170 starter recipes

A simple overnight yeast sponge starter made with just flour, water, and active dry yeast. The base for flavorful homemade bread with better texture and deeper taste.

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.

Silky chilled fennel soup, fennel simmered with shallots and garlic, pureed with lemon and dill, then blended with cool yogurt. A light, tangy, anise-kissed soup served cold as a refreshing starter.

A vibrant Moroccan-style salad of grilled and skinned bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, and Spanish onion dressed in a simple garlic, olive oil, and vinegar vinaigrette. Served chilled for a refreshing side dish or starter.

Yeasted anise biscotti from Genoa, made with a sponge starter for a lighter, bread-like crumb. Twice-baked with butter and aniseed, these are nothing like ordinary biscotti.

Cold strawberry soup blended with buttermilk and a touch of sugar. Only 4 ingredients, no cooking required. A light, tangy summer starter or dessert, garnished with fresh mint.

A chilled Hungarian-style cherry soup made with Bing cherries, claret wine, cinnamon, and lemon, thickened with egg yolk. Served cold as an elegant starter or light meal.

Chilled strawberry soup blended from fresh strawberries, yogurt, orange juice, and honey. A no-cook, 5-minute cold fruit soup that doubles as dessert or a refreshing starter.

Fennel Nicoise braises quartered fennel with tomatoes, white wine, and thyme for a silky Provencal side dish served cold. A do-ahead starter from the South of France.

Traditional German rye sourdough starter (Sauerteig): a three-phase rye flour and water leaven built over 3 days for authentic German rye bread baking. Maintainable and long-keeping.

Savory honeydew melon tossed with rice vinegar, fresh chile strips, and torn cilantro. A four-ingredient cool fruit salad that turns sweet melon into a Thai-inspired brunch starter.

A retro Southern appetizer of boiled shrimp suspended in seasoned consommé aspic with lemon, green onion, and a kick of hot sauce. Unmold onto crackers for a showstopping starter.

Chilled berry buttermilk soup with blueberries or strawberries, orange zest, and tangy buttermilk blended until smooth. A cold fruit soup that works as a refreshing summer starter or light dessert.

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.