Vegetarian Canapés and Party Nibbles

Colourful canapés are a great way to start a party. We've been getting creative with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free canapés with a view towards creating irresistible party nibbles that are both beautiful and delicious. A great canapé should be as fun to look at as they are to eat. While the recipes below are guest-approved, we also encourage you to embrace seasonal veg and add your own little touches.

Parsnip Fritters

When it comes to crafting a beautiful dish purely out of winter vegetables, it really doesn't get better than these parsnip fritters with a colourful raw winter slaw and a yoghurt dill sauce. We use Panko breadcrumbs to achieve a lovely crisp coating on the parsnips. The same coating also works well with celeriac, carrot, and cauliflower.

Parsnip Fritters with Winter Slaw and Yoghurt Dressing

Roasted Beetroot, Cream Cheese and Hazelnut Tartlets

These festive beetroot tartlets are perfect for a party. They're easy to put together, look beautiful on the plate, and most importantly, are undeniably delicious! Our recipe makes 8 tartlets, the perfect size for a starter, but you can also make them slightly smaller and serve as canapés.

Roasted Beetroot, Cream Cheese and Hazelnut Tartlets

Sweet Potato, Chestnut, and Sesame Balls

Our sweet potato, chestnut and sesame balls are a fun and festive dish that take the humble sweet potato to a whole new level! Served with cranberry relish, these make for a wonderful starter or side dish. Better still, they're vegan and gluten free which means everyone at your holiday party can enjoy these with gusto!

Sweet Potato, Chestnut, and Sesame Balls with Cranberry Relish

Indian Spiced Rostis (Vegan and Gluten Free)

We often like to make mini rostis as party canapés and this time we've added some Indian inspiration to the mix. Cumin seeds, curry powder, and turmeric combine to make an Indian spice version of our favourite rostis. Serve with a range of chutneys for the perfect party snack.

Get the recipe: Indian Spiced Rostis

Spicy Apricot Koftas (Vegan and Gluten Free)

These vegetarian Middle Eastern koftas are spicy with sweet undertones and finished with tahini and pomegranate. The little gem lettuce leaf boats make them easy to eat too!

Get the recipe: Spicy Apricot Koftas

Thai Tofu Balls (Vegan and Gluten Free)

The idea for this recipe comes from traditional Thai fish balls, but made with tofu instead of fish. With the rice flour as our as a binder they hold together beautifully and look unique with lemongrass stalks as skewers. We’ve placed them on squares of banana leaf for that added Thai feel.

Get the recipe: Thai Tofu Balls

Mini Masala Dosas (Vegan and Gluten Free)

A Masala Dosa is a pancake filled with spiced potatoes and often served with chutney. In India, dosas are often made at the front of cafes for breakfast; the chefs have a knack of making them thin, crisp and huge, then deftly wrapping them around a filling. This is our quick version made canapé style with the spiced potatoes rolled up with three chutneys.

Get the recipe: Mini Masala Dosas

Celeriac and Potato Rostis (Vegan and Gluten Free)

These celeriac and potato rostis make a superb vegetarian canapé for special occasions and dinner parties. We love to serve them as bite sized party food on top of griddled sourdough rounds and topped with caper berries and blue cheese.

Get the recipe: Celeriac and Potato Rostis

Tricolour Bread Swirls (Vegan)

A pastry swirl rolled up with your filling of choice - we like watercress and walnut pesto, but olive tapenade also works a treat.

Get the recipe: Tricolour Bread Swirls

Homemade Labna Cheese (Gluten Free)

Labna is essentially cheese made out of strained yoghurt. Once strained, the thick yoghurt can be rolled into balls and coated with colourful herbs, dukkah, or paprika. Serve alongside crisp bread or with a drizzle of olive oil and sprigs of fresh herbs.

Get the recipe: Homemade Labna Cheese

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