Do you love starters? I bet you do! I kind of worship them (no, this is not an exaggeration).
They seduce your taste buds but don’t bore them; they instead make them go mad and craving for more.
But many a time we end up concocting the same starters again and again. The same look, the same taste and the same feel.
What if we take a break from the monotony and try something new? What if we let our creative juices flow into our recipes and rustle up something incredibly magnificent?
Well, that is what you will be doing in sometime!
Relax and check out the most creative and scrumptious starter recipes you would have ever tasted. Let your taste buds toll!
1. Butternut Squash, Coconut And Lentil Stew:
Dietary Type
Vegetarian
What Do You Need
- 225 grams of yellow pigeon peas (toor dal)
- 1 diced Roma tomato
- 450 grams of butternut squash peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
- ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric
- 115 grams of fresh or frozen desiccated coconut
- 950 ml of vegetable stock or water
- 2 tablespoons of rapseed oil
- ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- 1 minced garlic
- 1 juiced lime
- 1 tablespoon of honey
What You Should Do
- Firstly rinse the pigeon peas in water.
- Take a large soup pot and drained pigeon peas, tomato, turmeric, coconut squash and cumin and vegetable stock to cover.
- Bring to a boil and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and simmer for another ten minutes.
- Take a small skillet and warm the rapeseed oil until shimmering.
- First add mustard seeds. Once they stop popping, add garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.
- Make sure to swirl the skillet nicely so that its contents cook properly, and then cook for another 10 seconds.
- Pour the contents into the soup.
- Finish with coriander, lime juice and honey.
2. Slow-Cooker Bean And Barley Soup:
High protein
What Do You Need
- 200 grams of dried mixed beans
- 3 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1.4 litres of water
- 2 sticks of chopped celery
- 2 chopped medium carrots
- 1 ½ tablespoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of dried Italian herb
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly grounded black pepper
- 15 grams of dried porcini mushrooms
- 80 grams of freshly grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 85 grams of baby spinach leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
What You Should Do
- Take the beans, garlic, water, tomatoes, barley, carrots, onion, celery, Italian herb, pepper, bay leaf, salt and porcini mushrooms and put them in a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook for about eight hours; until the beans become tender and the soup gets thick.
- Add spinach, vinegar and cheese and cook till the spinach wilts (for about five minutes).
- Season with salt and black pepper for taste.
3. Black Bean And Corn Salad:
Vegan
What Do You Need
- 4 ears corn with their husks removed
- 120 grams of diced red onion
- 5 grams of minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 60 ml of cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of sea salt
- 425 grams of tin black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 150 grams of diced red peppers
- 50 grams of julienned mangetout
What You Should Do
- Take a griddle and preheat it to medium.
- Turn the corn over the griddle till it is lightly charred.
- Place the corn on a cutting board and chop off its kernels using a sharp knife.
- Take a medium sauté pan and heat it between medium and high.
- First add olive oil. Then add red onions and red pepper.
- After sautéing for 3 minutes, add beans, corn and vinegar and sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Put in the garlic and mangetout and sauté for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and season it with salt and pepper.
4. Lentil Soup:
Low carb
What Do You Need
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 450 grams of lentils (picked and rinsed)
- 225 grams of peeled and chopped tomatoes
- 25 grams of finely chopped celery
- 150 grams of finely chopped onion
- 25 grams of finely chopped carrot
- 2L of chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon each of freshly ground toasted cumin, coriander seeds and grains of paradise
What You Should Do
- Take a large 6 litre Dutch oven and pour the olive oil into it.
- Set over medium heat. Once the oven has become hot, add the carrots, celeries, onions and salt and wait till the onions become translucent.
- Then add tomatoes, lentils, coriander, cumin and grains of paradise and stir to combine.
- Next, increase the heat to high and bring it just to a boil.
- Until the lentils become tender, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at low simmer.
- Cook for about 40 minutes. Once done, use a stick blended and puree to your preferred consistency.
5. Hummous:
Dairy Free
What Do You Need
- 4 garlic cloves
- 200 grams of tinned chickpeas
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- 80 ml of sesame paste
- 6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons of water from the chickpeas
- 8 dashes of Tabasco
What You Should Do
- Put the garlic in the food processor and process till it is completely minced.
- Now add the remaining ingredients into the food processor and process until the hummous is coarsely pureed.
- Once done, serve it chilled at room temperature.
6. Butternut Squash Soup With Chipotle Cream:
High fibre
What Do You Need
- 1 medium butternut squash that is halved lengthwise (seeds discarded and washed)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 chopped medium onion
- 2 chopped celery stalks
- 2 chopped carrots
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons of minced and canned chipotle chillies in adobo
- For the chipotle cream, you need 1 teaspoon of canned chipotle chillies in adobo (minced), 115 grams sour cream, salt, freshly ground black pepper
What You Should Do
- The first thing you need to do is preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Grease the sliced surface of the squash with one tablespoon of olive oil.
- Season it with salt and pepper.
- Arrange it on a baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes till it becomes very tender. After done, remove from the oven and let it cool.
- Take a large and heavy pot and put it over medium to high heat. To this, add the remaining onions, olive oil, carrots and celeries. Season this with a pinch of salt.
- Sauté for about ten minutes until they become tender.
- Now add garlic and sauté for two more minutes. Scoop the flesh off the butternut squash into the pot and stir well.
- To this add 900 ml of chicken stock and bring it to a boil. After this, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes till the vegetables become very tender.
- Take an immersion blender. After turning off the heat, use the immersion blender to puree the soup till it turns very smooth.
