The best smoked carrot recipe – a vegan take on cold smoked salmon

Marinated smoky carrots – "vegan lox" as the Americans call it – have a stunning resemblance to cold smoked salmon, a festive Nordic staple. They are easy and affordable to make and can be transformed to impressive party food.

This year I've been more obsessed with vegan salmon than ever: I've had met up with a former coworker at a great tapas bar here in Berlin called Alaska. Our favourite dish is a slice of bread generously topped with incredibly tasty cold smoked carrots. It's greasy, it's salty, it's everything!

The first time we were there together Agata's friends were there, too, and one of the late-comers to the table was urged to try some of the crazy toast. An hour later Agata pressed him to find out if he was impressed with the vegan salmon and only then did he understand it wasn't fish.

I was in Finland for a family get-together at the beginning of December. My brother and I were preparing some veggie dishes for the big dinner and I found us a simple vegan salmon recipe in Finnish. (The first generation recipes for smoked carrots were complicated: they called for curing the root vegetables in the oven for an hour and a half, then tiresome peeling and slicing of the soft carrots before marinating them.) I was determined to make our sustainable salmon substitute resemble what they serve at Alaska, so we perfected the recipe with minor adjustments like adding more oil to the marinade.

Smoked carrot slices

4 big carrots (the thicker the easier to slice)
1 l water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sea salt

Marinade:
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp rapeseed oil or canola oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Optional:
1 tbsp finely chopped dill (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp dried seaweed powder (or sliced nori sheets, the ones used for sushi rolls)


Peel the carrots and make slices that are about 1–2 millimetres thick. Use a cheese slicer or a mandoline slicer. You can manage with a sharp knife too, but it's slower and it's hard to get the thickness right.

Add sugar and salt to the pot of water and bring to a boil.

Drop the carrot slices in to the boiling water and let them simmer for two minutes, then take the pot off the plate and let the carrots soften with the lid on for about 5–8 minutes. Check on the texture a few times: the carrots should not be left with any crunch but if they get too soft the slices will break apart.

When the texture feels right, strain the slices and let some cold water run over them to stop them from getting overdone. Place the slices in an airtight container suitable for marinating. A freezer bag will do in a pinch.

Measure the ingredients for the marinade in with the carrots. Close the lid and turn and twist the container a few times to mix and spread the marinade evenly. Let them set in the fridge over night.

The very Finnish way to serve vegan salmon is with bread and dairy-free cream cheese, a few drops of lemon juice, garnished with finely chopped red onion. My new favourite most delicious way of eating this salmon substitute is piling a generous amount on lightly toasted bread with horseradish spread.