Vegan Starters: Creative Vegan Recipes for Your Kitchen

A good starter awakens the appetite, delivers contrast (acid, salt, sweetness, umami), and plays with temperature (hot and cold) and texture (creamy and crunchy). Eating vegan doesn't mean going without, it means precise flavor building and technique. For vegan starters, you work with five levers: acid, salt, fat, heat, and texture.

What Basic Ingredients Should You Always Have on Hand for Vegan Starters?

• Acid ingredients: organic lemons, limes, mild apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, sherry vinegar
• Umami ingredients (savory, rich flavor): miso paste, tamari/soy sauce, nutritional yeast flakes, dried shiitake, tomato paste, black garlic
• Fats and oils: good olive oil, canola oil, toasted sesame oil, coconut fat for high heat
• Ingredients for creaminess and binding: tahini, peanut butter, almond butter, coconut milk, aquafaba

(chickpea water; whips like egg whites)

• Ingredients for crunch: panko, toasted nuts and seeds (peanut, hazelnut, almond, sesame), lentil or rice crackers
• Fresh ingredients: bunched herbs (parsley, cilantro, chives, dill), microgreens, seasonal vegetables
• Ingredients for heat: fresh ginger, red or yellow chilis, harissa, gochujang
• Ingredients for sweetness: dates, maple syrup, rice syrup
• Texture helpers: agar-agar (plant-based gelling agent), locust bean gum, arrowroot starch
• Fermented ingredients: sauerkraut, kimchi (vegan), kombucha/vinegar mother for dressings

We don't cook for likes, we cook for wow.

What Gives a Vegan Starter That Special Touch?

• Contrast: creamy on crunchy, fresh on warm, sweetness against acid
• Acid as a palate cleanser: a splash of lemon or lime right before serving
• Umami layering: miso, roasted mushrooms, and tomato water instead of just salt
• Temperature play: cold tartare on warm toast, lukewarm mushrooms on a cool cream
• Smoke: a quick sear, tea or wood smoke, smoked paprika
• Fermented notes: small amounts of kimchi or sauerkraut juice in the dressing
• Herb oils and "finishing oils": chive oil, chili oil, lemon oil
• Crunch at the very end: nuts, panko, crispy onions added only when plating
• Salt quality: flaky salt as a finishing touch (bold flavor, better texture)

Seasonal. Sensory. Stylish.

Vegan Starters – Key Terms Explained

• Umami: the fifth taste, savory and rich (e.g. miso, mushrooms, dried tomato)
• Emulsion: a fine blend of fat and water (e.g. vinaigrette)
• Reduction: reducing a liquid by simmering to concentrate flavor
• Gremolata: an Italian herb mix of parsley, lemon zest, and garlic
• Dukkah: a North African spice and nut crunch
• Dashi: a Japanese base broth; vegan when made with kombu seaweed and shiitake

12 Vegan Starter Recipes: Warm and Cold Vegan Starters

1. Cold Vegan Starter Recipe: Golden Beet Carpaccio with Peanut Dukkah, Apple, and Horseradish Oil

Bavarian golden beets and crisp apple with a nutty, spicy contrast. West Africa meets Bavaria through peanut and horseradish.

Ingredients (for 6 plates):

• 3 golden beets, thinly sliced
• 1 tart apple, cut into fine matchsticks
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 40 g peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin
• 50 ml olive oil
• 1-2 tsp freshly grated horseradish
• Dill
• Salt

Recipe (for 6 plates):

1. For the dukkah: coarsely crush the peanuts, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin in a mortar, then season with salt.
2. For the horseradish oil: mix 50 ml olive oil with 1-2 tsp freshly grated horseradish and a pinch of salt.
3. To plate: arrange the beet slices in a fan shape. Then layer on the apple matchsticks, horseradish oil, dukkah, flaky salt, and dill in that order.

2. Cold Vegan Starter Recipe: Kohlrabi Tartare with Chive Oil and Pretzel Crunch

Bavarian kohlrabi as a tartare, chive oil brings a spring-meadow note, pretzel adds a malty crunch.

Ingredients:

• Kohlrabi, very finely diced
• Pretzels
• Lemon juice
• 1 tsp miso paste
• Olive oil
• Neutral vegetable oil
• Chives
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Marinate the kohlrabi with lemon juice, salt, miso paste, and olive oil.
2. Blend the chives finely with neutral oil.
3. Toast the pretzel dry, then crumble it.
4. Plate on spoons and serve, drizzling with the chive oil.

3. Cold Vegan Starter Recipe: Tomato Water "Ceviche" with Cucumber, Lime, and Roasted Corn

Tomato water as a "leche de tigre," crisp cucumber, corn crunch.

Ingredients:

• Ripe tomatoes, chopped
• Cucumber, diced
• Roasted corn (from a bag)
• Lime juice
• Chili
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Salt the ripe tomatoes and let the tomato water drip through a clean cloth.
2. Season the tomato water with a bit of lime juice, chili, salt, and maple syrup.
3. Briefly marinate the cucumber.
4. Roughly chop the roasted corn.
5. Pour the seasoned tomato water into glasses. Layer cucumber and corn on top.

4. Cold Vegan Starter Recipe: Beet Labneh (Vegan) with Caraway and Rye Chips

Plant-based yogurt strained overnight into labneh, mixed with beet and caraway, served alongside crispy rye.

Ingredients:

• 500 g vegan yogurt
• 80 g beets, finely grated
• Rye bread
• Lemon zest
• Caraway
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Strain vegan yogurt through a cheesecloth for 12 hours to make labneh.
2. Mix the labneh with grated beet and season with salt and lemon zest.
3. Briefly toast the caraway, then crush it in a mortar.
4. Slice rye bread very thin and toast into chips.
5. Serve the beet labneh with caraway and rye chips.

5. Cold Vegan Starter Recipe: Radish Salad with Hibiscus Vinaigrette & Hazelnut

Bavarian radish, a bright, tangy hibiscus note, toasted hazelnut.

Ingredients:

• Dried hibiscus flowers
• Radish
• Rice vinegar
• Maple syrup
• Toasted hazelnuts
• Cress
• Neutral vegetable oil
• Flaky salt
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Steep the dried hibiscus flowers in hot water.
2. Emulsify with rice vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and oil.
3. Shave the radish and marinate for 5 minutes.
4. Serve the radish with hazelnut, cress, and a pinch of flaky salt.

6. Cold Vegan Starter Recipe: Baba Ghanoush on Pretzel Chips with Cucumber Pickles

Smoky eggplant on crunchy pretzel, freshness from quick pickles.

Ingredients:

• Eggplant
• Cucumber, thinly sliced
• Tahini
• Lemon juice
• Garlic, chopped
• Pretzel roll
• Vinegar
• Sugar
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Roast the eggplant over an open flame, or in the oven as an alternative.
2. Peel the roasted eggplant, mash it, and season with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
3. Slice the pretzel roll thin and roast in the oven at 300°F until crispy.
4. Marinate the cucumber in vinegar, sugar, and salt for 15 minutes.
5. Plate the baba ghanoush and serve with pretzel chips and cucumber pickles.

7. Warm Vegan Starter Recipe: Chanterelle Mushrooms on Creamy Polenta with Parsley Salsa Verde

Earthy mushrooms, a creamy base, herb-fresh acidity.

Ingredients:

• Polenta
• Vegetable stock
• Almond milk
• Chanterelle mushrooms
• Neutral vegetable oil
• Parsley, finely chopped
• Capers
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Half a garlic clove, finely chopped
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Cook the polenta in vegetable stock, finish creamy with a bit of almond milk, and season.
2. Sauté the chanterelles hard in vegetable oil and salt well.
3. For the salsa verde: blend the parsley, capers, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic finely.
4. Plate the polenta with chanterelles and salsa verde on spoons.

