Healthy Vegan - Vegan Smoked Carrot 'Salmon'

I have been following Olives for Dinner for a while, and Erin's originality is astounding and her generosity for sharing her recipes definitely praise worthy.   I have a number of her recipes bookmarked including her Carrot Lox recipe.  I have been waiting for an excuse to make it.  

The reason for finally making the vegan Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' came to me last week, when it was one of my good work colleagues birthday.  This colleague happens to be vegan. 

One colleague who is an excellent baker had decided to make her some vegan chocolate cupcakes with Lotus Biscoffi 'butter cream'.  I had decided to have a go at making the classic Cream Cheese and Smoked 'Salmon' Bagels for her, only vegan style!  

The first time I ever had smoked Salmon was by pure accident.  It was on a flight from Paris to San Francisco many, many years ago. I was assured by the flight attendant that the ready made vegetarian meal  I was having was indeed vegetarian, even when I questioned it.  I didn't even know what smoked lox was then.  I  remember the taste in my mouth and it stuck with me and tasting this vegan Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' transported me back to that memory.  D my husband who is not vegetarian and does still on rare occasions (only if and when we go out for meals) eat seafood and fish was totally amazed at how the Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' mimicked the silky fleshy texture of the real thing.

Full credit for the recipe and inspiration for the Carrot Lox goes to Olives for Dinner.  I made the Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' in a loaf tin lined with baking parchment paper.  I also only used 1 and a 1/2 cup of sea salt as that is all I had. I subbed white wine vinegar as I have not been able to source coconut vinegar near where I live. I also read the comments in the original post and substituted the olive oil for flaxseed oil that you can get from most health shops.  In future, advice to myself is to use much thicker and fatter carrots next time as the smoked carrots felt a little tender going through the mandolin.  

I made the classic Cream Cheese and  Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' Bagel fresh at work for my colleague.  I sliced open the chewy bagel, slathered over Bute Islands soft vegan Creamy Sheese and layered the vegan Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' in generous folds .  She absolutely loved it.  Only thing, she confessed she had never had real smoked salmon so was unable to compare it previous experiences, she was still very very happy with her edible gift.

The vegan Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' is a very convincing substitute and its quite fatty and oily in texture that I have been inspired to have a go at making vegan Scandinavian style Gravadlax soon too.  I am sharing this awesome recipe with Baking Queen Slow Cooked Challenge. 


You will also find other awesome carrot recipes on How to  Make Bacon with Carrots and Other Vegetables from PeTa and it gives credit to Carrot Bacon to  Meet The Shannons. I have also recently made Aubergine aka Eggplant Bacon and Seitan Bacon and will share soon. 

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Smoked Carrot 'Salmon' 
Adapted very slightly from Olives for Dinner 
You will need 1lb loaf tin lined with baking parchment paper
Ingredients
360grams sea salt, plus more if required
3 fat carrots, washed and unpeeled
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil or olive oil
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Method
Preheat oven to gas mark 5/200oc
Place half of the sea salt into the loaf tine lined with baking parchment paper, then place the carrots on the sea salt. Cover with the remaining sea salt. 

The sea salt will not cover the carrots completely.
Cover the loaf tin with foil.
Place in over and roast for an hour or so.
Remove from the oven and allot to cool.
Transfer to a wooden chopping board and allow to cook. 
When cool enough to handle,  brush away the excess salt and peel off the skin if possible, if not don't worry.
Then using a mandolin, very carefully finely slice the carrots into thin strips.

Transfer the carrot slices to a glass container with lid.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, liquid smoke and vinegar and evenly pour over the carrots to marinade.
Transfer to fridge for a couple of days for the flavours to develop.

I know 2 cups of sea salt is a bit much , so here is a link to another recipe for Carrot Lox recipe Belinda at Plot 7-Marsh Lane.