want to commend you on making such an amazing recipe. It really tastes, smells, and has the same mouth feel as the real thing and is perfectly paired with the dill, capers, and everything. Even my boyfriend, who eats meat, thinks it tastes delicious and real.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
So happy you and your boyfriend like, Amanda — thanks for your kind feedback!
Harlyn says
The marinade solidified on me. I don’t know why, but it did… I’m assuming it’s a temperature thing, and my fridge is just too cold… I’ll try again later
★★★
erinwyso says
Harlyn, Olive oil does that! Leave it out for 5-10 minutes out at room temp, and it will liquefy.
Lauren Vaught says
I’m right in the middle of the marinate step. I have to say that after seeing my sad carrots come out of the salt looking wilted and small, I would slice them first before the salt step. We’ll see how the rest of it turns out, and maybe I needed fatter carrots! Great recipe and thank you.
Aida says
Omg.. I made this for my mother who is a vegan and little brother who is allergic to fish. I made a “mock smoked salmon dip” and it was a HIT! Even the non-vegans at the party couldn’t believe it was carrots. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
So happy to hear it was a hit … thanks for your feedback, Aida!
brett g says
Wow. Thank you so much for this recipe. The lox were amazing! With it and my other plant based bagel garnishes, I’ll never miss the traditional cream cheese and smoked salmon/gravlax.
★★★★★
Caitlyn says
Oh gawsh this is SO GOOD! I make this on Tuesday evenings so we have lots for homemade sushi night on Fridays and bagels over the weekend!! THANK YOU!! Has anyone every tried doing this same method with other root vegetables? Turnip? Beet? Just thinking of cool ideas for sushi night.
★★★★★
Lee says
I thought I was never going to enjoy a bagel with cream cheese and lox again after becoming vegan four years ago. Then I made your carrot lox. OMG!!! I’m Jewish, so I’ve had my share of lox over the decades. Erin, with the first bite of pretzel bagel, Tofutti cream cheese, onion, and carrot lox, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I was kvelling!! You are my heroine.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Lee,
Your comment made my day! I am SO HAPPY that you love the carrot lox. Thanks for your very kind feedback!
Caitlyn says
This is amazing. I tried this week, using kosher salt and hickory liquid smoke. I would love to find a different liquid smoke, like cedar, if that’s a thing. But really, really delicious. Had it on bagels with vegan cream cheese which was delicious. It really really was amazing in homemade vegan sushi. Tasted just like a smoked salmon roll. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Caitlin,
So happy you enjoyed, thanks for your kind feedback! Yes, there are different varieties of liquid smoke available, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen cedar.
ana says
I did it three times in the last month, soooo incredibly delicious…I microwaved it for 20 minutes at lowest power instead using the oven… and it works for me, thanks a lot for sharing.
★★★★★
Louise Moore says
Have made this recipe 3 times now, love it. You only need a tiny bit as it’s so flavourful, I use it in pasta and also in sushi.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Thanks for your kind feedback, Louise … so happy you like the lox and are able to use it in other applications!
Kickinrsd says
I tried this some time ago. I just popped back to the recipe to make it tonight when while scrolling through the comments I realised I must have forgotten to post my own opinions.
This is simply, incredibly wonderful. I have adored smoked salmon all my life as has my beloved. After becoming vegan I put things like fish of any kind out of my mind. When I came upon this recipe I thought it sounded promising. You far exceeded my imagination!
The taste and texture are shockingly accurate. We were both pleasantly surprised by the similarity to “real” salmon. If I had not made it myself I might have questioned the person presenting it to me. We have thoroughly enjoyed it on bagels with vegan cream cheese, capers. red onions and black pepper. I am making it again with the intention of using it in a spaghetti carbonara-ish, if there is any left once my beloved discovers it in the refrigerator.
Than-q for your time and effort in developing your recipes and sharing them with us. Things like this have the potential to remove the “obstacles” many feel when considering eating plant-based and certainly bring pleasure and joy to those already eating plant-based.
With gratitude and grace XO
★★★★★
erinwyso says
@Kickinrsd, thanks so much for your kind feedback — I always love to hear when a recipe is successful like this! So happy you like it on bagels, and hope that it works just as well in pasta. 🙂
Rebecca says
I’m not vegan, but I’m dairy free. But I’m trying it out anyways because it looks sooo good.
erinwyso says
I hope you enjoy, Rebecca!
