How To Make Carrot Lox (Vegan Smoked Salmon)

Step aside salmon; this quick and easy recipe will teach you how to make carrot lox, aka vegan smoked salmon. Easy to make and packed with flavor, it’s even better than the classic bagel and cream cheese lox!

I will be the first to admit that I am a bagel snob. Spending a decent amount of time on the east coast has given me an appreciation for a quality bagel, a superb breakfast sandwich, and a truly great lox and cream cheese.

Made with fresh carrots and a blend of savory seasonings, this plant-based dish offers a similar texture and flavor to traditional lox without any of the fish. Try it on a bagel with cream cheese, or add it to your favorite salad for a delicious and healthy meal. It has quickly become one of my favorite ways to cook carrots!

grab these ingredients

Ingredients for carrot salmon are all pretty straightforward, but we do need to bring out the liquid smoke and some acid to really mimic the lox flavor! Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements—this is only an overview!

• Carrots: The star of the show here. Aim for the largest carrots you can find, which will shave into nicer pieces of lox.
• Rice Vinegar: This type of vinegar brings a gentle acidity that helps the carrots to mimic lox.
• Soy Sauce: Soy sauce brings a salty, savory element. If you’re gluten-free, use tamari instead.
• Dill: Fresh dill is often served in fish dishes, so we’ll add it here to trick your brain into thinking you’re eating fish!
• Nori: Similarly, nori (or seaweed) will bring the flavors of the ocean to this vegan lox. Feel free to use sushi seaweed sheets or snackable nori.
• Capers: These seal the deal in tricking your brain into thinking the carrots are fish!
• Liquid Smoke: Find liquid smoke in most grocery stores – it’s a game changer in this recipe.

it’s lox making time! (vegan lox, that is)

Vegan lox is super easy to make at home. Jump to the recipe card for the full printable instructions!

Step 1: Shave the Carrots
Using either a vegetable peeler or a mandolin slicer (set to the thinnest setting), thinly slice carrots lengthwise into long strips. This is crucial to mimic the thin texture of salmon!

Step 2: Boil Water
Heat about 4 cups of water to a boil (either in a kettle or on the stove). Set aside. This will be the base of our brine – just like a brine for salmon lox!

Step 3: Make the Broth
Add rice vinegar, ¼ cup water, soy sauce, dill, nori, capers, and liquid smoke to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then add shaved carrots. If carrots are not fully submerged, add just enough boiling water to cover the carrots. You don’t need to cover the pot for this, but you can bring it to a boil slightly faster.

Step 4: Boil
Cook carrots in boiling broth for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the carrots sit in the broth for an additional 20 minutes.

Step 5: Serve
Strain carrots from the broth, then serve on a cream cheese bagel with a sprinkle of capers! You can curl the carrot lox or lay it flat, whichever you prefer for the picture-perfect bite!

Why this Recipe Works

This recipe tricks the brain. It has the same color, texture, and flavor profile as salmon, but is it salmon? No. Does your brain care? Nope!

• The color of carrots is the first thing to signal to your brain that this is salmon. It’s also similar in shape because of how thinly we cut the carrots.
• Using the same flavors found in traditional lox is key to ensuring this tastes like the original! As I mentioned before, lox is brined, so brining the carrots in vinegar and spices creates the illusion that we’re eating fish.
• Liquid smoke is the smoking gun of this recipe (ha—get it?)! Its concentrated smoke flavor allows us to mimic smoked salmon without needing a smoker.

What To Serve With Vegan Lox

Carrot lox is even more versatile than traditional lox. It can be used on a bagel (duh!), in a salad, or, if bagels aren’t your thing, on a smorgasbord! On a cheese board is my favorite because who doesn’t love a good cheese board? And we know vegan lox goes with cream cheese, so of course, it goes great with many other cheeses!