Looking for ideas for vegan and vegetarian appetizers and starters? We've got you covered - these vegan appetizers are perfect for festive occasions, holidays, and game nights.
We've selected our best 23 recipes from vegetable-based starters, and finger foods, to dips and canapes. Browse through this list and pick your favorite; they are easy to make, healthy, and with affordable ingredients!
Healthy vegetable-packed appetizers
These veggie-packed appetizers are healthy, wholesome, and made with affordable ingredients. Serve them with our focaccia or with slices of toasted bread - your guests will love them!
Confit tomatoes
Tomato confit is the easiest, meltiest, most delicious tomato recipe. Soft, juicy, with loads of flavor and garlic aroma - they are the perfect starter to a slice of focaccia or this chickpea farinata.
Roasted bell peppers
Roasted bell peppers are a delicious recipe that can be served as an antipasto, and is wonderful on bread on top of a layer of this white bean dip.
Pan-fried artichokes
All you need is a pan and a few simple ingredients to make this delicious artichoke recipe. Serve them on crostini, or add them to this chickpea frittata.
Steamed artichokes
An even easier artichoke starter! Steamed artichokes are so tasty, that you will fall in love with this delicious vegetable. These also pair incredibly well with our vegan mayo and freshly chopped parsley.
Roasted lemon broccoli
Oven-roasted broccoli is so tasty you won't believe it's actual broccoli. Crunchy, lemony, slightly spicy, and with the perfect twist of garlic, they are perfect as antipasti and snack. Serve with chipotle sauce or tzatziki.
Caponata
This eggplant salad has the perfect balance of sweet and sour, it's rich, and made with simple, fresh ingredients. Eat it as a starter, and if you have any leftovers, use it as a side dish for your dinner.
Roasted potatoes with rosemary
They are tasty, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. The toasted breading is so delicious you'll scrape it out of your baking tray. Dip them in chipotle sauce or in tzatziki sauce and it's the perfect finger food!
Vegan appetizers for a platter
Appetizer platters are colorful and fun, and everyone can help themselves with their favorite starter. Platters are a great way to help your guests try new combinations and fall in love with these vegan snacks!
Vegan ricotta
A creamy and incredibly light alternative to ricotta cheese. We've been making this vegan soy ricotta without nuts and without a blender for a few years now.
Along with our vegan stracchino cheese, it's our favorite plant-based, dairy-free cheese because it's easy to make, and goes well with everything on an antipasti platter.
Caramelized onions
Caramelized onions have a rich and deep flavor with sweet and sour notes. They are soft and literally melt in your mouth. They are perfect on vegan ricotta or hummus, serve them in a bowl with a small fork, and guests can add exactly the amount they prefer!
White bean dip
White bean dip is an easy recipe that you can make in 5 minutes with 7 simple ingredients and a blender. It's perfect with nachos and with slices of toasted bread.
Vegan mayo dip
Vegan mayo is tasty, versatile, and so easy to make that you can do it in literally 1 minute with a few simple ingredients. We make a mean vegan tuna with it.
Tzatziki sauce
Tzatziki sauce is easy! All you need is yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and dill, and just over 15 minutes to make this irresistible recipe. Serve with pita chips or freshly baked focaccia bread.
Guacamole
Who doesn't like freshly made guac? Mix together ripe avocados, lime juice, salt, cilantro, and some chopped onion. Serve with tortilla chips and veggie sticks for a colorful and inviting dip!
Beetroot hummus
We are not huge beet fans, but we absolutely love to add beets to our white bean dip. It just fits in perfectly! Just add one ready-to-eat peeled and cooked red beet to your white bean dip and you have a colorful dip for your antipasti platter!
Sundried tomato pesto
You can make it with most blenders, and a few simple ingredients, and we even keep it dairy-free so that most people can enjoy it. This red pesto is a must-try with our garlic brushed flatbread.
Melted cheese on bread
This recipe for vegan cheese can be prepared in 5 minutes in a pot and with an amazing result. It's very similar to melted cheese. Creamy, spreadable, melty, light, cheesy, and with a slightly tangy flavor. It's perfect on a slice of bread or on top of our flatbread pizza.
