74 starter recipes

Chilled raspberry dessert soup with strawberry wine, maple syrup, and lemon, thickened with arrowroot. Served cold with sour cream and fresh berries for an elegant summer starter.

Pâté de poulet en gelée layers poached chicken, broiled chicken livers, poached vegetables, and apple in individual aspic molds. Elegant French cold starter set in savory gelatin.

Sourdough rye bread with caraway and poppy seeds, made from a homemade starter built over four days. Two round loaves with a tangy crumb and egg-washed crust.

This recipe is a faily old (circa 1983) but reliable one, somwhere in between competition and eating and chili. It would be a good starter for any novice cook.

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.

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.

Chilled Molokai sweet potato soup with fish: a silky Hawaiian chilled soup of purple Molokai sweet potato, leeks, and limu seaweed, topped with chilled poached snapper. An island-inspired starter.

Rustic Italian yeast bread made with durum semolina flour and loaded with sautéed butternut squash, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Uses a biga starter for deep flavor and makes four golden loaves.

This colourful starter makes a great supper or lunch dish served with new green peas or a leafy salad. Its bright colours make it appealing to both adults and children and it easy to make.

Monastery oatmeal bread made with a sponge starter, rolled oats, and whole wheat flour for a hearty, deeply flavoured loaf. Two free-form ovals with a rustic oat-dusted crust, perfect for toast or sandwiches.