Shaheen says
Erin, Your recipes are beyond fantastic, they are Amazing. I made your Carrot Lox with a few little tweaks last week (on my blog today with full credit to you) for a vegan friends Birthday and she adored them. Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing the recipe with us food bloggers so that we can recreate them at home.
erinwyso says
Shaheen,
Thanks so much for giving it a try and your very kind comment! I loved that you shared this and it was enjoyed by others. This is one of the main reasons I blog, so thank you for taking the time to let me know about your experience!
Best Regards,
Erin
Louise Moore says
Was directed here from Mary’s Test Kitchen. I can not wait to try this recipe!
Thanks so much for all your hard work inventing recipes like these.
Nico / yumsome says
Hi Erin!
I found you through Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen on YouTube, and just had to try this recipe. Wow, it’s lovely!
I recently blogged my recipe for bagels and lox, using my own home-made bagels and cashew ricotta, plus your lox (with my own slight modification). Naturally, I have given you full credit for the lox, and have linked back to this blog post.
Thanks so much for the inspiration! xx
★★★★★
James says
Recipe is incredible, I actually prefer this to actual lox. I love the sweetness of the carrots. I’m thinking of adding a little soy sauce to the marinade and I’m going to try it with flax oil next time. Absolutely delicious. 10/10
★★★★★
erinwyso says
James, love to hear that! So happy you enjoyed! 🙂
Vin says
We made sushi rolls with this tonight and it was great. Mine came out a touch too salty, either because I couldn’t get very thick carrots or used too much smoke or both. I might also follow the other comment suggestion about apple wood smoke instead of hickory– hickory was fine, but a touch strong.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Vin, thanks for the feedback! Maybe if you go for a more coarse salt grind next time, it would eliminate the saltiness? Maybe too the carrot skin was too thin on these carrots? Loved that you used this in sushi!
Crystal Moore says
I just made it tonight and I cannot wait to try it this Tuesday. I actually wrapped the carrots in nori before I roasted them and it added a very authentic flavor! But I cannot wait to enjoy this with Daiya cream cheese and a gluten free bagel!
erinwyso says
Great idea with the nori, Crystal! I hope you enjoy on Tuesday!
Nicki says
Crazy question here-any chance these would work without the oil? I’m really trying to avoid fat these days.
erinwyso says
Nicki, I don’t think so. The oil helps give it that soft texture. This recipe only calls for 1 TB of olive oil, and that spreads out into several servings.
Janet Paula says
Can the carrot lox be frozen? Thanks.
erinwyso says
Janet, I’ve never tried that,, but I suspect it would affect the texture of the lox (make it mushy).
Dana says
These are so deelish! I am so glad I have found your blog, thank you for these scrumptious recipes. My daughter and I are new vegans, always looking to maintain our quality of food-life.
This recipe is simple and straight forward with such a powerful outcome. We were surprised at how good these lox are. I can hardly wait the full day of Marinading in the fridge.
I did have a hard time peeling them at first , as I presumed they were peeled with a peeler as per usual with carrots. Once I realized it was easier to pull the skins off with my fingers. The skins came off easily when peeled off like birch bark (around the trunk of the tree). I just made a small slit along the length of the carrot to get a start, then the toughened skins just stripped away. I also added just a touch of sesame oil to the blend, because it was right there, asking me to. I thought it added a deepening to the smokiness, an authentic note to its replication of the salmon somehow.
I cannot wait to make holiday brunch lox platters with these! And I would definitely take these to non- vegan family & friends homes and celebrations.
Luci says
Oh man, wish I had the patience to make this!! It looks so easy to, I have no excuse other than time! Will need to get my lazy bum into gear!
laura b says
I’m actually not vegan, but I love these and have made them several times now. To streamline, and because I care more about taste than texture, I just roast the carrots normally (no salt). I also sometimes don’t get all the skin off, which only really affects how easy they are to cut up. I also add a lot more vinegar to the ratio, as I like them a little more pickle-like and less oily. Liquid smoke is the absolute essential ingredient to these – it really creates the perfect smoked flavor you’re looking for!
Michelle says
Ugh, I had to use Hickory Liquid Smoke because I didn’t have any other but after looking it up and adding it to the marinade I found out that you’re supposed to use Alder or Applewood wood chips to smoke salmon or else it’ll smell like fishy bacon….noooooo.
Michelle says
Hi, can I sub white vinegar for coconut vinegar and regular vegetabke oil or coconut oil for the marinade?
erinwyso says
Michelle, Sure, I think those subs would work. If you use coconut oil, I would definitely use refined. Enjoy!
