Lox and Bagel Board for Brunch

Learn how to make a beautiful lox and bagel board with all the toppings! Wow your guests when you serve this for brunch and breakfast, with only 5 minutes of work. 

This no bake bagel brunch board is the easiest solution for entertaining you can think of. Just toast up some bagels in the oven, put spreads in bowls, and without any cooking required, assemble a spread fit for kings.

As in my entertaining e-book, I love recipes that allow you to feed a crowd slowly, allowing them to go back again and again, sampling their favorites and having seconds and thirds. I also like things that don't require reheating or careful temperature monitoring (I have a very tiny and inefficient microwave, what can I do). And the best part is, nowadays I need entertaining recipes that adults and kids will love equally.

Enter, this lox and bagel board. It's the perfect brunch solution when you don't feel like cooking, yet still want to be seen as a great host.

So next time you're hosting brunch, buy good smoked salmon, excellent bagels, choose your favorite toppings, grab a big platter or cutting board, and go to town on decorations!

What is lox?

In case you're not sure what I'm talking about, lox is a type of smoked, cured salmon. It's made by lightly salting the salmon and then cold-smoking it for a few days. This process gives lox its unique flavor and texture - is a mild, slightly salty fish that can be eaten on its own or as part of a sandwich or other dish.

Lox is huge in Montreal, where I live, and it's strongly associated with Jewish food around here. Lox has become popular due to its versatility and convenience - it can be found in most grocery stores already prepared and ready to use in recipes like this bagel and lox spread.

Lox is famously served with capers, onions, tomatoes and cream cheese. It can be used to add an extra layer of flavor to salads, omelets, soups and other dishes.

When to serve this lox and bagel board?

The best time to serve a bagel board spread like this is for brunch or breakfast.

It's fancy, making people feel like they're in for a treat.

It's light enough that you won't go into a food coma, but filling enough that it can replace lunch.

And the best part is, you can leave it out for hours and nothing will go bad! People can just go on grazing at their leisure.

It makes for a great mother's day brunch addition.

Yet truth be told, sometimes I throw myself this delicious bagel spread (with gluten free bagels, of course) whenever I want a light dinner. It makes for a great grazing board for 1!

What you need to put together this bagel board

Lox slices - choose a pre-sliced, ready made smoked salmon, or make your own lox if you have a smoker.

Lebanese cucumbers - Lebanese cukes have more flavor and contain less water than the long English cucumbers. They look and taste much better!

large tomato - choose ripe red tomatoes or tomatoes in various colors for the best presentation

red onion - it has a milder taste and a nice color than the yellow onion.

Capers - these are important for adding some tang and flavor to your board.

Cream cheese - you can choose a selection of flavored cream cheese spreads, but always make sure you have a regular plain cream cheese available.

Bagels - as with cream cheese, it's best to have a collection of different bagel flavorings for your guests. Plain bagels are fine, but the best are sesame bagels or everything bagels. For a sweet option, add some cinnamon raisin bagels, too!

Lemon slices - these make for a great addition to the lox. I like to squeeze a bit of lemon on my lox bagel just before eating it - and I've been known to eat the entire slice.

Whole Boursin - this is my secret addition to the best salmon and bagel board of your life. Don't skip it!

How to assemble a bagel spread

Choose your serving dish

First, it's important that you choose the right serving dish for your spread, as it can make or break the entire presentation. If you are working with a large spread for many people, you can cover an entire table with kraft paper and lay the components straight on it!

But in most cases, you will want to choose a big platter or a large wooden or marble cutting board.

Fan out the salmon

You can roll lox slices into little tubes that look like flowers, but I like to just fan the slices out, slightly overlapping on top of each other. It makes for a yummy, effortless presentation.

Lay out the cream cheese spreads

Fill a ramekin with 1 cup of cream cheese. Always have a plain cream cheese option available, as it goes with everything. You can also add some flavored cream cheese spreads if making a spread for many people.

My special addition to an amazing bagel brunch spread is boursin cheese.It's more flavorful and airy than regular cream cheese - it honestly makes for an amazing combo with the salmon!