Tofu cream cheese
This tofu cream cheese is made with 5 simple ingredients and it's smooth, velvety, and perfect to use as a starter. You can easily flavor the basic recipe of this vegan cream cheese with many vegetables like roasted aubergine, confit tomatoes, or artichoke hearts.
Vegan egg salad
If you are looking for a great, quick, and fulfilling vegan canapé or snack idea, you need to try this vegan egg salad. Made with tofu, vegan mayo, and herbs, it’s great on a slice of cucumber or wholegrain bread.
Bread vegan appetizers
Appetizers on bread are perfect as finger food and are guaranteed crowd-pleasers! Particularly perfect for game nights and movie nights as they are fun and colorful.
Mini pizzas
Mini pizzas are one of the most popular finger foods in Italy. They are usually served as a fun, crunchy starter, or during birthdays, buffets, and gatherings. Making pizza biscuits is actually very simple, and you can add your favorite toppings for a fun evening.
Tomato bruschetta
A crunchy, juicy, and garlicky appetizer. The recipe is simple, and you can make it in 10 minutes with a few ingredients. Serve on a slice of toasted bread or next to this 20-min farinata.
Crisp focaccia
This Italian focaccia with vegan cheese (and optionally, a little spinach) is thin, crisp, and packed with flavor. It's the perfect starter to share with friends, and you can slice it into small nibbles and serve as a toothpick appetizer.
Easy focaccia (no-knead)
A soft Italian focaccia recipe that is easy to make, with a spoon and a bowl, without having to knead it with your hands. Perfectly paired with white bean dip, confit tomatoes, sundried tomato pesto, or anything else really.
Easy vegan appetizers with chickpea
Chickpea socca
This is a simple recipe, made by mixing together chickpea flour and extra virgin olive oil, then baking it in the oven for about 20 minutes. It's perfect as part of antipasti platter, and pairs well with any topping. We love eating it topped with our eggplant caponata.
Chickpea frittata muffins
Chickpea frittata muffins are an easy make-ahead recipe that you can serve as nutritious antipasti with a bowl of sundried tomato pesto. They are very similar to vegan mini quiches, they are made with chickpea flour you can customize them with any vegetables of your choice.
Vegan tuna
You can make these chickpea-based antipasti in just 10 minutes, with simple ingredients, and without cooking. Serve on a slice of a cucumber and stuffed in cherry tomatoes. A slice of no-knead focaccia is the perfect pairing with vegan tuna, a family favorite!
Vegan frittata
This vegan frittata is crisp on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, and for some reason, it feels like eating a regular egg frittata. Serve in small slices and with a little bowl of confit tomatoes and caramelized onions.
MORE VEGAN STARTER RECIPES:
- Crostini with veggie toppings
- Leftover bread salad "panzanella"
- Crispy kale chips
- Roasted brussels sprouts with maple syrup
WHAT SHOULD I SERVE TO MY VEGAN FRIENDS?
Having guests over that are vegetarian or vegan? No problem! These appetizers are great for guests, but if you need more vegan recipe ideas, check out these lists for inspiration:
- Add plant-based protein to your starter platter or main mail with one of our 25 easy tofu recipes
- Make a vegan menu by following your appetizer with a first course of vegan pasta. See our favorites among these 25 best pasta recipes
- Serve a plant-based main meal for your guests with one of our vegan easy dinners.
- Make a vegetable side dish, such as artichoke, asparagus, or green beans.
- For an indulgent vegan dessert, see the best cakes and sweets in our 60 vegan Italian recipes and our selection of 43 plant-based desserts
For many more easy and healthy starter recipes make sure to check out our Antipasti (starter) Recipes Page!
23 Vegan Appetizers
Ingredients
- Pick your favorite vegan appetizer
- Read the recipe for ingredients required
- Make the recipe by following the instructions
Instructions
- How to store: Most of these appetizers keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, best if stored in an airtight container. We usually reheat it in the microwave.
- How to reheat: Most of these recipes can be reheated in the microwave, or on a pan with a dash of water (in case of the vegetables). Check the individual recipes for full make ahead, reheating and storage instructions.
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