Rachel says
This is the greatest thing I have ever put into my mouth. Thank you.
erinwyso says
ha! Love to hear that, Rachel! 🙂
Kaylee says
This was EXTREMELY identical to actually lox, it’s absolutely amazing thank you for this recipe! In my grocery store I never see “large” carrots, so my pieces are all jagged and weird but it still had a GREAT taste. Using left overs to throw in some lemon pasta. Will be sharing this recipe with others 🙂
erinwyso says
Kaylee, thanks for your kind feedback and I’m so happy you liked! 🙂
Sarah says
Hi Erin – is there anything I could substitute for the coconut vinegar? Love your recipes!
Scarlett says
Can I use just any vinegar for this recipe?
erinwyso says
Scarlett, I’ve only used coconut vinegar here, but I think you could get similar results with apple cider vinegar or a white balsamic. I hope you enjoy!
Vuhs says
I came here from Mary’s Test Kitchen. This recipe seems soooo awesome.
Since it is sunday today, I can’t buy groceries, but I’m going to try this tomorrow!
<3
I am already happy, just because I might get to taste the oily, savory, awesomeness of Räucherlachs again
MsMeena62 says
Do you think you could sub the carrots for some type of squash? I can’t eat carrots.
erinwyso says
That wouldn’t work at all here. You could try this golden beet recipe if you like those:
https://olivesfordinner.com/2015/02/salt-roasted-golden-beets-with-teriyaki.html
DM says
Is the salt roasting necessary? Seems like a lot of extra work. Would roasting them without salt yield essentially the same result/flavor?
Thanks!
erinwyso says
DM, roasting these in salt essentially steams them in dry heat, which gives them a completely different texture that direct dry heat.
Anne says
Hiya,
My carrots are SUPER salty. I used quite small carrots and still cooked it for the 90 mins. It still tastes great on the bagel with all the trimmings, but I can’t eat it by itself. Will a shorter cook time make them less salty? Thanks for this recipe (and the blog in general). I’m having a lot of fun with these dishes!
erinwyso says
Hi Anne, I recommend using large carrots for the bake time listed here. The only reason I can think that your carrots were super salty is that you may have peeled them before baking? Once baked then peeled, the carrots should not be salty at all!
Maria says
The first couple of times i made this is came out perfect, but the following two I had the salty problem, too! They were regular sized carrots and unpeeled. I can’t figure out what might be causing it
Tiah says
Yeah, I just made it today and the carrots are crazy salty. I think for one, my carrots were on the smaller side. And two, I used regular fine salt. I am going to try this again using larger carrots and coarse salt to see if that works. Other than the extreme saltiness, the flavor is spot on. I LOVE that I can have lox now!! YAY!
Julia says
Hi I don’t have a pyrex dish. Can I use a regular baking pan? I can’t wait to try this!
erinwyso says
Julia, as long as the sides are high enough to hold in the salt, I don’t see why not!
Shannon says
This is AMAZING. I was a pescetarian before I went vegan, and I’d given up dairy and eggs an entire year before I could give up sushi and smoked salmon. I know now that I can live and thrive without it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it sometimes. When my husband brought me home a dozen bagels from NYC, I knew I had to make this. It exceeded all of my expectations. This is vegan magic at its finest! I love that I can have smoky, velvety lox without hurting anyone.
I think next time, I’ll put more than a cup of salt on the bottom, so it’ll be easier to remove from the pan. I used kosher coarse salt, and I saved it so I can reuse it. I’ll also experiment with a mix of olive oil and flaxseed oil next time, so I can work some omega-3s into my lox. But it really did come out perfectly as written, and I can’t thank you enough for sharing this easy, accessible method!
erinwyso says
Shannon, thanks so much for your kind feedback and I’m so happy that this created a viable substitute for you! Giving up fish was probably the hardest for me too, but it’s amazing what vegetables can do. Good luck with the olive /flaxseed oil for your next batch! 🙂
Ivy says
My omnivore, New-York born, Jewish husband took one bite and remarked “genius”. His heritage, I suspect, then made him backpedal for a second “Well, I mean, it doesn’t taste, EXACTLY like lox”. I reminded him, it’s not supposed to. It’s a carrot after all, delicious in it’s own carrot-y right. Besides, no salmon were harmed in the making, and it satisfies any salty, smoky, lox-y craving I might have. He agreed, then promptly scooped the last of it on his vegan cream cheese-slathered bagel. “We should always keep a big container of this in the fridge,” he said. Thank you for posting this GENIUS recipe.
erinwyso says
Ivy: BEST. COMMENT. EVER.
