Gluten-Free Bagel with Vegan Carrot Lox & Cream Cheese (Allergy-Free)

Name: Gluten-Free Bagel with Vegan Carrot Lox & Cream Cheese (Allergy-Free)
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 Large Carrots; 1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos; 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika; 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper; Salt (to taste); 2 Gluten-Free Bagels (of choice); Vegan/Allergy-Free Cream Cheese (of choice); Cucumber Slices; Tomato Slices; Capers; Red Onion Slices; Fresh Dill, Basil, Chives; Lemon Wedges

Published: Apr 22, 2019 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Every good New Yorker knows bagels & lox are essential! This Gluten-Free Bagel with Vegan Carrot Lox & Cream Cheese recipe is just the allergy-free recipe you need to still enjoy the classic Jewish deli sandwich! This vegetarian smoked salmon will make your breakfast or lunch bagel sandwich the envy of every city dweller!

Just when you thought that classic NYC bagel and lox could only live on in your pre-celiac/food allergy memories. We couldn't be bagel-deprived, now could we? The days when you could just hop into the Jewish deli down the on the corner may be over, BUT there's nothing stopping you from making a few simple swaps and tweaks in the comfort of your own home, so you can still enjoy your favorite savory bagel sandwich!

What is bagel and lox?

A Sunday morning tradition in American Jewish families with a fresh NYC bagel smeared with cold creamy cream cheese topped with salty, thinly sliced lox (aka smoked salmon), with optional slices of red onion, capers, tomato, cucumber, and fresh dill. Lox is smoked salmon and nowadays it's expensive...very. BUT, it became super popular and affordable back in the 1920s and 1930s, when the transcontinental railroad made salmon from the Pacific Northwest plentiful back east in New York. Since the salmon is smoked, it didn't need refrigeration and fish is pareve (not meat or dairy) so Jews could eat it at any meal. A win-win for the poor, newly immigrated Jewish population. There is no one explanation as for why bagels and lox were paired together, but New York and New Jersey are the bagel capitols so...this sandwich was bound to happen!

How do you make vegan lox?

Now, what on Earth will you be using to make vegan lox? No need to any soy or gluten-filled mock meats here! We are doing full plant-based and using CARROTS! Why? Well, for starters, carrots are CHEAP and smoked salmon is not (nor are mock meats!), they're the perfect color naturally, easy to thinly slice, and delicious to marinading in a "smokey" concoction that mimics the flavors of lox (minus the fishiness!) You'll be boiling your thinly sliced or shaved carrots and then marinading them overnight or just a few hours in coconut aminos, smoked paprika, and a pinch of black pepper. You can also include SALT to get that authentic smoked salmon ambiance if the sodium in the coconut aminos isn't enough for your preferences.

What type of bagel should I use?

Your favorite gluten-free bagel is fine, although a good gluten-free bagel is hard to come by and 99% of them are not also allergy-free and vegan. What should you do? Make a batch of my easy gluten-free, allergy-free bagels of course! From there, you can choose to make plain, poppy seed, sesame seed, even everything bagels! Whatever type of bagel will fully satisfy your lox dreams!

What do you serve with bagels and lox?

This is where you can get as crazy with toppings or as minimal as you want! Once you have your bagel options, carrot lox, and of course dairy-free cream cheese, you can add other toppings to make this a complete bagel sandwich fit for a hearty lunch or go lighter on the toppings for a quick breakfast. Or just set out all your toppings and make it a bagel bar brunch!

Toppings to serve bagel and lox with:

Cream cheese (any vegan/allergy-free variety: plain, veggie, garlic herb)
Cucumber slices
Tomato slices
Capers
Red onion slices or thinly sliced shallots
Fresh sprigs of dill
Other fresh herbs like basil or chives
Lemon wedges
Thinly sliced radishes

How do you eat a bagel and lox?

Traditionally, bagel and lox is eaten as an open-faced sandwich. That means you get DOUBLE the topping action if you top both sliced halves of the bagel. If you want to eat this on the go or pack it up for a "bring to work" lunch, you can close the bagel and eat it whole. Open-faced allows you to PILE.IT.ON!

Should you toast the bagel?

Again, that's up to you! I am 100% toasted bagel and lox! Toasting the bagel adds the perfect crunch and cozy warmth!

More savory breakfast/brunch ideas: