vegetarian appetizer

[Farrar]

I'm going to a potluck tomorrow (or, um, today... my sleep is all off... and that's another story...) and we're all supposed to bring an appetizer and a dessert. It's a noshy affair, obviously. I have a dessert in mind, but not an appetizer. Most of the attendees are vegetarian, so that's pretty much expected. I feel like carrot sticks and hummus ain't cutting it but I'm feeling super uninspired.

 

Bonus points if it's something my kids will eat. None of us like mushrooms. I don't like really spicy things. Um... none of us like tofu much.

Edited August 6, 2016 by Farrar

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Can you heat it up at the party?  If so, I'd do some potato skins  (minus the bacon)

 

Otherwise...  homemade guacamole is awesome.

Edited August 6, 2016 by Monica_in_Switzerland

[whitestavern]

I don't have a recipe handy but I've made a veggie galette app before that's gotten rave reviews. You could probably find some recipes via Google. They're pretty easy.

 

Another easy one is baked garlic cloves and kalamatas. Use equal amounts. Add some olive oil and wine. Bake until garlic is soft. Serve with a sliced baguette.

 

Deviled eggs?

 

Chips and black bean salsa?

 

Mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, basil leaf on toothpick skewers. Drizzle with a little olive oil?

[regentrude]

Carrot sticks and hummus are fine - just up the level of presentation if it is a fancy affair.

Get some Belgian Endive and separate the leaves. Put a dollop of hummus and some slivers of carrot on individual leaves, arrange leaves on a platter.

The leaves are sturdy and can be picked up by hand without sagging; they make great edible, one serving containers for all kinds of soft dips/salads etc.

[Ottakee]

Taco roll ups

1 can vegetarian refried beans

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1 packet cream cheese

 

Mix together and spread on flour tortillas and sprinkle with finely shredded cheddar or taco cheese, roll up. Chill

Cut into 1/3s or pinwheels. Serve plain or with salsa.

[ktgrok]

If cheese/dairy are okay, you can do baked brie with jam and bread, or spinach dip in a round of bread. Or a spread of sliced yummy cheeses with some grapes and crackers. 

[kewb]

Cherry tomatoes stuffed with goat cheese.

 

Scoop out center if tomato. Pipe in cheese. Arrange on platter.

[zoobie]

Run to Costco and grab the tiny tomatoes, tiny balls of mozzarella (in small packs, which is annoying, but cheaper than anywhere around me), and a jar of their pesto in the refrigerated section. Stick a tomato and a ball of mozz on a toothpick. Thin some pesto with a small splash of red wine vinegar and serve on the side to dip. You can drizzle them with it too if you like.

 

Or, get their hummus and tzaziki and pita chips and cucumbers for a Greek dip plate.

[medawyn]

A thin, crispy cracker with a light spread of hummus topped with one or two thin slices of cucumber, a drop of good olive oil and salt and pepper. Sounds simplistic, but tastes amazing!

[Acadie]

In a shallow bowl or casserole, spread a layer of goat cheese, then a layer of store-bought pesto, then chopped tomato on top. Serve with crackers.

 

Amy

[poppy]

My go-to is baby white potatoes boiled (skin on) served with a bowl of Costco's pesto.  Guest grab a potato, dip in pesto, bite. 
Sounds weird, is delicious.

 

Or, candied nuts are always good.

[heartlikealion]

Another vote for hummus.

 

Do you have any stores with hummus samplers? We got one at Whole Foods before and it has 4 varieties. That is, if you aren't making your own.

 

I personally don't like those hard break your teeth pita chips that I think are meant for hummus. I actually like to use naan bread. I don't mind carrots, pretzels or corn chips for dipping in hummus, either.

[chocolatechip]

My vote is Caprese salad - you could skewer them, or serve it on a platter, or use mozzarella balls and mix it up in a bowl according to what strikes your fancy today! :) Now I'm hungry. . .

