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.

He makes lentil loaf on Xmas Eve and reheats a slice for his Xmas dinner.

Seaweed tartare is often very popular and it's very easy to make

I’m quite fussy and wouldn’t want many of the things suggested.

Id either just do some olives etc for everyone to pick at, or I’d do a vegetarian soup for everyone. The carnivores could have crumbled crispy bacon on top if wished.

This is lovely, easy, fairly quick to make, freezes well, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan. Obviously does contain nuts! https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/vegan-mushroom-walnut-pate/

We never bother with a starter as the main course + Christmas pudding are so filling. Do people who have a starter eat a tiny main course?

Apple and celeriac soup

Leek and potato soup, no cream. I serve this to everyone, not just the vegetarians. It's so easy and goes down well.

Apple and celeriac soup sounds delicious. I came on to suggest butternut squash and sage as it's so tasty but also light before the big dinner.

Pâté for all is a good idea. I can't recommend this Cambodian wedding day dip highly enough - it sets as hard as a pate & is even better when it has been made for a day or two.

https://rivercottage.net/recipes/cambodian-wedding-day-dip/

It’s not exiting but my DH has melon in port with strawberries

he says anything else is too filling

Lovely bread on the table then a choice for everyone to chose from this hence not singling out the vegetarian
I would add to your fish choices

• mozzarella, tomato and pesto ( make sure you get the vegetarian one most are not vegetarian ) combo, drizzle the pesto over
• avocado with vinegar and grain mustard
• poached eggs
• seitan with a lovely sauce of your choice, sweet chilli is good

any or a selection of those, for example

I agree
Keep the look of the food similar
So if some get prawn cocktail and the veggies get soup it can be uncomfortable for some
The same goes for just leaving out some ingredients for vegetarians or allergy sufferers without making a substitute

Chicory and orange (even better blood orange) salad with toasted walnuts crumbled over. potentially some pomegranate seeds decorating the plate.

I’m doing this for everyone. But tend to be one for a light starter when it’s a great big Christmas lunch afterwards.

My favourite 'starter' is just a few plates of different stuff on little toasts. Mashed avocado (with or without a wee bit of bacon), mushrooms with a bit of cream and garlic, cheese (obvs), roasted aubergine with tahini, tomatoes and basil, the sky's the limit!

I’m also hosting Christmas lunch for a mostly vegetarian family

I think I’ll do a parnsip soup for all, but buy some fishy appetizers for those that fancy as I love a bit myself

Melon with port is delicious, easy and light. We don’t usually bother with a starter, but sometimes have this.

A delicious soup for all is the obvious one. Why make it difficult on yourself having bits of this and that and stuff that needs prep on the day. Make the soup the day before and re heat and serve with a very good selection of breads. No dairy obv. but a dish of REAL salted butter is a must for those who can partake.

I'm veggie I usually do something with prawns for a starter and I have breaded mushrooms, ds is a picky eater so he had doughballs last year

I do a very nice cauliflower cocktail that's just like a prawn cocktail (but nicer in my opinion) the recipe is on Lucy's Friendly Foods lucysfriendlyfoods.com/2015/12/29/cauliflower-cocktail-aka-veggie-prawn-cocktail/

Not crappy at all, it made me laugh 😆

We did this mushroom pate, a meat pate and home made bread a couple of years ago. Even the meat eaters agreed it was delicious.

veganonboard.com/vegan-mushroom-pate-recipe/

I made a version of this for a vegetarian one Christmas.

I only used the dark red beetroot and added Rucola and Parmesan and thick balsamic sauce.

Maybe you could sprinkle some pomegranates seeds on top instead of the goat’s cheese.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beetroot-carpaccio

You can buy 'fake 'prawns in the chilled veggie section at Sainsbury's. Otherwise, we tend to cheat at Christmas. M&S often do some sort of mini halloumi skewer (could easily make your own)

Parmesan isn’t vegetarian

I've seen versions in Waitrose and I think Sainsbury's.

Not called Parmesan though
Theyll be called hard cheese or similar