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These vegan-friendly Beluga Lentil Caviar feature black beluga lentil salad served on top of crackers and cream cheese, and are the perfect cold weather appetizer for your dinner party!
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5 from 4 votes

Beluga Lentil Caviar

Makes about 3 cups of lentils, and approximately 50 lentil-topped crackers (1 TB of lentils per cracker)
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 50 crackers
Calories: 34kcal
Author: Sarah Trenalone

Ingredients

Beluga Lentil Salad:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 leek, sliced
  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 2 celery sticks, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 cup black beluga lentils, rinsed and sorted
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves

For Serving:

  • 1 package buttery crackers (or sub vegan crackers)
  • cream cheese, to serve (or sub vegan cream cheese)
  • fresh dill, to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan or wok, heat oil on medium until it begins to shimmer.
  • Add leek, carrots, celery and salt, and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, and add wine. Allow wine to cook down for 1-2 minutes, then lower heat to medium. Add tomatoes, and sauté 1-2 minutes.
  • Add lentils, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer about 40 minutes until most of the water has cooked down.
  • When lentils are finished cooking, remove bay leaves.
  • To serve: Smear crackers with cream cheese, and top with lentils and dill (optional) right before serving.

Notes

Serving Tips:
  • These hors d'oeuvres WILL GET SOGGY if left to sit.  Add the lentils as you're serving.
  • Alternatively, arrange the crackers with cream cheese on a tray, and allow guests to scoop their own lentil salad on top.
  • Your 'faux caviar' will look a lot less like real caviar if your veggies are showing.  Make sure to finely dice your carrots and celery.
Recipe Variations:
  • (Not Vegan): Add the rind from a wedge of Parmesan cheese into the lentils when you add the tomatoes.  By the time the lentils finish cooking, it will have melted into the lentil dish. 
  • Skip the tomatoes, and add 1 TB Dijon mustard, ¼ cup olive oil, and 2 TB red wine vinegar.
  •  
Nutrition information is for 1 lentil-topped cracker, made with 1 TB of lentils per cracker.  Calories for cream cheese are an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Potassium: 20mg | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg