JAPANESE-INSPIRED CARROT LOX TOAST
Carrot Lox Toast made with wasabi cream cheese, cucumber, sesame seeds, and green onion.
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Lox is a light, refreshing, incredible ingredient that I loved adding to crackers and toast. So finding a plant-based alternative was a must for me. Luckily by taking thinly sliced carrots and adding them to the right combination of flavors it is completely possible to create a vegan lox alternative that is equally delicious and satisfying as the original!
HOW TO GET THAT SEAFOOD FLAVOR
Lox has a very unique flavor profile. It’s smokey, fishy, light and refreshing. So is it possible to make a vegan version?…ABSOLUTELY!
Carrot lox gets its fishy flavor from nori flakes, aka seaweed flakes. You can buy this in many grocery stores or online. If you are a seafood fan, but are trying to reduce or cut out seafood, this is a must in your pantry. I often throw it in Ramen and Thai dishes and is an important ingredient for Tofu “Tuna” Salad.
The smokey flavor in this Carrot Lox comes from liquid smoke. Another staple in my cabinet. Liquid smoke is a liquid based smokey flavored ingredient. In addition to carrot lox, I use it for my coconut bacon and many BBQ dishes. You can replace liquid smoke with smoked paprika if desired.
The addition of lemon, salt, soy, maple, and olive oil really drive home the “lox” flavor.
JAPANESE-INSPRIRED FLAVOR
To bring a Japanese-inspired flavor to this dish, I focused on the cream cheese and carrot lox.
Instead of traditional cream cheese, I created a wasabi vegan cream cheese. By adding wasabi, soy sauce, and a touch of toasted sesame oil, this cream cheese was taken to the next level!
For the carrot lox, I made it the same way as usual, but added toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar. These two small additions nudged the flavor in the direction I was looking for.
To drive that Japanese-inspired flavor home, I topped the toast with cucumbers, black sesame seeds, and green onion.
MAKE YOUR CARROT LOX IN LARGE BATCHES FOR EASY MEALS AND SNACKS
Other than the obvious, delicious flavor of Carrot Lox…I adore this recipe because it can be made in bulk! I will often make a large batch at the beginning of the week. This makes it incredibly convenient to throw together Carrot Lox Toast for breakfast or Carrot Lox on crackers with cream cheese for snack all week. And the flavors get better as they marinate throughout the week.
JAPANESE-INSPIRED CARROT LOX TOAST
Ingredients
FOR CARROT LOX
- 2 large carrots
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp maple can substitute with agave
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
WASABI CREAM CHEESE
- 1/2 cup Vegan Cream Cheese I used Kite Hill Garden Veggie Cream Cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp Wasabi Paste Can use more or less depending on level of desired spice
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
TOAST AND OTHER TOPPINGS
- 4 slices of rye toast
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1 green onion chopped
- 1/4 cucumber, sliced
Instructions
PREP THE CARROT LOX
- Shave carrots lengthwise so they are thinly sliced
- Combine all remaining ingredients and stir
- Bring to a boil in a pot
- Add shaved carrots
- Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and allow to cool
- **If short on time you can serve once cooled. However, allowing the lox to marinate in the fridge over night will make the flavors more bold
- If allowing to marinate of night…transfer mix into a plastic ziplock bag or container and allow to soak in fridge over night.
PREPARE THE WASABI CREAM CHEESE
- Add all wasabi cream cheese ingredients to a bowl
- Stir until evenly distributed
PREPARE THE TOPPINGS
- Chop the green onion into small pieces
- Slice the cucumber into thin slices
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- Toast the rye bread
- Drizzle lemon juice and a pinch of salt on the bread to season (optional, but adds more flavor)
- Spread 2 tbsp of wasabi cream cheese on each piece of toast
- Top with carrot lox
- Add toppings
- Enjoy!