8. Warm Vegan Starter Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Akara with Mango Chili and Lime

Ingredients (for 16 small fritters):

• 250 g black-eyed peas
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 chili pepper, finely chopped
• Frying oil
• Mango, finely diced
• Lime juice
• Sesame oil
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Soak the black-eyed peas overnight, then rub off the skins and rinse.
2. Blend the black-eyed peas finely with the shallot, chili, 1 tsp salt, and 80 ml water. Let swell for 10 minutes.
3. Shape into 16 portions and deep-fry at 340°F until golden brown.
4. For the dip: blend the mango with lime juice, salt, and a bit of toasted sesame oil.

9. Warm Vegan Starter Recipe: Sweet Potato Peanut Soup in an Espresso Cup with Lime Foam

Inspired by mafé – served as an elegant shot.

Ingredients:

• Shallot, finely chopped
• Ginger, finely chopped
• Sweet potato, diced
• Vegetable stock
• Peanut butter
• Lime juice
• Aquafaba
• Lime juice

Preparation:

1. Sweat the shallot and ginger.
2. Add the sweet potato and simmer with vegetable stock and peanut butter. Blend smooth with an immersion blender.
3. Stir in the lime juice.
4. Optional: whip the aquafaba with lime juice into a foam and add on top.
5. Pour the sweet potato peanut soup into espresso cups and top with the lime foam.

10. Warm Vegan Starter Recipe: Crispy Tofu "Yakitori" with Malt Beer Glaze and Sesame

A Japanese technique with a Bavarian twist thanks to dark malt beer.

Ingredients:

• Plain tofu
• Malt beer
• Soy sauce
• Maple syrup
• Ginger, finely chopped
• Garlic, finely chopped
• Sesame seeds
• Green onion, thinly sliced
• Neutral vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Press the liquid out of the tofu, then cube it.
2. For the glaze: reduce the malt beer, soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic.
3. Fry the tofu in vegetable oil, then glaze with the malt beer sauce.
4. Plate the tofu and top with sesame seeds and green onion.

11. Warm Vegan Starter Recipe: Roasted Carrot with Peanut Mafé Glaze & Parsley Gremolata

Sweet carrot, deep peanut umami, citrus herbs as a sharp counterpoint.

Ingredients:

• Carrots
• Neutral vegetable oil
• Salt
• Peanut butter
• Tomato paste
• Soy sauce
• Chili, finely chopped
• Parsley, finely chopped
• Lemon zest
• Garlic, finely chopped
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Toss the carrots with oil and salt and roast in the oven at 400°F.
2. For the glaze: blend peanut butter with tomato paste, soy sauce, chili, and a bit of water, then bring to a brief boil.
3. For the gremolata: mix parsley with lemon zest and garlic.
4. Glaze the carrots and serve with the gremolata.

12. Warm Vegan Starter Recipe: Kohlrabi Wonton with Lemongrass & Shiitake Dashi

Light dumplings, an intensely flavorful vegan broth.

Ingredients:

• Kohlrabi, finely diced
• Shiitake, diced
• Miso paste
• Pepper
• Wonton wrappers
• Kombu
• Dried shiitake
• Chive oil
• Neutral vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Sweat the kohlrabi and shiitake in vegetable oil. Season with miso paste and pepper.
2. Fill the wonton wrappers with the kohlrabi-shiitake mixture and seal.
3. For the dashi: steep the kombu with dried shiitake for 30 minutes. Season with salt.
4. Simmer the wontons for 3-4 minutes.
5. Plate the wontons and serve with the dashi and chive oil.

Wine & Drink Pairings for Vegan Starters

• Acid-forward white wines: Riesling, Silvaner, Sauvignon Blanc
• A sparkling pet-nat
• Non-alcoholic drinks: a shrub (vinegar syrup) with soda water, or hop lemonade with umami-heavy dishes

Prep Is Everything in Vegan Cooking: Mise-en-Place Tips from the Chef

• Fill dressings and oils into squeeze bottles
• Color-code containers (sweet/acid/umami)
• Keep cold and warm kitchen stations separate
• Store garnishes in lidded gastronorm trays
• Do a test plating 48 hours before the meal, and take a photo as your reference
• Label allergens (e.g. nuts, sesame, soy, gluten)