Vegetarian Starters for Any Occasion

We are bringing a complete collection of vegetarian starter’s recipes to be made in an easy and quick way so stay tuned!

You can use that as a vegetarian starter for special occasions such as Christmas eve or New Year’s eve, whenever you need to bring to your festive table a tasty appetizer both cold or hot, and even for Easter… to have fun with some gourmet vegetarian starters.

In this recipes you will also find vegetarian starters suitable for intolerances or dietary restrictions such as gluten free (for celiacs), dairy/cheese free, egg free (for vegans), or just simply a light vegetarians starter for keeping in shape.

If you want to refine your search, have a look to other types of starters that we suggest you below.

SICILIAN CAPONATA

Traditional recipe of sicilian caponata, made of eggplant, pine-nuts, raisin and tomatoes.
One of the most flavoursome version, to be easily prepared in your kitchen.

There’s many alternative for the caponata or caponatina…with or without bell peppers, without pine-nuts or potatoes and also with the eggplant being the only main ingredient.
Maybe that’s a secret kept between sicilian people, as this dish is a traditional one of Trinacria.

Let’s then start preparing the recipe of a quick sicilian caponata, a delicious and rich in history preparation.

 

Ingredients

3 Bell Peppers

2 Carrots

1 Eggplant

1 Red onion

1 Courgette

150 gr Cherry tomatos (pachino)

100 ml White wine

2 spoons of pine nuts

Herbs

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Chilli pepper

How to Prepare a Sicilian Caponata

  1. Wash, cleanse and cut the eggplant in small cubes. Set aside in a colander and add the salt.
    Let it rest for about 1 hour for the eggplant to release that bitter vegetation water.
  2. Heat up 2 spoons of extra virgin olive oil in a tin. Strain the eggplant cubes and brown in oil over medium heath. Cover the pan with a lid to facilitate the cooking.
  3. In the mean time, cut the other vegetables (courgette, bell peppers, carrots) in small cubes.
  4. Mince the red onion and garlic. In a different large pan, stir-fry the onion and garlic, together with 3 spoons of olive oil.
  5. Add courgette, bell peppers and carrots previously chopped. Combine the eggplant’s cubes and well amalgamate the mixture. Add pine nuts, herbs and chilli pepper. Slightly salt it.
  6. Simmer with white wine, combine whole cherry tomatoes (they’ll flake apart during cook) and tomato sauce. Cover the pan and let it cook on a low flame for 1 hour.
  7. Serve your caponata warm or cold, complimented by boiled rice or home-made bread crouton!