- Mix two teaspoons of chipotle with the soul and season with salt and pepper.
- Take a small bowl, add one teaspoon each of chipotle and sour cream and mix. Transfer the soup from the pot to bowls. Add this chipotle cream and serve! This is one of the best chicken starter recipes to try out.
7. Lightened-Up Stuffed Peppers:
Low Fat
What Do You Need
- 4 peppers of any colour
- 4 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small chopped onion
- 8 oz of 90 percent minced beef
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon each of ground cumin and cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
- ½ cup of long-grain rice
- 1/3 cup of brown lentils
- 1 cup of chicken stock (low salt)
- 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped dill and parsley
What You Should Do
- This is one of the most creative veg starter recipes to try out. To do this firstly preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chop the tops of the peppers and empty them. Sprinkle the insides with a pinch of salt and pepper and keep them aside.
- Take a large non-stick skillet and add oil. Put over medium heat and add garlic and onions. Cook for 3 minutes until they are softened.
- Now add oregano, beef, cumin and cinnamon. Add one teaspoon of tomato paste and stir. Put in rice and lentils and stir in the broth.
- After done, remove from the heat and keep it aside till the liquid is absorbed and the mixture cools down slightly. Season with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Equally divide the filling amongst the peppers and place the tops back on them.
- Place the peppers upright in a small baking dish. Mix the remaining tablespoon of tomato paste and olive oil with 1 ½ cups of water. Pour this mixture into the dish around the peppers. Cover tightly with a foil and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, till the peppers become tender.
- Pour the cooking liquid into a medium non-stick skillet after transferring the peppers to a serving dish.
- To thicken the sauce, boil over high heat. The sauce will reduce to ½ cup.
- Remove it from the heat and then add the dill.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve the sauce with the stuffed peppers!
8. 20-Minute Prawns and Couscous with Yoghurt-Hummus Sauce:
Low calorie
What Do You Need
- 200 grams of couscous
- 1 tablespoon of shop-bought hummus
- 100 grams of plain Greek yogurt
- Handful of cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 60 grams of dried and chopped apricots
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint or dill
- 570 grams of peeled and deveined prawns with tails removed
- ½ teaspoon of hot paprika
- Juice of ½ a lemon
What You Should Do
- Start with preheating the grill to high.
- Take the couscous, apricots and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and combine them in a bowl.
- Add 260 ml of very hot water to the bowl and cover it with a cling film. Leave it undisturbed for about 5 minutes, till the couscous becomes tender and all the water is absorbed.
- Take another bowl and add yogurt, mind, hummus and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir all, season with salt and aside.
- Take a baking sheet and spread the prawns, paprika, tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Broil for about 4 minutes till the shrimp is opaque and cooked through. Afterwards, drizzle with lemon juice.
- Fluff the couscous with the help of a fork. Take 4 plates and divide the prawn and couscous amongst them.
- Serve the prawns couscous with the sauce!
9. Crisp And Airy Waffles:
Gluten free
What Do You Need
- 1 cup of certified gluten-free rice flour
- ½ cup of certified gluten-free chickpea flour
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- ½ cup of certified gluten-free tapioca flour
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of fine salt
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs (separated)
- Pure maple syrup and soft unsalted butter (for topping)
- A waffle iron
What You Should Do
- To do this quick starter recipe first of all, preheat the waffle iron to medium – high. And then, preheat the oven to 95 degrees Celsius.
- Take the rice flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl and combine all of them thoroughly.
- Take another bowl and mix the milk, oil and egg yolks in it.
- In a third bowl, beat the egg whites for about 3 minutes till soft peaks form.
- Now pour the milk mixture in the rice flour mixture and gently, but thoroughly stir. After done, fold in the egg whites.
- Take oil and lightly brush the top and bottom of the waffle iron with it. Fill the three fourths of the waffle iron.
- Close the lid and cook for about 7 minutes, till the waffles turn into golden brown. Keep the cooked waffles in the oven so that they stay warm as you prepare the remaining waffles.
- Serve with maple syrup and butter and enjoy!
10. Tuna And Avocado On Toast With Crunchy Slaw And Five Spice-Oranges:
Low cholesterol
What Do You Need
- 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of toasted and slivered almonds
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 3 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- 3 teaspoons of light soy sauce
- 4 chopped spring onions
- 4 cups of prepared coleslaw mix
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Two 5-ounce cans of solid white tuna packed in water (which has to be drained)
- 1 ½ teaspoons of toasted sesame oil
- 1 avocado (firm-ripe)
- 4 slices of whole wheat bread (lightly toasted)
- ½ cup of alfalfa or broccoli sprouts
- 3 oranges (cut into wedges)
- ½ teaspoon of five-spice powder
- Four 6-ounce glasses of semi-skimmed milk
What You Should Do
- Take 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, honey, ginger, almonds, half of the spring onions and some pepper. Combine them thoroughly. Then toss with the coleslaw mix and set the mixture aside.
- Take the remaining spring onions, mayonnaise, sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar, tuna and some pepper and mix them all together. Divide them evenly amongst the slices of bread.
- Take the avocado and cut it into thin slices. Fan a quarter of avocado across each sandwich and garnish with the sprouts. Use vinegar to drizzle and sprinkle a little bit of pepper.
- Now, toss the oranges with the 5-spice. Divide the sandwiches, oranges and slaw among four plates and serve with milk.
These were some of the easy starter recipes for you to try out. I can see you lured by the scrumptious dishes! So why the wait? Rush into your kitchen and bring your culinary skills into action! Who knows? You might be the next legendary gourmet!