Add the veggies

I love seeing all the different veggies get added to the salmon board - it honestly amps up the entire presentation and makes you really want to just dig in there! Arrange the cucumber slices, tomato slices, onion slices and lemon slices in different clumps around the board.

Add capers in small bowls around the board.

Toast bagels

When you are ready to serve the bagel board, that's the time to add in the bagels! Toasting them closer to serving ensures they stay warm and chewy inside, and get that golden brown uniform crust you want to see in your brunch photos.

To toast the bagels, set the oven to the broil function, and lay out the bagels facing down. Slide the baking sheet into the oven on the lowest rack - this is important to prevent the bagels from burning! Toast bagels into the oven upside down for about 4 minutes, constantly checking them to prevent them from catching fire.

Serve bagel board

With your bagels toasted, it's time to serve that gorgeous board you've been working on for the last... 10 minutes! Add the bagels to the board, right side up, and serve something memorable and beautiful to your guests (or just to yourself).

Storage & Make Ahead

You can store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for 2 days.

You can also assemble the board a few hours ahead and wrap it carefully in plastic wrap. It is not recommended to make it more than a day ahead because the tomatoes and salmon will dry out, and the bagels will harden.

Variations

You can whip your cream cheese for a more elegant, light and airy spread.

Substitute the sliced smoked salmon for a few scoops of tuna salad and add olives for a Middle Eastern bagel board. Add an Israeli salad to the spread.

Switch the salmon for a few different cheeses if making this into a vegetarian bagel spread.

You can also add the following additions:

• avocado slices
• honey
• bacon
• olives
• fresh herbs like dill and parsley

FAQ

If you love low carb bagels and lox

Try my smoked salmon salad with gluten free bagel chips for a healthy lunch option.

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Lox and Bagel Board for Brunch

Ksenia Prints

Learn how to make a beautiful lox and bagel board with all the toppings! Wow your guests when you serve this for brunch and breakfast, with only 5 minutes of work.

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 4 mins

Total Time 14 mins

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine Jewish cuisine, North American

Servings 4 people

Calories 746 kcal

Equipment

• big platter OR
• large wooden board OR
• marble cutting board
• ramekins
• small bowls
• butter knives

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 Lox slices
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers
• 1 large tomato
• ½ purple onion
• ¼ cup Capers
• 1 cup Cream cheese
• 4 bagels or gluten free bagels
• ½ Lemon sliced
• 1 Whole Boursin

Instructions

 

• Choose the right serving dish for your spread. I recommend a big platter or a large wooden or marble cutting board.
• Fan the salmon slices so that they're slightly overlapping on top of each other.
• Fill a ramekin with 1 cup of cream cheese.
• Lay out the boursin cheese straight on the board, or inside a ramekin.
• Arrange the cucumber slices, tomato slices, onion slices and lemon slices in different clumps around the board.
• Add capers in a small bowl.
• To toast the bagels, set the oven to the broil function, and lay out the bagels facing down. Slide the baking sheet into the oven on the lowest rack - this is important to prevent the bagels from burning! Toast bagels into the oven upside down for about 4 minutes, constantly checking them to prevent them from catching fire.
• Add the bagels to the board, right side up, and serve the lox and bagel board.

Notes

Always offer plain cream cheese, but you can supplement with additional cream cheese flavors if making for a crowd.

The best bagels are sesame bagels. You can offer other types of bagels if increasing quantities.

You can whip your cream cheese for a more elegant, light and airy spread.

Substitute the sliced smoked salmon for a few scoops of tuna salad and add olives for a Middle Eastern bagel board. Add an Israeli salad to the spread.

Switch the salmon for a few different cheeses if making this into a vegetarian bagel spread.

You can also add the following additions:

• avocado slices
• honey
• bacon
• olives
• fresh herbs like dill and parsley

Nutrition

Calories: 746kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 29gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 1720mgPotassium: 617mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1625IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 3mg

Keyword bagels, board, boursin, capers, cream cheese, cucumbers, easy, entertaining, grazing board, hosting, lox, no cook, salmon, smoked salmon, spread, tomatoes

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