Give your brunch game a vibrant, plant-powered twist with this Carrot Lox and Vegan Cream Cheese Bagel! Tender ribbons of carrot marinated in smoky, tangy goodness mimic classic lox while nestling perfectly on a toasted bagel with creamy vegan cheese, crisp onions, capers and fresh dill — a deliciously unexpected favourite for herbivores and omnivores alike.
Carrot lox and vegan cream cheese bagel
Ingredients
CARROT LOX
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into ribbons
- 125ml (½ cup) vegan apple cider vinegar
- 55g (¼ cup) white sugar
- 1 tsp beech liquid smoke (find at speciality stores, smokedflavours.co.za and wellnesswarehouse.com)
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 5 radishes, thinly sliced
- 4 store-bought vegan bagels
- 230g vegan cream cheese (we used Violife Creamy Original Flavour)
- 1 red onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 handful fresh dill sprigs
- 2 tbsp capers
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Fill a small saucepan halfway with water and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Add the carrot ribbons to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes or until just softened. Remove from heat, drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Using the same saucepan placed over medium-high heat, add the remaining carrot lox ingredients, except for the radish slices. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Pour the hot mixture over the carrot and add the radish to the bowl. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Place a griddle pan over very high heat. Slice each bagel in half and toast the cut sides until lightly charred in places. Spread the cream cheese over the toasted bagels, then top with the carrot lox, red onion slices, dill and capers. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Recipe and styling by Nomvuselelo Mncube
Photograph by Dylan Swart
