This charred scallion bagel with lemon almonds was inspired by the classic order of a whole wheat bagel and scallion cream cheese. Simple, delicious and fool proof.
But think of this bagel idea as the scallion cream cheese bagel, but all grown up. Because I LOVE bagels. Obsessed. Adore them. Live for them. Bread is my favorite food and bagels are the ultimate bread.
Yet whenever I get a bagel, I’m like “this needs something.” I always feel like a bagel could be a little bit more dressed up, whether that be with texture, acid, salt or….cheese. You see where I’m going 😉
This recipe combines texture (helloooo crunch from the lemon almonds!), layers of flavor (we aren’t charring these scallions for our health!) and a whole new perspective on what bagel toppings can be.
When it comes to bagel ideas, I am infinitely proud of this one, and if it changes how you think of bagels, then my work here is done.
Table of contents
Why charred scallion?
Raw scallions are known to have a very sharp and abrupt flavor, and we love them for that. They can add a hint of freshness and aromatics to an otherwise rich meal. Many recipes aim to make scallions mild and crispy by soaking them in ice water for 20 minutes, then draining and drying. This method works amazingly well for any recipe that wants to use scallions raw, but not distract from other components of a meal.
But when charring scallions, I have another goal entirely. I want to extract their sweetness and develop a rich, subtle texture and flavor. When scallions are charred, you develop their deeply sweet flavors and achieve that unexplainable-yet-addictive grilled flavor that pairs perfectly with the rest of this recipe. Plus the texture becomes meaty, rich and delicious, making it the perfect partner for lemony almonds.
What are lemon almonds?
If you’ve visited my site, you might have seen lemon almonds before. They are one of my favorite additions to a dish because they provide both acidity, nuttiness, toastiness, crunch and depth of flavor. And they are so insanely easy to make. You can find a whole tutorial here, but this recipe uses a quick shortcut that relies on just lemon juice, salt and roasting to achieve that toasty, acidic crunch.
Ingredients you will need for this charred scallion bagel recipe
My video might make it look like a lot, but you really only need simple ingredients to make these charred scallions and lemon almonds come to life:
- 1 large whole wheat bagel, or bagel flavor of choice!
- 4 small scallion stalks, whole
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 2-3 tbsp sliced almonds
- 1/2 large lemon for juice
- 1/4 tsp salt or salt to taste
- 1 tbsp cream cheese of choice, I love Kite Hill if you are plant-based or interested in impact-minimizing products!
- 1/4 cup sharp gouda, grated
How to char the scallions and toast the almonds
I use my low-maintenance, low effort trick for this – your oven broiler.
Oven broilers are powerful, fast, and SERIOUSLY underrated.
All you need to do to get an amazing char on your scallions is coat them in a thin layer of avocado oil and let the broiler do the work. And just as easily as the scallions char, the almonds will get nice, roasty and toasty.
I live and die by my broiler. It makes this recipe (and so many others!) just so so simple.
How to make and assemble this charred scallion and lemon almonds bagel idea
This recipe is all about timing. You can leave the broiler on and complete the whole process with one baking sheet. It’s just all about managing the process and setting up your timing so that you are as efficient as possible!
When I make this lemon almond recipe I go:
- Bagel sliced, bagel broiled
- Prep scallions and almond, remove bagel and add the scallions and almonds
- Assemble bagel and cream cheese, remove scallions and almonds from the oven and immediately place on the bagel.
- Grate cheese on top and broil one last time.
- And done!
Of course, I do live for the granular, so if you need a detailed step-by-step for this bagel idea, you can find that below!
- Set your oven to broil on high.
- Slice the bagel lengthwise and place it on a baking sheet with the inside facing up.
- Put the baking sheet under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the bagel is lightly toasted. Ovens vary so keep an eye on it! You can also do this in a toaster or toaster oven.
- On a separate baking sheet, evenly space out the scallion stalks and the sliced almonds. Brush the scallions with a small amount of avocado oil.
- Squeeze lemon juice over both the scallions and almonds. Season with salt.
- Remove the bagel from the oven and place the scallions and almonds under the broiler. Broil for 3 minutes or until the almonds are toasted and the scallions have visible char lines.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the scallions into 1′ pieces, removing the ends.
- Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on both sides of the bagel. Place the scallions, then the almonds on one side of the bagel.
- Grate the gouda on top of the scallions and almonds, and place that half of the bagel under the broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese.
- Top the melted cheese side with the other side of the bagel, slice in half and eat warm!
FAQ
I love a multigrain or whole wheat bagel for the rich, wholesome, nutty flavor, but any bagel works when it comes to this bagel recipe! I would steer clear from any bagels with too strong of a flavor (I’m looking at your blueberry) BUT I will never judge your bagel preference 😉
I do recommend serving this recipe with a carb as a base. That being said, your base can be crispy potatoes, rice, normal toast, anything you’d like!
Absolutely! I even use vegan cream cheese in this recipe when I make it at home (more info on my “Impact Minimizing” philosophy on my homepage FAQ 🙂 But you can easily omit the gouda from this recipe or use a plant-based cheese in its place.
Avocado oil has a high smoke point (around 500 degrees) compared to olive oil which smokes at 450F. Olive oil can prove toxic if you push it past its smoke point, so I recommend avocado oil to keep this charred scallion recipe safe!
To achieve the same crunch and richness from almonds, I’d recommend using either shelled sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (if you aren’t allergic) or corn nuts! Corn nuts sound out of the blue, but they are a great sub in this recipe.
And that’s it for this charred scallion and lemony almonds bagel recipe!
If you make this bagel idea, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making <3
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!
Watch the recipe video here:
Bagel with Charred Scallions & Lemon Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 large whole wheat bagel or bagel flavor of choice!
- 4 small scallion stalks whole
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 2-3 tbsp sliced almonds
- 1/2 large lemon for juice
- 1/4 tsp salt or salt to taste
- 1 tbsp cream cheese of choice I love Kite Hill if you are plant-based or interested in impact-minimizing products!
- 1/4 cup sharp gouda grated
Instructions
- Set your oven to broil on high.
- Slice the bagel lengthwise and place it on a baking sheet with the inside facing up.
- Put the baking sheet under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the bagel is lightly toasted. Ovens vary so keep an eye on it! You can also do this in a toaster or toaster oven.
- On a separate baking sheet, evenly space out the scallion stalks and the sliced almonds. Brush the scallions with a small amount of avocado oil.
- Squeeze lemon juice over both the scallions and almonds. Season with salt.
- Remove the bagel from the oven and place the scallions and almonds under the broiler. Broil for 3 minutes or until the almonds are toasted and the scallions have visible char lines.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the scallions into 1' pieces, removing the ends.
- Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on both sides of the bagel. Place the scallions, then the almonds on one side of the bagel.
- Grate the gouda on top of the scallions and almonds, and place that half of the bagel under the broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese.
- Top the melted cheese side with the other side of the bagel, slice in half and eat warm!
