Easy starter recipes
Make entertaining a breeze by serving up one of our easy starter recipes. There’s plenty of starter recipe ideas for every time of year, including fresh summer dishes, cosy autumnal numbers and simple dishes that look impressive enough to serve as your Christmas starter, or at your next dinner party.
It can be hard to know what to make for a starter, but we think it’s an opportunity to really experiment and impress, without too much faff. It’s your chance to get taste-buds going, so have a bit of fun with it. For instance, our go-to starter ideas would be these white bean crostini with anchovy and lemon salsa, a whole lot of flavour, and no stress on the cook’s part. Chicken liver pâté is a gorgeous make-ahead option too, and it’s much easier to prepare than you might think. If you’ve a little more time, impress with our hake cigars with saffron yogurt or give vegetarians something to remember with our tomato and burrata salad with basil oil.
Our easy starter recipes include healthy soups, colourful salads, tartlets, smoked salmon, seafood starters and other easy-but-impressive dishes. And you know what make-ahead starter will never let you down? Miso devilled eggs! Explore over 100 party nibbles, if you’re looking for something more casual.
Showing 1-16 of 92 recipes
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Leeks
Leek and spring greens soup with soft eggs and crispy capers
This verdant leek and spring greens soup from Rosie Mackean can be made in advance, making it perfect for spring entertaining.
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Easy
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Indian sides
Asma Khan’s fish pakoras
Asma Khan's versatile fish pakoras work as a starter, canapé or as part of a meal. The golden fritters are delicious with coriander chutney.
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Easy
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Tofu
Air fryer salt and pepper tofu
Recreate a classic takeaway dish at home. Cooking salt and pepper tofu in an air fryer gives a crisp coating without using lots of oil.
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Easy
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Scones
Wheaten scones with comté and pickled walnuts
These crumbly wheaten scones make the perfect starter for six people, served with nutty comté cheese and pickled walnuts.
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Easy
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Pork recipes from around the world
Indonesian minced pork cakes with chilli and lemongrass sambal
Petty Elliott's moreish Indonesian minced pork cakes are accompanied by a fragrant chilli and lemongrass sambal and are great to share.
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Easy
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Spicy recipes
Thai fruit salad (Yum-pol-la-mai )
Thai fruit salad has a moreish combination of sweet, savoury and salty flavours. This yum-pol-la-mai includes strawberries, mango and apples.
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Easy
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New Year's Eve recipes
Mini laab (larb) buns
Ravinder Bhogal's mini laab (or larb) buns are stuffed with pork and prawns, plus plenty of aromatics. Serve as a dinner party starter.
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Medium
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Orange and clove Christmas tapenade
Olive-based dip tapenade gets an orangey twist and a hint of Christmas spice from the clove. Perfect for festive entertaining – and quick!
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Easy
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Camembert
Baked camembert with harissa honey
Oozy, gooey cheese drizzled with a fiery, sweet topping; this easy baked camembert with honey recipe is perfect for entertaining.
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Easy
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Houmous
Ultimate instant houmous
Make your best ever homemade houmous with chef Helen Graham's recipe. This instant houmous is creamy, silky and ready in minutes.
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Easy
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Easy starters
Socca (or farinata) with prawns, chickpeas and peppers
Debora Robertson shares her easy recipe for the Provençal chickpea flatbread, socca. This popular snack is known as farinata in Italy.
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Easy
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Prawns
Gamberi alla busara (prawns with cherry tomato sauce)
This recipe for prawns with a spicy tomato sauce hails from Italy's Veneto region. Enjoy with crusty bread or as a sauce for pasta.
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Easy
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Easy salmon
Salmon and avocado summer rolls
Uyen Luu shares her recipe for salmon and avocado summer rolls. Vietnamese rice paper rolls are stuffed with salmon, avo and fresh herbs.
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Easy
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Sustainable recipes
Fish scrap croquettes
These herby croquettes filled with fluffy mash and surrounded by a crisp breadcrumb coating are the perfect vehicle for any scraps of fish.
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Medium
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Summer salads and sides
Parma ham, halloumi, strawberry and mint
This speedy parma ham starter pairs the ham with salty halloumi cheese, sweet strawberries and fresh mint.
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Easy
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Prawn cocktails
Prawn cocktail platter
Create the ultimate prawn cocktail platter with proper marie rose dip made with homemade mayo, prawns and crisp lettuce leaves.
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Easy
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