It’s time to upgrade your breakfast game with a new plant-based twist on the classic bagel sandwich. Crunchy toasted salt bagels are the perfect vehicle for tangy cultured cashew spread and delicate carrot lox. Something tells me you won’t miss your usual egg and cheese combo!
Everyone can enjoy a good bagel sandwich for breakfast. Whether you’re a purist who sticks to cream cheese on sesame or you like a cozy drape of salty smoked salmon, there’s a bagel out there for everyone. Well, we’re adding something totally new to your breakfast repertoire with this recipe.
Not only is the cream cheese made with creamy soaked cashews, but the lox on this bagel sandwich is even vegetable-based. This lighter and healthier twist is every bit as tasty and certainly worth returning to.
How to Make Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese
The glue of this sandwich, so to speak, is the tangy, funky cultured vegan cream cheese. It’s easier to make than it sounds and packs gut health benefits thanks to fermentation. And the best part? The cashew spread requires just three ingredients plus water.
This cashew cream cheese will last up to five days in the fridge, so you can enjoy a smear for breakfast all week long.
Making Carrot Lox
Next, the true star of this sandwich is the delicate, pale orange lox made from fresh carrots. Note that the carrots will need at least two hours to cure into the silky smooth and savory product you want, so plan accordingly.
The hands-on time for carrot lox is only 15 minutes. You’ll love the smoky and sweet flavor from a few drops of liquid smoke and coconut sugar in the carrot brine.
Vegan Bagel Sandwich with Carrot Lox and Cashew Cream Cheese
Your vegan brunch spread just got a major upgrade. Top crispy toasted salt bagels with a generous smear of tangy cultured cashew cream cheese, vibrant and smoky carrot lox, and your favorite classic breakfast sandwich fixings. Even New Yorkers have to respect the salty, herby, fresh, and creamy flavors in this impressive bagel stack. Not to mention the dynamite play of textures from the crunchy toasted bagel to the delicately dressed arugula. The good news is that there’s no need to wait for the weekend to try these sandwiches for yourself!
Ingredients
Carrot Lox
- 5-6 jumbo carrots
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Salted Bagel Sandos
- 4 salted gluten-free bagels, halved
- 1 cup cultured cashew cream cheese
- 1-2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 2 cups carrot lox
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion rings
- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin disks
- 2 cups arugula
- ¼ cup dill fronds
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bagels
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rise, dry, and peel the carrots. Carefully using a mandolin set to ⅛-inch, shave the carrots lengthwise into “ribbons” and place them in a medium mixing bowl.
- Pour the liquid smoke over the carrots and gently stir to coat.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, and coconut sugar.
- Pour the salt and sugar mixture over the carrots and gently toss, ensuring the carrots are well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator and drain off excess liquid.
- Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 375°F.
- On a baking sheet, arrange the bagels in a single layer and drizzle generously with olive oil. Toast for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown. If you have a traditional toaster, skip this step and use the toaster, omit the olive oil.
- To assemble the sandwiches, spread each toasted bagel half with a thick layer of cashew cream cheese. Top with 1-2 tomato slices, carrot lox, red onion, and cucumber.
- In a small mixing bowl, toss the arugula with the dill, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Top each sandwich with a generous amount of arugula mixture.
- Top with a second bagel half and serve immediately.
Toppings
As long as you have a high-quality bagel (we recommend toasted salt bagels), your cultured cashew spread, and lox, you can play around with the extra toppings on your DIY breakfast sandwich.
We love adding crunch, brightness, and color with red onion, buttery arugula, cucumber, and dill. We also highly recommend finishing with a burst of fresh lemon juice to wake everything up.
If you’re here for this loaded vegan breakfast sandwich, then I think you’ll love the recipes I have coming up too. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and you won’t miss a bite. See you there!
