Vegan Appetizer Recipes

photo by Theresa Raffetto

Not sure why, but vegan and vegetarian cookbooks rarely present many appetizer recipes to speak of, so hopefully you’ll find  the  wide array of choices here useful and appealing. A nice idea for entertaining (for the winter holidays or any casual occasion) is to offer a spread of hot and cold appetizers (instead of the usual sit-down dinner) with wine or cocktails, followed by a dessert buffet. If you need ideas for a vegan dessert buffet, we’ve got you covered there as well, of course, on the Vegan Dessert Recipes page.

Hot and warm appetizers

• Samosas and Fresh Mango Chutney
• Spinach or Arugula Strudel
• Individual Tortilla Pizzas
• Tortilla Spirals
• Avocado Quesadillas
• Vegan Nachos with Chili con Queso
• The Best Vegan Nachos
• Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Goi Cuan)
• Rosemary Roasted Mushrooms
• Scallion Pancakes with “Duck” Sauce
• Barbecue-Flavored Tofu Nuggets
• Broiled Mushrooms Teriyaki
• Nasu Dengaku (Japanese Eggplants Broiled with Miso)
• Kid-Friendly Baked Tofu Nuggets
• New Potatoes with Parsley and Almond Pesto

Finger foods and snacks

• Flavored Popcorn Recipes and Ideas
• Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips
• Pizza Kale Chips 
• Sweet and Savory Nuts and Pretzels
• Roasted Chestnuts
• Curry Popcorn and Nuts
• Nutty Cashew Dates
• Spicy Cilantro Crackers 
• Fingerling Potato Fries
• Potato Oven “Fries”
• Walnut Meat-less Balls

Dips and Spreads

• Easiest Hot Bean Dip
• Silken Tofu and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
• Lemon Walnut Bean Paté
• Cool and Spicy Black Bean Dip
• Green Pea, Parsley, and Pistachio Dip
• Dilled Miso-Tahini Dip
• Beet Muhummara
• Pistachio Pesto
• White Bean Dip
• Mock Chopped Liver (Cashew and Green Bean Paté)
• Avocado-Tahini Dip
• White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Paté
• Spinach and Cucumber Spread
• Classic Hummus, with Variations
• Baba Ghanouj (Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant and Tahini Dip)
• Roasted Eggplant with Artichoke Hearts
• Olivada

Salsas and guacamole

• Fresh Tomato Guacamole
• Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Salsa)
• Black Bean Salsa
• Super-Easy Guacamole
• Roasted Vegetable Guacamole
• Fresh Tomato Salsa (Salsa Ranchera)
• Pineapple Salsa
• Peach Salsa

Cheezy delights

• Vegan Brie Cheez
• Vegan Gooda Cheez
• Basic Herbed Cheese
• Raw Vegan Cheddar Cheese Spread
• Smoky Cheddar Cheeze
• Cheezy Tofu Spread with Pine Nuts
• Vegan Boursin®-Style Spread
• Chickpea and Hempseed Cheese-y Slices