1. Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) and line a medium baking dish with parchment paper. This ensures easy cleanup and prevents the carrots from sticking.
2. Coat the bottom of the dish with about a ¼-inch layer of sea salt. This will help draw moisture out of the carrots during roasting, intensifying their flavor.
3. Place the whole carrots in the dish and sprinkle them with a generous amount of sea salt. Make sure they’re well coated but don’t worry, most of this salt won’t end up in your final dish.
4. Roast the carrots in the oven. The cooking time will vary based on their size and freshness, but start checking them around 40 minutes. You’re looking for them to be easily pierced with a fork, but not mushy. My larger carrots took closer to 60 to 90 minutes.
5. Once done, remove the carrots from the oven and let them cool slightly.
6. Rub off any excess salt using your hands. This step is crucial for ensuring the lox isn’t overly salty.
7. Using a sharp knife, slice a thin strip off one side of the salty skin. This gives you a flat surface to work with when peeling.
8. Take a vegetable peeler and peel the carrot into thin ribbons. If your peeler gets snagged, just slice the pieces as thinly as you can.
9. Once all the carrots are peeled, place the ribbons in a shallow dish.
10. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and several grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Stir well to combine.
11. Pour the marinade over the carrot ribbons and gently toss to coat them evenly.
12. Cover and transfer the dish to the refrigerator to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully.
13. When ready to serve, arrange the carrot lox on bagels with vegan cream cheese, topped with cucumber slices, capers, and a sprinkle of chives or dill.
14. If you have extra carrots, simply cover and refrigerate them in the marinade for up to 4 days.
