Vegetarian Christmas Day Starters Please

[Vanillaspicebaby]

Anyone have any ideas? I have guests coming who are vegetarian and who don’t like mushrooms. No ideas what to do.

Hollow out beef tomatoes, season, crack an egg inside and cover with grated cheese. Bake in a shallow dish with about 2cms of water in bottom. You can sit them on a circle of toasted or baked bread too if you like.

That does sound lovely. How long would you bake for?

It depends on how big the tomatoes are but long enough to make sure they soften and the egg is cooked inside so about 20 - 25 minutes as a rough rule of thumb

Tomato soup
Garlic bread with mozzarella

I've made these red onion and goats cheese tarts before as a starter. You can cook the onion part in advance and I use bought puff pastry to make things easier.

baked feta with aglio e olio

You can buy a pot of Tesco finest chilli and garlic
Put some feta in a little terracotta baking dish and bake for 5 mins
spoon chilli and garlic on top
bake for 10-15 more mins
serve with crusty bread

so simple and delicious!

Go to shop. Look at veggie options especially the little tartlet thinggys. Place in oven, serve.

What are they having for the main dinner, curious to know!

Having a starter (whether it’s soup, melon, prawn cocktail or whatever) is definitely déclassé, not to mention pretentious and gluttonous.

😂 Only on mumsnet!

@Trisolaris all credit to the great William Hanson

I think we need to know the main course so the starter is an appropriate contrast. I'd go for something light, so everyone has room for the main event, so for me anything involving a lot of cheese or eggs would be out as too filling. Small bowl of soup, perhaps, or a little salad of some sort. This looks nice, and not too complicated. www.loveandlemons.com/pear-salad-recipe/ (Not if anybody present has a nut allergy, obviously.)

I'd go for a pear, blue cheese and walnut salad. Just pick a blue cheese that's veggie. Simple, doesn't take up oven space, not too filling.

I echo the need for contrast.
No duplicated main ingredient in both courses. Don't do tartlet starter if the main is a wellington etc.

Christmas main course is usually quite hearty so a salad type starter sounds nice.

I'd avoid strong flavours unless you know they're liked.

Little bowls of soup - I did a pea one last year which was nice

Or melon with port for old fashioned deliciousness

Or some sort of pate with melba toast and a bit of salad

Roasted veg skewers.
Soup
Potato skins
Mini muffin pan leek and potato gratins.
Parsnip or potato rosti with caramelized onions
Baked feta with honey and sesame
Bruschwtta with pea and mint
Pesto pinwheels

I don't know about that, but I find starters unnecessary at the best of times and particularly on Christmas Day when there is already a massive lunch and all sorts of chocolates and cakes all day.

Can you do a veg starter for everyone to save effort?

If you want something easy, I'd buy some nice spinach quiches or tart type thing, serve with a side of salad and dressing for everyone.

Lifelong veggies here. We've had:

• Mozzarella, tomato and basil
• Parsnip and apple soup - very Christmassy
• Quails eggs in little pastry shells. These were a complete pain to make but looked and tasted fab!