[umsami]

Brie cheese and red pepper jelly on a cracker.  Can also do cream cheese for kids who won't eat Brie.

[KarenNC]

Cheese straws. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/cheese-straws-recipe6.html 

 

You do need to shred the cheddar yourself--pre-shredded just doesn't work as well.

 

Little phyllo cups filled with something--there are numerous recipes online. Most of my go-to ideas for these are either desserts or include meat, I'm afraid.

 

The mini spinach quiches, if you can get packages without the quiche lorraine ones (bacon), or save those for home and take the spinach ones.

 

Can you buy mini-falafel? That would be good with tzatziki.

[ktgrok]

I'm telling you...go to the store. Buy a round of pumpernickel or other bread. Tear out the middle and cut bread into bite sized chunks. Maybe get another round and cut it up too. Dump a container of pre-made spinach dip into the round that you removed the center of. Done. 

[Diane in CO]

We like tortilla chips with homemade guacamole and salsa or veggie tray (celery, carrots, sliced bell pepper, cucumbers and snap peas) with either hummus or onion dip (16 oz light sour cream with one packet of Lipton onion soup mix)

[Guest]

A friend of mine from the Middle East buys hummus and then adds a LIT of olive oil to it and a bit of garlic. Stirs it up. Spreads it out on a plate and then drizzles olive oil over it.

 

Yum

[Ali in OR]

I always bring something my kids eat (and that I'm in the mood to eat). Fruit kabobs sound delicious to me right now--skewer pineapple, strawberries, grapes, watermelon, blackberries--whatever looks good where you are. Though chips and guacamole sounds good to me right now too!

[monstermama]

What about a sweet appetizer?  This fruit salsa and cinnamon chips has always been a hit whenever I bring it.

[Farrar]

Thanks, guys. You all reminded me that I make great guacamole. And I have a bunch of tomatoes so I thought I'd make homemade salsa too. I went to the store. I dragged Mushroom with me to be my pack mule (he's my grocery carrier). But all the avocados were, like, measurable on the Moh's scale of hardness or something. So... Mushroom requested tomatoes on pizza dough with fresh basil and mozzarella. Sort or a light, summer pizza. So we did that. Clearly, I should have asked the kids to begin with, especially if the goal was to make something they'd eat. (Turned out they'd also eat the Vietnamese noodle thing someone else brought.)

 

Next time, I'm doing potato skins though. That's yummy.

 

My homemade hummus is really cruddy. No one ever likes it. I think that's why hummus wouldn't cut it...

[StephanieZ]

This is my go to artichoke dip. Love it. Super easy. http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-delicious-artichoke-dip-food-processor-make-ahead-179080

 

Serve it with nice baguette bread sliced thin. 

 

 

 

 

[Alicia64]

I'm a longtime veggie: I love carrots and humus. And LOVE guacamole.

 

Also for ease, go to Trader Joes. They have tons of great appetizer stuff for vegetarians.

 

Alley

[Farrar]

The funny part is that I felt in this group like I needed to go homemade. I mean, frozen TJ's appetizers. That's where's it at, right? But they're a crunchy, from scratch bunch. But someone else went store bought! Shows me.

[heartlikealion]

The funny part is that I felt in this group like I needed to go homemade. I mean, frozen TJ's appetizers. That's where's it at, right? But they're a crunchy, from scratch bunch. But someone else went store bought! Shows me.

 

I would have taken the Whole Foods hummus and put it in another dish probably :lol:

 

[umsami]

You can always doctor up store bought hummus. TJ's is pretty good.  Simple way....drizzle good olive oil on top, add paprika, some chopped flat leaf parsley.  Going all out, add in a bit more lemon juice or do the Nigella thing of mixing it with Greek yogurt.

 

 

[Kareni]

My suggestion: a block of cream cheese topped with a jar of chutney.  Serve with crackers.  Yum.

 

Regards,

Kareni