I’m so thrilled it was a hit, and thank you for sharing your husband’s feedback, it absolutely made my day! 🙂
Andy says
I finally got a chance to make these, and I’m so happy I did. You can see a photo of the results here: http://imgur.com/jkw1Vpe
One question–do you use coarse or fine sea salt for roasting? I used fine, but I had a heck of a time getting the carrots out. The salt had hardened a lot in the oven, and it took some chipping away to break through (without destroying the tender carrots. I also had a hard time peeling the carrots so I had to leave a few peels on because I’d given up.
Also, like the previous commenter, I wondered what type of liquid smoke you used. I think mine is hickory, and it didn’t seem quite right. It was good, of course…just not exactly the smokiness I expected.
Thanks for the great inspiration!
erinwyso says
Andy, looks amazing … I’m so happy you liked! I use fine salt for this, but coarse is worth a try if you were having an issue with it sticking.
If the liquid smoke isn’t giving you the right kind of smokiness, you can always try smoked paprika in it’s place. I’ve never tried, but suspect it may give you the result you are looking for. If you do with success, I’d love to know!
Thanks too for sharing the lovely picture, now I’m hungry! 🙂
Shannon says
I’ve always used the coarse salt (and re-used as I mentioned in an earlier post) and I use the hickory smoke and it has been fooling people the whole time. 🙂
Janet Paula says
In your answer to Andy you say that you used fine sea salt although in the recipe itself you say to use coarse sea salt. What is the correct type of salt to use??? Thanks.
erinwyso says
Janet, either type of salt is fine to use here!
Serene says
Hi Erin, Thanks for this phenomenal technique!! I have a couple of questions. What flavor of liquid smoke did you use? I used Wright’s Mesquite, but I read in another article about smoking salmon that they would recommend apple or hickory. Just wondering what you used. Also, what are the benefits of salt roasting over just roasting? Is it for the flavor or something else? Mine is marinating on Day 1 and I am so impatient waiting for it!! 🙂
erinwyso says
Hi Serene, I think I used Colgin brand. Salt roasting steams and concentrates the flavor, giving it a completely different texture from roasting, which uses dry heat. While both produce delicious results, you’ll get a silkier result with salt roasting/baking … I hope you enjoy the lox!
erinwyso says
Roya, that's an interesting thought! I am sure that testing different curing and marinading techniques would give you some interesting results. Although I've never tried it, I do think that Chef Hiram Camillo has made a salt-cured raw carrot lox. Check out his portfolio and maybe reach out to him to see what he did?
Roya says
Hi Erin, I came across your blog when i was doing a search for RAW carrot lox. I have a plant-based assignment for a course i'm doing on raw foods, and i really would love to be able to prepare a carrot lox but was wondering if you've ever tried making this without the roasting element. Would curing and marinading be enough to change the texture and infuse flavour? any idea if a dehydrator would work instead of roasting? from your experience, If you don't think this could be done.. i'll try to work on some other idea.. but your recipe and techniques look fantastic.
Rebecca says
I wonder if you ever tried flaxseed oil instead of olive oil? I bought some to use in a watermelon "salmon" recipe, and it is very buttery and kind of fishy! I also wanted to give a shout out for Trader Joe's vegan cream cheese – I have a feeling this is going to be phenomenal! My carrots are cooking now 🙂
erinwyso says
Hi Rebecca,
I've never tried flaxseed oil, but will definitely check it out, thanks for the recommendation! You are right about Trader Joe's vegan cream cheese — it's phenomenal. I hope you enjoy the lox!
Rebecca says
I know I will! I just put the carrot pieces into the marinade, and it already tastes like lox! I think you will love the extra element that the flaxseed oil gives. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Shanez Veganess says
Hi I can't get coconut vinegar where I live, can I use a substitute?
erinwyso says
You can try a white balsamic vinegar or try ordering the coconut vinegar on amazon … good luck!
Kristi Blue says
I have my first batch in the oven as we speak! Do you think the salt could be recycled for future batches or should we use fresh salt each time? Thanks for the beautiful recipe! 🙂
erinwyso says
I hope you enjoy, Kristi! One reader said she used the salt again but as a seasoning. As far as using it again, I am not sure. If you do with good results, please let me know!
