Vegan Appetizer Recipes

Cumin, ginger, and star anise add depth to the standard hummus recipe. After pureeing the dip, stir in cilantro, chopped tomato, and scallions.

Cut back on calories (as well as mess) by baking instead of frying. Toss sliced green plantains with vegetable oil and bake to a golden crisp.

The classic Italian combination of tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil make a crowd-pleasing topping for toasted baguette slices. Punch up the flavor by adding crushed garlic if you like.

Roll up avocado, carrot, cucumber, and fresh basil in delicate rice-paper wrappers and serve with a peanut and hoisin dipping sauces. These can be prepared a few hours in advance, or you can let your guests have fun making their own rolls.

Two cans of cannellini beans, fresh rosemary, and a splash of red-wine vinegar are all you need to make this easy dip. Serve it with crudites or crostini.

Thick, oven-baked sweet potato wedges are a great appetizer for any casual party. An easy dipping sauce made from soy sauce, rice-wine vinegar, and toasted sesame oil makes the sweet potatoes especially irresistible.

The classic Sicilian dish combining eggplant, tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts, and vinegar gets added depth from unsweetened cocoa powder. Serve the caponata on crostini or enjoy it as a pasta sauce or a sandwich spread.

Preserved lemons add their distinctive rich, pungent flavor to assorted olives marinated in white-wine vinegar and olive oil. You can make your own preserved lemons or purchase them at a Mediterranean specialty market.

Mix together thin slices of roasted red pepper, garlic, olives, and capers with red-wine vinegar and olive oil to make this robust bruschetta. If you like, make the mixture a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to mingle.

This spicy spin on white-bean dip combines a can of pinto beans with coriander, paprika, garlic, and a splash of red-wine vinegar. Serve it with flatbread crackers or tortilla chips.

Dried shiitake mushrooms, soba noodles, and shredded cabbage make a deliciously savory filling for this vegetarian stand-in for sushi rolls. Make a dipping sauce by adding lime juice, tamari, and chopped cilantro to the mushrooms' soaking liquid.

These crisp falafel balls are lively with cumin, coriander, cilantro, mint, parsley, and garlic. Serve them with tahini sauce and pickled vegetables.

This delectable dip blends roasted red peppers, walnuts, and balsamic vinegar. Paprika and cumin add smoky back notes.

Blend parsley, basil, garlic, and red-wine vinegar with olive oil to make the brilliant green herb sauce for this bruschetta. Spoon diced avocado on tip just before serving.

Lots of fresh mint and parsley give bold flavor and a pleasant light-green hue to this chickpea and garlic spread. This appetizer can be made up to three days in advance. Serve the spread with warm pita bread or fresh vegetables for dipping.

Blend coarse salt, sugar and crushed red-pepper flakes in a spice grinder to make an easy, irresistible seasoning for edamame. This appetizer can be thrown together in about five minutes.

Roasted garlic, orange zest, thyme, and rosemary add an aromatic kick to this mix of olives and plump caper berries. This recipe is adapted from "Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook."

Ripe banana and avocado make a quick, creamy dip for fried plantain chips. Green plantains, which are high in starch, make the crispiest chips.

Cumin seeds and cayenne pepper give alluring flavor to this easy snack. The chickpeas become crisp when roasted in a hot oven.

Give grilled bread fresh flavor by rubbing a ripe tomato over the surface. Pile on an assortment of grilled summer vegetables and serve as an open-faced sandwich.

Capers and minced red onion liven up cannellini beans in this easy appetizer. If you like, add garlic or fresh herbs to the mixture.