Appetizer recipe collection

Smoky eggplant salad mashed with tomatoes, cayenne pepper, and olive oil, served chilled as a dip or spread. A simple vegetarian appetizer with a spicy kick.

Fiery chili salsa for canning: fire-roasted hot peppers and red bells blended with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and vinegar. Shelf-stable jars of serious heat for tacos, eggs, or chili bowls.

The cheese-filled salmon rolls are sliced into rounds for lovely presentation. They make an elegant appetizer.

Kobeba samakeyah are Lebanese fish-filled bulgur croquettes seasoned with cumin and cilantro, deep-fried golden, and served with homemade tahini sauce. A Middle Eastern classic.

Savory crepes filled with wine-braised leeks, shiitake mushrooms, and herbs, topped with a rich red wine mushroom sauce. An elegant vegetarian main that impresses.

Penne pasta salad with kalamata olives, dried currants, toasted pine nuts, and red onion in a curry-cumin parsley vinaigrette. A Mediterranean-meets-Indian make-ahead side.

Penne with Provencal Eggplant & Sweet Peppers recipe

Black olive paste (pure di olive nere) blends pitted Italian or French olives with olive oil, lemon, pepper, and bread crumbs. Italian-style spread for crostini, sandwiches, and pasta. Vegan, keeps for weeks.

Roman bean soup with lima beans, fresh tomatoes, and a bright squeeze of lemon. Half-pureed for a rustic, creamy texture that feels like a warm Italian afternoon.

Salsa gruda is a chilled fresh tomato salsa with crushed coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and a splash of red wine vinegar. A no-cook condiment built for grilled chicken or fish.

Turkish-style sauteed eggplant with a garlicky tomato sauce finished with vinegar. Salted and drained for silky, golden slices. Served warm or at room temperature.

Whole artichokes stuffed with mushrooms, ham, Parmesan and bread crumbs, then slow-smoked until tender and infused with woodsy flavor. A show-stopping appetizer for your next cookout.

The sauce here is no kin whatsoever to the ketchupy stuff that too often swamps cold seafood; it's a good bet with cold shrimp or crabmeat, too.

Crystal-clear dumpling wrappers reveal a savory filling of shrimp, pork, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. These bite-sized dim sum gems steam in just minutes and disappear even faster from the plate.

Fresh cucumber rounds hollowed out and filled with roasted eggplant paté blended with almonds, garlic, and parsley. A cool, elegant vegetarian appetizer that looks as good as it tastes.

A rustic, slow-simmered vegetable soup packed with navy beans, zucchini, carrots, turnips, and tomatoes, finished with fresh basil and Parmesan. Feeds a crowd with just 10 minutes of prep.