10 Easy Vegan Italian Starters and Appetizers
Looking for some mouthwatering ways to kick off an Italian meal? You are at the right place! These 10 Easy Vegan Italian Starters and Appetizers are perfect for just that!
These simple vegan recipes are oh so delicious, easy to make, and are sure to please a crowd, vegan or not!
What makes an excellent Vegan Italian Starter
When preparing a dinner menu, you are typically thinking about 3 rounds of food, aka courses. The starters or appetizers, the main course or entree, and dessert. All courses play an important roll in making a dinner memorable and satisfying for your guests.
I think we can all agree, the starters / appetizers / first course are extremely important! This is the introduction to the meal…the first bites your guests will be taking…the food they will be picking at as they sip wine and slip into conversation. We want to give this portion of the meal the time and thought it deserves!
VEGAN ITALIAN STARTERS THAT WILL SATIFY YOUR GUESTS WITHOUT FILLING THEM UP
The starters and appetizers of a meal are the first course, as in one of several…so we don’t want to completely fill up our guests on the first round before their main dish. Because of this, it is important to strategically plan your array of Italian starters.
Of course you want your guests to be satisfied, so creating Italian starters that are flavorful is super important. But we don’t want our starters to be too heavy.
This list of Italian starters and appetizers is super flavorful, each recipe is slightly indulgent with the addition of bread or vegan cheese playing a role in some…but they are all loaded with fresh, light veggies that won’t take up too much space in your guests bellies.
VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN ITALIAN STARTERS THAT NON-VEGANS WILL ENJOY
Typically, dinner parties and gatherings have a variety of people with different dietary needs and restrictions. It’s important to have options that everyone can eat.
This list of recipes is completely vegan, so those avoiding dairy, eggs, or other animal products will be thrilled. But they are also incredibly flavorful and will satisfy most non-vegans as well!
VEGAN ITALIAN STARTERS THAT ARE EASY AND QUICK TO PREPARE
We all know that preparing dinner for a group of people is no easy feat. You want each course to be delicious of course, but if you can avoid spending too much extra time in the kitchen, that is always idle!
This list of vegan Italian starters and appetizers are all super simple to prepare and are great recipes for beginners! Each recipe can also be prepared ahead of time so you can really get ahead of the game.
1. MARINARA AND VEGAN MOZZ DIP : WITH MIYOKO’S LIQUID MOZZARELLA
This recipe is heaven! It’s basically pizza in a bowl. With just a few ingredients and less than five minutes of prep work, you can prepare this crowd pleasing appetizer in no time!
Made with jarred sauce, Miyoko’s liquid mozzarella, fresh basil, Italian seasoning and toasted bread. This marinara and vegan mozz dip is perfect for all ages, but is especially popular at the kids table. And with Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella tasting incredibly like regular dairy mozzarella…everyone, vegan or not will be pleased with this Italian starter.
2. WARM MARINATED OLIVES FOR CHARCUTERIE BOARD
If you have not had the pleasure of experiencing the incredible flavor of a marinated olive…today is the day! These warm marinated olives are incredibly simple to make, but are worth every second of your time. Trust me, once you’ve had these babies, it’s hard to go back to the plain, non-marinated version of olives.
Olives are fantastic on their own, but simmer them in a pot with olive oil, citrus peel, garlic, and fresh herbs…you and your guest will be in love! Perfect recipe to prepare days ahead of time to make your life that much easier on the day of your dinner party.
3. VEGAN BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES WITH FIGS AND ROSEMARY AGAVE
We all love our fresh veggies…but including fresh fruit in your vegan Italian starter…whole new level! This super simple appetizer recipe is very easy to make, but tastes like it could be on the menu of an upscale restaurant.
Give your guests a unique combo of flavors with this sweet and savory plant based cheese plate! Made with vegan blue cheese crumbles, fresh figs, and a house made rosemary agave. This vegan blue cheese from Follow Your Heart tastes so much like the original dairy version, all of your blue cheese eating guests will be drooling over this Italian starter.
4. EASY BALSAMIC BLACK GARLIC KNOTS USING PILLSBURY DOUGH
Have you been curious about black garlic, but too intimidated to use it? This is now your chance!
Easy to make garlic knots using Pillsbury dough, filled with balsamic black garlic spread. With very little time and effort you can impress your guests with these pillowy knots of heaven.
5. VEGAN PESTO RECIPE WITH WALNUTS
Pesto sauce is super versatile. You can pour it over pasta, spread it on a sandwich, serve it on crackers with cheese…the list goes on. Pesto is perfect to include along side your favorite bread for dipping or as a tasty addition to your charcuterie board. With pesto’s main ingredient basil, which pairs well with Italian everything, this pesto sauce with walnuts makes a perfect, versatile, vegan Italian starter!
6. ITALIAN HOAGIE SALAD
Italian hoagies are absolutely delicious…but they are HEAVY. But there’s a solution for that! This vegan Italian hoagie salad has all of the flavor of an Italian hoagie, but it’s waaaay lighter, making it the perfect starter or side dish for an Italian meal.
Super easy to make and loaded with flavor, this Italian hoagie salad also makes an excellent light lunch for those looking for a super healthy option.
7. EASY GARLIC KNOTS USING PILLSBURY DOUGH
Garlic knots are always a hit at any dinner party. They pair well with soup, salad, pasta, you name it! Lucky for you and your dinner guests, there is an incredibly easy way to make them. Use Pillsbury dough! Several options of Pillsbury dough happen to be vegan, making them a perfect candidate for home made vegan garlic knots. These easy garlic knots using Pillsbury dough can be prepped and ready in a flash. This is an excellent recipe for beginners and kids love making them too!
8. SMOKY FRA DIAVOLO WITH SLICED BAGUETTE
Looking to turn up the heat in the kitchen and impress your seafood loving guests? This recipe is it! This smoky Fra Diavolo is a vegan version of Seafood Fra Diavolo and it is absolutely incredible. This dish is nice and spicy. It creates an essence of seafood with a mix of vegetables, chickpeas, and clever combination of seasoning! This dish is perfect served with fresh sliced baguette as a crowd pleasing, Italian starter.
9. ANTIPASTO COUSCOUS SALAD
Sometimes you are hosting an event of guests that are mostly non-vegan. When this happens its helpful to have a recipe that can serve as a starter or side dish for some, but is hearty enough that it could be the main course for your vegan and vegetarian guests. This antipasto couscous salad is absolutely perfect for just that!
This recipe has it all! The abundance of veggies and greens make it light and healthy, while the vegan sausage, vegan cheese, and couscous give this salad enough substance and bulk to fill you up if you have a larger bowl of it. This vegan antipasto is perfect for meal prep and prepping ahead as well!
10. VEGAN SAUSAGE & COUSCOUS SOUP
A nice bowl of soup is one of the best ways to kick off a meal, especially on a cold day. This vegan sausage and couscous soup is very simple to make and loaded with flavor. It is a perfect candidate for a vegan Italian starter or side dish. And the vegan sausage is so delicious, even your meat-eating guests will approve!
