Best vegan starter ideas

Looking for vegan starter ideas? Want to kick off a vegan meal with a plant-based starter? Try our ideas below and then check out our vegan dinner party ideas.

Vegan starters

Smoky vegan mushroom and walnut-stuffed portobellos

These mushrooms filled with walnut and crispy, herby breadcrumbs make a great vegan starter. They double up as quick and easy burgers too, when sandwiched in a bun with hummus, salad leaves and roasted peppers.

Sweet potato tikki

Traditionally cooked in Indian households as a snack, this version of these potato cakes by Maunika Gowardhan is made with sweet potato to keep light – perfect for a starter, then. They’re packed with warming spice and served with a fresh, crunchy kachumber salad.

Roasted harissa cauliflower with warm coriander hummus and dukkah

Chunky wedges of roasted rose harissa cauliflower served with warm hummus and a super-simple homemade dukkah makes for a great starter, served up in smaller portions.

Vegan carrot and coriander soup with spicy flatbread croutons

Soup is a classic starter. Jazz yours up with this recipe for a carrot and coriander version, complete with ras el hanout croutons for a heady kick of spice.

Grilled vegetable antipasti

Kick off an Italian-inspired dinner with our grilled vegetables. Serve with fresh focaccia and olives for a mezze-style starter that everyone can tuck into.

Warm hummus with pine nuts, raisins and olives

Jazz up hummus with pine nuts, juicy raisins and olives for a pretty starter. You can make the hummus ahead of time and top with the extras before serving.

Vegan summer rolls

These Vietnamese-style vegan rolls packed with carrot, courgette and cucumber make for a light start to a plant-based dinner.

Beer batter pakoras

Although these crispy beer batter pakoras require a little bit of work straight before serving, they’re worth it and serve six people.

Smoked aubergine, pepper and walnut salad with pomegranate

Smoked aubergine combined with sweet red peppers and walnuts makes for an easy sharing starter that you can make ahead of time. Serve with flatbreads if you want it to be more filling.

Thai ginger salad

A shredded cabbage, carrot, cucumber and edamame salad, made deliciously nutty with a peanut butter and lime juice dressing. With all those textures and sweet-savoury flavours, this will definitely whet your appetite for the main event.

Broad bean, peach and fennel salad

Try this brilliant medley of broad beans, thinly sliced peaches, fennel, fresh basil and courgette, dressed in a lemony red chilli dressing as a light and summery starter.

Fattoush with crisp spiced chickpeas

A vibrant Lebanese-style salad that mixes chickpeas with crisp and herby pitta croutons, radishes, tomatoes, sumac and a pomegranate molasses dressing.

Smoked aubergine with pepper and pomegranate molasses

Sabrina Ghayour’s recipe for sweet and smokey vegan aubergine salad would make the perfect starter for a sharing spread or Middle Eastern-style meal. Infused with the flavours of Persia, it’ll sure get those juices going.

Spanish aubergine stuffed with pisto

The slow-cooked vegetable stuffing in this recipe together with the crunchy, garlic migas topping is like a hug on a plate. This makes a top starter, but could also be a side dish or main.