Shannon Rose says
I just made my fourth batch and this time I used the salt ( still in the dish from the last batch 2 days ago) twice and it worked out just fine which is a good thing as I would hate to waste it ( was thinking to use it to melt ice if it ever gets cold enough here to freeze! ) This is such a huge hit ( I even fooled and surprised my co-worker who catches and smokes his own fish) I also didn't have coconut vinegar the first time and used Apple Cider Vinegar and it was fine too!
P.S. I have tried a few other recipes from various blogs etc. but your recipe is THE best! Thank you!!
Anonymous says
This is great ! I just made it and was so impressed with the results ! I put a little bit less liquid smoke and added maple syrup, brown sugar and coarse salt. In a bagel with cashew cream cheese, capers, lemon juice, red onions and dill, I could not tell the difference between that and actual lox. I am eager to experiment with this recipe (perhaps add juniper berries to the marinade ?). Many thanks for this beautiful recipe !!
erinwyso says
So happy you liked!
Anonymous says
My omnivorous coworker was skeptical when I first told him about this recipe, but he was totally dumbfounded when he tasted the bagel and then raved about it to my other coworkers. Can't wait to try it again !
erinwyso says
I love to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Wendalete says
My salt and carrots are stuck in the pyrex! (They are still hot.) Is that typical? Should maybe I spritz it with water once it's cool(er) so I can chip it out easier? Don't want to break my pyrex. 🙁
(maybe next time I'll line the dish with parchment paper)
erinwyso says
Wendalete, that's never happened to me! But I suspect that there wasn't enough salt on the bottom of the dish, which caused the liquid to pool and clump. I hope you were able to get it out and enjoyed the vegan lox!
susan says
I don't understand how to cut the carrots. Are they cut lengthwise or cross-wise?
erinwyso says
Susan, you can cut them into any sized strips, as long as they are thin. Traditional lox comes in thin various sizes, so the cuts here should mimic that. I hope you enjoy!
rebecca says
This recipe turned out AMAZINGLY! Thank you so much for such a great food experience. I made a tofutti, garlic and white wine sauce to go with some pasta, and topped it with the carrot lox, dill, and a nice squeeze of lemon. Absolutely divine. My omi husband also raved about it, taking some to our neighbours (good friends) and insisted they try some. They also couldn't believe it was carrot.
Win, win, win! On the shortlist for dinner parties.
erinwyso says
Rebecca, I'm so happy you liked the recipe and thanks for your kind feedback. It's for reasons like this that I love to blog, so thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Christine (The Raw Project) says
This looks amazing, such a gorgeous vegan alternative. Thanks!
Nancy says
I'm curious. Could you sub Kosher salt instead of the sea salt??
erinwyso says
I think that would be fine here. Good luck and I hope you enjoy, Nancy!
lyleand says
The carrot lox was astounding. I'm vegan, wife is not. She had salmon lox and bagel a couple of days ago at a local restaurant, and then I made the carrot lox. She wasn't sure there was any difference in taste. You are a kitchen magician
erinwyso says
love to hear that! Thanks for making the recipe and your kind words. So happy you enjoyed.
Jenny says
This is so cool!! Do you store the carrots in the marinade after the 2 days? How long do you suppose they will keep in the fridge? Thanks for sharing!
erinwyso says
Jenny, yep, just leave them in the marinade — the olive oil will continue to soften them and make them better the longer they sit. I have kept them in the fridge for up to one week with no issues … hope you enjoy!
Sherala says
So ingenious! I'm growing oxheart carrots this year and think the surface area would go great with this-thank you!
erinwyso says
Had to look up oxheart carrots—I've never heard of them … they are beautiful! Good luck with growing them and I hope you enjoy the recipe. : )
Sherala says
Aren't they? I fell in love with their photo in the Baker Creek Seed catalog. Have a great day!
christine says
Well, I was vegetarian for years before I became vegan, and never tried lox – but I love smoky, salty stuff, so I'm going to give this a try – thank you:)
erinwyso says
This definitely fits the smoky, velvety bill. And probably even better that you've never had lox, to experience the texture for what it is without comparing it to something else. I hope you enjoy, Christine!
Joni Newman says
I love this! Great technique and the outcome looks amazing. I can't wait to try it. I knew there was a reason I bought 3 giant packs of sea salt last week.
erinwyso says
Thanks Joni! Salt roasting is great. Yes, I've gone through a ton of salt since I first tried it!
Jordan Lynn // Life Between Lattes says
This looks so great! There is a new brand of vegan cream cheese that I'm obsessed with (Kite Hill). They've just recently started carrying it at my local Whole Foods – I would highly recommend it if it's available near you. The carrot lox would be excellent with it!
erinwyso says
Yes, I tried the Kite Hill cream cheese last week and it's phenomenal!
jchenwriter.com says
Hi Erin! Is there a substitute for the coconut vinegar? I have a ton of different vinegars in my pantry, but not coconut. My husband is a huge lox spread fan and I'd love to try making this version. Thank you!
erinwyso says
Jenn, I think you could sub apple cider vinegar or a white balsamic here with a similar result. I hope you enjoy!
Tina Saffron says
I’m making this tonight. I have to use white vinegar, but think it will be fine. I wonder how it would taste with malt vinegar? In any case, this looks great, and I can’t wait to assemble vegan lox everything bagels on New Year’s for after hike brunch.
erinwyso says
I hope you enjoy, Tina … if you try with malt vinegar with good results, I’d love to know!
Eli says
I did not yet try the carrots, but since I do not like vinegar, would lemon be a good replacement?
erinwyso says
Eli, the vinegar is a very small amount, just enough to “cook” the carrots in the marinade. I haven’t tried replacing with lemon, but if you do with good results, I’d live to know!
Shannon says
I will be making this very shortly!! Thanks so much for your time and effort spent developing this recipe… it looks like a real winner and a great way to experience the flavor and texture of lox in a compassionate manner.
I have a wood smoker so I'd like to experiment with actually smoking this (rather than just using liquid smoke). Let me know if you have any ideas for when in the process I ought to do that. Thankfully carrots are so cheap that I can withstand some trial and error 🙂
erinwyso says
Shannon, that's a great idea! I have no experience with a wood smoker, so would love your feedback if you try … I hope you enjoy!
Angela McK says
for those of us without a wood smoker, youtube has a lot of videos to show you how you can smoke your food in a regular oven, be sure to ventilate!
cheers!
Amy says
Side note, for people with smokers, I really like to julienne carrots and onions and smoke them in a cast iron in a smoker with some bbq sauce until they are softened but not mushy. It makes the best “pulled pork” sandwiches!
Naadia says
So excited about this! Would you say the thinner the better for the carrot strips or is there an ideal thickness?
erinwyso says
Naadia, it's good to have the pieces kind of jagged and irregular — some a little thick, some smaller. I hope you enjoy!
Naadia says
Thanks Erin! Can't wait for my lox to finish marinating. I'm saving the salt too, it smells smoky and wonderful.
Angela McK says
Yes, very good idea! With fish you have to dump it, what a waste.
erinwyso says
Naadia, so happy you made! Would love to know what you think after a couple of days of marinating. Saving the salt is a great idea!
Naadia says
This was excellent! I've had it for breakfast two days in a row now, exactly as you suggested. I'll have to try it on toast tomorrow, as we're out of bagels!
erinwyso says
Naadia, so thrilled that you like … thanks for letting me know how it turned out! 🙂
morestomach.com says
this is all sorts of genius. this really looks like the real deal, SO REAL. where can one find liquid smoke??
i am a major major fan of the lox bagel but can't do the cream cheese. vegan cream cheese is ok, but i have found a good substitute with ripe avocado.
erinwyso says
Thanks Lan! The liquid smoke is usually around the BBQ sauce, and comes in a little bottle. You can also find it on amazon. I like colgin brand. Love the avocado sub for cram cheese — that would work really well here too … I hope you enjoy!
Echo says
U must not have tried Tofrutti plain cream cheese! Ive tried a few and now that i found the tofrutti one my whole family enjoyes it!!
lemondrop15 says
I.AM.SO.FREAKING.EXCITED.TO.MAKE.THIS!!!
erinwyso says
haha, I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Lizette Medz Andersson says
Me to, haha! It looks so easy and yummy!
Kristina @ spabettie says
I have been waiting for this recipe. if I had seen these photos independent of your blog or any explanation, I would just think, "oh, lox. that thing I used to love and eat in every hotel room for breakfast, or any chance I could…"
it looks so real! if you achieved that smoky flavor I am missing, I cannot wait to make this! THANK YOU
erinwyso says
Thanks Kristina! This stuff looks scary real and tastes really close to what I remember. I would love to know what you think of the recipe! xo