Growing up in a Norwegian-American home, smoked roe spread could almost always be found in our fridge.

We just called it caviar, but unlike the many types of luxury caviar on the market – the kind that can cost hundreds of dollars an ounce – this Scandinavian sandwich spread comes in tube and can be found the regular grocery store in Norway…right next to the tubes of mayonnaise.

Soooo….WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?

It’s essentially a creamy sauce blended with salmon roe, some sugar, salt, and spices. It’s uniquely salty, slightly smokey, and well, fishy.

Needless to say, I haven’t had this childhood favorite of mine since making the switch to veganism almost five years ago, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover that Ikea carries a vegan version of caviar pearls in their refrigerated food section (and it’s under ten bucks a jar!)

I pretty much started dreaming up ways to use this seaweed-based vegan caviar immediately after discovering this fact, and it wasn’t long before I figured out a way to recreate this briny pink spread without using a single animal product. Thrilling.

HOW TO SERVE IT

In Norway, this type of caviar is often used to make open-faced sandwiches and my favorite is simple: good bread, a thin layer of caviar spread, a few thinly sliced cucumbers, and a sprinkle of fresh dill and/or black pepper.

SOUNDS WEIRD?

Think of it this way: You know how smoked salmon is smokey and briny…but when paired with something creamy (like cream cheese) and topped with something fresh, like cucumbers or thinly sliced or red onion, it becomes something else entirely? That’s definitely the case here! It’s all about creating contrast and texture and the flavors are very similar.

NOT A CUCUMBER FAN?

I’m going to make a bold statement and say the cucumbers are an non-negotiable element when serving this spread. Even if you don’t like cucumbers…first of all, try English cucumbers (they’re about 10000000 times better) and second, the cool, refreshing crunch is a perfect paring with this recipe so give it a try, ok? 😊

LUNCH MADE EASY

This sandwich makes for an ideal work-from-home kind of lunch, especially when paired with a cup of tea and a few minutes to savor the unique taste of Scandinavian simplicity.

I hope you enjoy!

Fish-Free Scandinavian Smoked Roe Spread

Nicole Vranjican

A vegan version of my favroite Scandinavian caviar sandwich spread.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Total Time 10

Course Sauces

Cuisine Danish, Norwegian, Scandinavian, Swedish

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cup vegan mayo I used Vegenaise
2.5 tbsp vegan seaweed caviar I used the one from Ikea
1.5 tsp white rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp smoked paprika smoked is key*
¼ tsp kosher salt
8-10 grinds black pepper

Instructions

In a high powered blender, combine all of the ingredeints and blend until smooth. Scraping down the sides as needed until well combined. This usually takes about 1 full minute of blending.
Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Chill until ready to serve.
Serve on slightly toasted bread. I like this best on bread that is crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside so a baguette or soft white bread works well.
Spread a thin layer of your vegan caviar sauce, then top with thinly sliced cucumbers, a sprinkle of dill if desired and some black pepper taste. Enjoy!

Notes

It’s more common to use white pepper for these kinds of Scandinavian recipes so use that if you have it handy. Start with a pinch and adjust as needed.

I used the vegan caviar from Ikea to make this recipe, which can be found in the refrigerated section at Ikea (right next to the non-vegan caviar, so it’s easy to miss!)

Smoked paprika is key here, because we want to mimic that slightly smokey “smoked salmon” flavor so make sure it’s not sweet paprika or hot paprika because those spices will yield a different result.

Like I said above, I think the cucumbers are pretty essential for serving and they really tie everything together. If you’re not a fan of regular cucumbers, try English cucumbers and slice them very thin. They’re best cold, so store in the fridge until ready to use.

This spread lasts for about 2 weeks in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.

Keyword Caviar, caviar at ikea, Caviar Spread, fishless caviar, food at ikea, ikea, new at ikea, norwegain sandwich, norwegian recipes, open faced sandwich, Sandwich, seaweed caviar, Smoked Roe Spread, vegan at ikea, vegan caviar, Vegan Mayo, vegan norwegian, vegan norwegian food, vegan sauce, Vegan Sauces, vegan swedish food

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Nicole Vranjican

Hey! I’m Nicole and I make practical vegan recipes for REAL life. I cook with simple, easy to find ingredients and I’m passionate about creating delicious plant-based meals that everyone will love!

I hope you enjoy my recipes and videos :) Happy Cooking!

Find me on: Instagram

2 Comments

Corrie
September 4, 2020 / 5:27 pm

Hey Nikki!

I love your blog and your youtube channel. I love trying out all of your amazing recipes- they always taste soooooo good 🙂

I was just wondering if you could possibly please do the measurements for the recipes in grams as well?

Sorry I know it’s a pain but I live in the UK and we don’t use cups unfortunately!

No worries if this is too difficult for you though!

Thanks,
Corrie

- Nicole
  Author
  September 6, 2020 / 10:52 pm
  
  Hey Corrie, thanks for letting me know that you would find that helpful. I think there’s an app or a plugin I can use that can help me to do that accurately but I need to look into it and practice. I’ll get on that and hopefully have the feature available soon. Thanks again for the idea! I really appreciate it 😊