New York City is home to many iconic foods: pizza, cheesecake, street pretzels, pastrami on rye. But it’s the trinity of bagels, lox and cream cheese, as ubiquitous as the yellow taxi, found at thousands of delis and diners, bagel shops and bakeries, brunch spots and corner stands, that captured my attention when I first moved there, in 2004.

I started with the bagel and cream cheese. Eventually, a few years in, I worked my way up to the lox. I didn’t grow up eating much fish, so it took me some time to appreciate the deeply salty salmon and its buttery, brined flesh. My Jewish friends were encouraging. “What you need to do is add red onions and capers,” my pal Robert suggested. “A squeeze of lemon and get it on an everything bagel,” advised my friend Gabi.

Thanks to those tips, I was a bagel and lox fan in no time. The everything bagel was a real turning point, though. I had mistakenly thought the popular variety would be too strong for me, but I was wrong. Its seedy, salty exterior gives a good, chewy bagel some welcome crunch – not to mention pops of savory flavor.

Luckily, Washington is home to plenty of great bagel shops, and a few good delis, so when I miss that taste of New York, it’s never too far away.

Inspired by my bagel shop order of an everything bagel, toasted, with cream cheese, lox, red onions, tomatoes and capers, I dreamed up this big salad. It’s got all of my favorite bagel-and-lox flavors, with goat cheese subbing in for the cream cheese, and a lemony dressing punched up with capers and black pepper. Sprigs of dill give it a fresh finish.

For the sake of efficiency, I call for ready-made lox, bagel seasoning and bagel chips. But you could certainly go all out and make your own homemade lox, mix up your ideal ratio of everything bagel seasoning and bake a batch of fresh bagel chips. Either way, it’s a filling salad with lots of crunch and flavor – just the way I like it.

Everything Bagel Salad With Lox

2 servings (makes 6 cups salad)

Like a deconstructed everything bagel sandwich with the works, this salad features smoked salmon, bagel chips, capers, red onions, tomatoes and dill. Goat cheese crumbles tossed with everything bagel seasoning add a creamy-crunchy finish.

Where to buy: Everything bagel seasoning mixes can be found at supermarkets, spice shops or online.

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained and chopped

Freshly cracked black pepper

 

FOR THE SALAD:

3 cups (3 ounces) chopped romaine hearts

6 ounces lox or other smoked salmon

12 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

1/4 small red onion (2 ounces total), thinly sliced

2/3 cup (3 3/4 ounces) fresh goat cheese crumbles

2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning, plus more for sprinkling

1 cup (2 ounces) plain bagel chips

3 sprigs fresh dill, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar. Stir in the capers and season to taste with pepper.

On a serving platter or a large plate, arrange the romaine. Using your hands, break the lox into chunks, then scatter it evenly over the greens. Top with the tomatoes and red onion.

In a small bowl, toss the goat cheese with everything bagel seasoning until the cheese is coated with the seasoning. Sprinkle the mixture over the salad, followed by the bagel chips, broken up if desired. Drizzle the dressing over everything. Pick small fronds off the dill and add them to the salad, along with another generous sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning, then serve.

Nutrition per serving (3 cups salad): 570 calories, 31g carbohydrates, 60mg cholesterol, 36g fat, 4g fiber, 30g protein, 12g saturated fat, 1329mg sodium, 8g sugar

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