Best Easy Starter Recipes (2024)

Turn mushrooms on toast into a starter fit for a King. The combination of creamy tarragon and pancetta mushrooms on toasted brioche and a sprinkling of watercress is truly indulgent.

Try this creamy tarragon and pancetta mushrooms on toasted brioche with watercress recipe

This refreshing pink grapefruit dressing from MasterChef winner Lisa Faulkner makes a great addition to a tasty salad or plate of salmon as part of a stylish starter.

Try this salmon with cucumber, chive and grapefruit dressing recipe

This version of the French classic, steak tartare, uses a flavoured mayonnaise instead of raw egg yolks; importantly for this dish, always use the very freshest - and never frozen - beef.

Try this steak tartare recipe

The combination of fennel and salami is delicious and these easy bruschetta will make a great starter. Try using finocchiona, a Tuscan salami flavoured with fennel seeds, but any good salami will work well.

Try this fennel and salami bruschetta recipe

The saltines of the feta in this flatbread recipe from Gordon Ramsay works perfectly with the sharp sweetness of pomegranate juice; serve with a round of drinks or alongside another dish.

Try this flatbreads with fennel and feta recipe

This quick and easy beef salad is tangy, tasty and perfect for a midweek dinner or even a simple dinner party dish.

Try this tangerine beef salad recipe

This super quick and easy salmon paté makes a great starter for a dinner party. Serve up with melba toasts for a charming retro feel.

Try Lisa Faulkner’s smoked salmon pate recipe

The brightness of the apples and the crunch of the nuts make this a delicious starter or even as a side salad to accompany a roast chicken. There are lots of lovely British blue cheeses to choose from, many of which are not as strong tasting, if you prefer mild cheese.

Try this cauliflower and apple Waldorf salad recipe

These simple chilli beef lettuce wraps from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay make the perfect starter and are incredibly easy to prepare, taking mere minutes to cook.

Try this chilli beef lettuce wraps recipe

This recipe is a twist on Twarozek, a typical Polish dish made of curd cheese mixed with chives, radish, cream and spices. Traditionally eaten as a breakfast dish, this tasty twist has transformed it into the perfect dinner party starter or canape to enjoy with friends.

Try this radish and soft cheese canapés recipe

When it comes to relaxed yet delicious food, Nigel Slater reigns. The combination of sweet figs, melted goat’s cheese and crisp bread in this delicious recipe is truly hard to beat for a dinner party starter.

Try Nigel Slater’s fig and goat’s cheese focaccia recipe

A light and tasty starter, the salsa that tops these blinis tastes great with most cheeses, including Brie, Camembert and Red Leicester - and they are so easy to make too.

Try this blueberry and Stilton blinis recipe

These tasty treats from Mary Berry are smart enough to impress royalty. They’re quick to assemble too. Buy the goat’s cheese in a tub (not a roll) and use vacuum-packed Parma ham, as you need evenly cut slices. Serve the rolls hot or warm as a celebratory starter.

Try Mary Berry’s asparagus, goat’s cheese and parma ham filo rolls recipe

Crisp apple wedges chargrilled are the perfect partner to the Spanish manchego cheese. Inspired by the Spanish growing region for apples, these are delicious with a glass of sherry.

Try this Spanish apple and manchego tapas recipe

Get your party started with our easy canapes recipes and co*cktail recipes, and get your menu sorted with our tasty dinner party ideas...