Xmas day starter for vegetarian who doesn’t like cheese

[talesfromabrokenmind]

Ideas please!

My daughter’s boyfriend is with us for their first Xmas. He’s the only vegetarian and I’m lacking imagination for a starter (main will be a mushroom / butternut squash type of thing).

Ideally it will be something low prep or that I can prep ahead, not a soup and something that we can all have. My usual go to for non veggie would be a prawn, smoked salmon and avocado salad with brown bread. There will be 8 of us for dinner.

Thanks

Caprese salad?? Veggie pate on toast? An individual vegetable tart from M&S or similar??

Buy in stuffed vine leaves with olives and hummus or tzatziki?
Bruschetta?
Salads?
Stuffed roasted pepper halves?

I was going to suggest mushroom paté, but not if the main course is mushrooms as well.

But caprese salad has mozzarella

No starters on Christmas day!
You're then too full for the main / pudding, plus it makes it too tricky to juggle the veg etc for the main event.
Just nibbles throughout the time running up to the meal is fine IMO. Crisps, nuts, cheese biscuits, sausage rolls etc.

Will you all be eating the same starter?? I would make the same salad with avocado etc - Boyfriend has his with roasted vegetables like some peppers, olives etc , and everyone else has the seafood. You could just buy a little tub of roasted vegetables in the supermarket, that would be quite nice and pretty easy for you to do.

Mary Berry did a stuffed mushroom on her latest Xmas show, just leave out the halloumi.

Skip the starters altogether and leave more room for the main event.

Mozarella is veggie - no rennet

The OP say she wants something for a vegetarian who doesn't like cheese.

So a salad of cheese, tomato and basil doesn't sound a sensible option.

Melon balls? That’s what I love for a starter and I’m the biggest carnivore going

Melon 🍈 🍉

Mushroom pate made with nuts rather than cream cheese

Does he like eggs, so fancy tart with eggs and cream with nuts/veggies in it

Nut based pastes or dips, bean dip with pine nuts etc?

I was going to say the same. Something with avocado, walnuts, pears.

Fruit kebab

Creamy garlic mushrooms with nice bread.
Bruschetta
Carrot, orange and avocado salad
Mushroom pate and toast or bread

Make it easy for yourself and give everyone the same thing. Personally I would ditch the starter completely, but if you all have big appetites, then a parsnip and chestnut soup?

roasted peppers in a pesto (non cheese type) or basil, olive oil and garlic dressing on salad leaves. Can cheat and use jarred marinated peppers even

Walnut, pear, grapefruit and rocket salad with a vinaigrette.

This salad is delicious. You can roast the carrots ahead of time and just assemble right before eating.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roasted-carrot-rocket-lentil-salad

Do same but different..avocado, pear, walnut salad

This is the sort of thing I'd ask chat gpt

I used to make a bruschetta with a bit of ‘free from’ pesto on top. Delish!

Oh yeah! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I'm not sure how crisps, nuts, cheese, sausages rolls etc "nibbled" consistently is any less filling than a starter.

Soup