Vegetarian starters for Christmas Day

[immoreexcitedthanthekids]

Does anyone have a good idea for a vegetarian starter than is also preferably dairy free to kill two birds with one stone!

Everyone else is having a prawn cocktail or smoked salmon with brown bread. (Dairy free person does not like fish)

Ideally it needs to be prepared in advance so served cold or just warmed through.

What is your veggie main?

Mini Samosas(gujarati filo pastry ones, not punjabi shortcrust pastry ones) are always easy and fairly light too. You can bulk buy them frozen to deepfry them on the day.

I saw a fab recipe for roast sweet potato with goats cheese, pomegranate and balsamic vinegar 😋

Or how about sweet potato and parsnip soup.

A 'no Turkey' crown thing, veggie stuffing veggie pigs in blankets.

I will make sure potatoes/veg/gravy are suitable for everyone.

Last year we started with fake prawn cocktail. Simply substitute prawns with either pieces of tofu or Quorn. Less work for you.
I would appreciate my food looking as much like the meat eaters as possible, so as not to draw comments from others.

A fancy salad, something like this? https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/jewelled-roasted-aubergines-with-walnuts-mint-pomegranate I also think roasted butternut squash or sweet potato are a good combination with pomegranate for Christmas.

Or a classic spiced parsnip soup - lots of dairy free recipes for that out there.

Hummus, olives and bread sticks & crudites. tbh I'd do that with some cold meats for everyone to make life easier!

We had this last year https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-carpaccio
Could make for everyone and serve without the salmon for the vegetarian, not much left ingredient wise for the diary-free person though.

Please don't single out the vegetarians with something completely different right at the start, when it can be avoided. Plus it's more work for you.

It invites comments such as why don't you eat meat? Then escalates into us having teeth designed for chewing meat and on and on they go.
"Look, you get on with eating your meat, while I won't", is what I'd like to say.

Or
No criticism or discussion, but "Ooh, that looks nice, can I taste a bit?

I've had this attention and singling out all my life and I hate it. Not as bad now as back when a vegetarian was a rarity.

Should you really be killing two birds for a vegetarian starter?

That's the best, crappy joke I've ever come up with and I'm not apologising for it.

You must know some extraordinarily rude people. Nobody in my acquaintance or family would dream of doing anything like that !

op does your veggie guest eat cheese ? You could do a goats cheese and beetroot tart tatin, that's a lovely festive starter especially if there's a bit of onion marmalade in there too. Or maybe some deep fried Brie ? It's corny but delicious

I did pates last year as a starter - smoked salmon, chicken liver, mushroom. I bought the mushroom in so I'm not sure if it was dairy free. But i tworked well - every plate had a little bread and salad and then eevryone helped themselves to the pate they liked.

Give everyone the same... a vegetarian soup with frsh baked rolls and butter / dairy free spread or vegetarian croquettes (make in advance and just drop in the frier to cook, serve with a bit of salad.

I didn't mention "family or acquaintances", nor has the OP.

I agree with @JadziaD that a vegetarian (dairy free) pate would go well with what everyone else is having. It would go with the brown bread that those having salmon are having.

You'd be better asking your question on the Vegetarian board OP, seeing as they would be eating it.
As for those suggesting cheese tarts and deep fried Brie, OP stated preferably dairy free!

Thank you all. I think pates and soup could actually be the way to go for everyone as more choice all round and probably less effort for me on the day. I will just be very careful with dairy free.

The veggie is actually my dc and they really won't mind if they're eating something different to everyone else. I do make sure all desserts are vegetarian but they maybe more difficult with dairy free as well this year.

One might assume that people attending her home for Christmas lunch would be family or acquaintances unless the OP is in the habit of inviting strangers into her home for festivities.

many lactose intolerant individuals can eat goats cheese and goats milk as it contains less lactose as cows milk and is more easily digested. I accept that this is not the case with Brie.

Make a dairy free mushroom pate, it's so easy! bung mushrooms, garlic and thyme in the over to roast when they are cooked and cooled blitz with dairy free cream cheese.

Onion tarts or ratatouille filled tarts would be vegetarian & dairy free. It's easy to get vegan ready made pastry.
If you decide on a soup, vichyssoise (potatoes & leek) is easy to make in a vegan version, and looks appealing.

I know it's a bit old fashioned/retro but I like Florida cocktail, which is simply Grapefruit and Mandarin orange segments alternated in a pretty dish or cocktail glass to make them look like a flower with a glacé cherry in the centre. You can make up the night before, cover and pop in the fridge until needed but don't put the cherry on until just before serving. They look pretty and are nice & light.

Nigel Slater’s individual nut roasts.

Always good homemade vegetable soup in our house!

soup! Don't do separate, soup's great for everyone

My DH is a vegetarian. He always has the same Xmas dinner. For his starter Insalata Caprisi so stacked up a slice of mozzarella, then a slice of a big tomato then fresh basil on top served on a small bed of rocket and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Main lentil loaf (Sarah Brown recipe) with roast potatoes, roasted parsnips, roasted onion, veggie cocktail sausages, Yorkshire pudding, carrots, peas, Brussel sprouts and onion gravy. Dessert Tiramisu. Then fresh coffee with amaretto and a little amaretto biscuit. Mints. There is always plenty of lentil loaf left for Boxing day.