442 starter recipes

Classic German Birnensuppe: fresh pears simmered with cinnamon and aniseed, blended silky smooth, stirred with sherry-plumped raisins and lemon. Served ice cold as a light starter or dessert.

Elegant pureed soup with apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, lemon, and white wine. Thickened with arrowroot and finished with sour cream. Serve warm for a sophisticated starter or light dessert.

Chilled orange mango soup with pureed ripe mangoes, buttermilk, fresh orange juice, honey, and orange zest. A creamy no-cook cold fruit soup served as an elegant summer starter.

Vermouth-poached monkfish or halibut nestled in golden shortcrust pastry shells with a zesty dill and mustard mayo. An elegant seafood starter that comes together in just 20 minutes.

Real egg shells hollowed out and filled with dark chocolate hazelnut ganache, then chilled and served in egg cups. A stunning conversation-starter dessert for Easter or dinner parties.

This elegant chilled tomato consomme blends ripe tomatoes, green peppers, and leek into a crystal-clear broth, served cold with fresh chives and pimiento for a light summer starter.

Cold avocado soup blended with sauteed garlic, tomato, heavy cream, and a hint of chili powder. Silky, chilled, and finished with a citrus twist. A French-style summer starter.

Cream of spinach soup pureed silky-smooth with butter-sauteed onion, celery, chicken broth, sherry, and a finishing splash of cream and nutmeg. The classic French-style starter soup.

Grilled goat cheese salad with sweet-and-sour caramelized Spanish onions, sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, and mixed greens. A classic French bistro starter that eats like a full meal.

Marinated shrimp piled into ripe avocado halves with pickled jalapeño, sweet onion, and a zippy lemon-vinegar bath. A no-fuss Mexican-inspired starter that's bright, cool, and creamy.

Restaurant-style crab cakes bound in a light herbed batter instead of breadcrumbs, fried golden in clarified butter and plated over silky beurre blanc with julienned peppers and capers. An elegant starter or main.

Crab rangoon stuffs creamy crab and Worcestershire-spiked filling into crisp wonton wrappers, deep-fried until golden. The classic takeout starter you can make at home in under 30 minutes.

Chilled Caribbean papaya-orange soup blends ripe papaya, fresh OJ, and a hint of cumin into a silky, refreshing starter. Topped with crunchy almonds and coconut for a tropical twist.

Casareccio is a rustic Italian wholewheat bread made with biga starter, yielding 3 crusty loaves with a chewy crumb. Fold in walnuts, pistachios, or black olives for your own twist.

Steamed cherrystone clams in a white wine, garlic, and butter broth loaded with a full dozen garlic cloves, scallions, and Italian herbs. A punchy seafood starter served with crusty bread.

Welsh mussel pate with herring roe, brandy, cream, and dill, baked in a bain-marie until set. A rich, briny seafood starter from the Menai Strait served on toast fingers.