Bagel Strata with Carrot Lox

Ingredients

• 4 carrots (peeled and thinly sliced)
• 1.5 qt water
• 0.5 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp vegan fish sauce
• 1 tsp gluten-free tamari
• 1 tsp mirin
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika (plus an additional 1/4 tsp as an alternative to smoking with a smoking gun, or use liquid smoke instead)
• 1 sheet nori (broken into pieces)
• hickory chips (for smoking gun; amount not specified)
• 4 gluten-free bagels (source gives a weight range of 14–16 oz)
• 1 onion (medium, small diced)
• 8 oz asparagus (sliced into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 bell pepper (small, small diced)
• 5.5 cloves garlic (minced; source specifies 5–6 cloves)
• 0.25 cup fresh dill (chopped, plus additional dill optionally for serving)
• 2 cups spinach (roughly chopped)
• cooking oil (a bit, for cooking vegetables)
• salt (to taste; for seasoning vegetables)
• black pepper (to taste; for seasoning vegetables)
• 14 oz silken tofu (one block, drained)
• 1 cup plant-based milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 0.25 cup chickpea flour
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt (for eggy mixture)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 0.5 tsp turmeric
• 1 vegetable or no-chicken bouillon cube (use either a vegetable or no-chicken cube)
• black salt (optional, to top; for a more eggy taste)
• 1 avocado (medium, mashed)
• 0.25 cup plant-based yogurt or sour cream (use plant-based yogurt or sour cream)
• caper brine (a splash)
• salt (a pinch, for avocado spread)
• capers (chopped, optional for serving; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Wash, peel, and thinly slice the carrots with a vegetable peeler.

2. 2

   Bring the water and coarse kosher salt to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for 1–2 minutes, until slightly softened.

3. 3

   Drain the carrots in a colander, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and let them cool while preparing the marinade.

4. 4

   Mix together the olive oil, vegan fish sauce, gluten-free tamari, mirin, lemon juice, and smoked paprika. Do not add the nori yet.

5. 5

   Break the nori sheet into pieces and lay half of the pieces in a container. Add the cooled carrots and marinade, then add the remaining nori pieces. Mix well.

6. 6

   If using a smoking gun, smoke the carrots with hickory chips before refrigerating. Otherwise, refrigerate the carrots for several hours to overnight, stirring, flipping, or shaking the container occasionally for even coating. For the no-smoking-gun alternative, use an additional 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika or liquid smoke instead.

7. 7

   Cube the bagels and spread them on a tray to dry out a bit.

8. 8

   Prepare the vegetables and herbs: small-dice the onion and bell pepper, slice the asparagus into 1-inch pieces, mince the garlic, chop the dill, and roughly chop the spinach.

9. 9

   Heat a large pan over medium-high heat with a bit of cooking oil. Once hot, add the onion, asparagus, and bell pepper.

10. 10

    Cook the vegetables until softened and browning, seasoning them with a good sprinkle of salt and black pepper.

11. 11

    Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

12. 12

    Add the spinach, stir until wilted, and remove the pan from the heat.

13. 13

    While the vegetables cook, combine the drained silken tofu, plant-based milk, lemon juice, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, measured salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and bouillon cube in a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth.

14. 14

    Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, or a similar-sized dish.

15. 15

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the cubed bagels, cooked vegetables, smooth tofu mixture, and chopped dill. Stir until the bread is completely soaked.

16. 16

    Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out. Set it aside while heating the oven.

17. 17

    Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

18. 18

    Place the strata on the bottom oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

19. 19

    Move the dish to the top rack and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the eggy mixture is set.

20. 20

    Let the strata cool for 10–15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with black salt if desired for a more eggy taste.

21. 21

    Mash the avocado with the plant-based yogurt or sour cream, a splash of caper brine, and a pinch of salt to make the avocado spread.

22. 22

    Serve the strata with the carrot lox and avocado spread. Add extra fresh dill and chopped capers if desired.

Notes

The bagel amount is given as 4 bagels weighing 14–16 oz total. The no-smoking-gun alternative is an additional 1/4 tsp smoked paprika or liquid smoke; the source does not quantify liquid smoke. Oil for cooking and for the baking dish is specified only as a bit/oil, with no amount. The source does not give an explicit instruction for making the avocado spread beyond its ingredient list; the mixing step is a minimal connective action. The source separately describes the carrot lox and strata; serve together as suggested by the recipe title.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• plant-based
• vegan
• gluten-free
• baked
• brunch
• make-ahead