Starters, Snacks & Sides from Around the World, Page 3

Not every great dish is the main event. These are the soups, small plates, street snacks and sides that open or round out a meal somewhere on the map: 466 authentic recipes, each with its cultural story, ingredients, and step by step method.
466 recipes · showing 97 to 144
Salata Aswad (South Sudanese Eggplant and Peanut Salad)Juba, South Sudan · easy · 55 minFried eggplant simmered into onion, garlic and tomato paste, mashed soft and finished with peanut butter, cumin and lime, a warm, rich salad scooped up with kisra or bread.
Salata od Hobotnice (Montenegrin Octopus Salad)Boka Kotorska, Montenegro · medium · 1 h 45 minTender boiled octopus cut into chunks and tossed with waxy potato, red onion, garlic, parsley, olive oil and vinegar, served cool as the first plate of a Bay of Kotor meal.
Salone Pepper Soup (Sierra Leonean Fish Pepper Soup)Freetown, Sierra Leone · easy · 1 h 10 minA clear, fiery broth of blended onion and hot pepper with ginger, garlic and thyme, simmered with potato and finished with pieces of snapper, served hot in small bowls.
Sambaza (Rwandan Fried Lake Kivu Fish)Kigali, Rwanda · easy · 30 minTiny whole lake sardines dusted in seasoned flour and deep fried until crisp, piled on a plate with lemon wedges, pili-pili and a pot of mayonnaise for the table to share.
Shafoot (Yemeni Flatbread in Herbed Yogurt)Sana’a, Yemen · medium · 2 h 15 minSpongy lahoh flatbreads soaked in a cold, green yogurt and buttermilk sauce blended with garlic, chili, coriander, mint and spring onion, topped with pomegranate seeds.
Shalgam (Kazakh Radish Salad)Almaty, Kazakhstan · easy · 1 hLong white radish, carrot, sweet red pepper and onion cut into fine strips and dressed with oil, vinegar, garlic, a little sugar and a pinch of chilli, a crunchy cold salad for the start of a feast.
Shami Kebab (Beef and Lentil Patties)Lahore (Punjab), Pakistan · medium · 3 h 30 minMinced beef simmered with split chickpeas and whole spices until dry, ground smooth with mint, coriander and green chilli, then shaped into small patties, dipped in egg and shallow-fried golden.
Shopska SalataSofia, Bulgaria · easy · 15 minDiced tomato, cucumber, and pepper under a snowy blanket of grated white cheese, Bulgaria's national salad.
Shorba LibiyaTripoli, Libya · easy · 1 hLibya’s tomato-lamb soup with orzo and a signature flourish of dried mint, the bowl that opens every Ramadan night.
Shorbat Freekeh (Palestinian Freekeh and Chicken Soup)West Bank, Palestine · easy · 1 h 35 minSmoky roasted green wheat simmered in a cardamom and bay-scented chicken broth with onion softened in olive oil and shredded chicken, finished with cinnamon, black pepper and parsley.
Shorbat Quaker (Saudi Lamb and Oat Ramadan Soup)Hejaz, Saudi Arabia · easy · 1 h 45 minSmall pieces of lamb on the bone simmered with golden onion, tomato, cardamom and cinnamon until tender, then thickened with rolled oats into a smooth, peppery soup finished with a squeeze of lemon.
Shorbet Ads (Egyptian Red Lentil Soup)Cairo, Egypt · easy · 55 minRed lentils simmered with onion, carrot, tomato, garlic and cumin, blended velvety smooth and served with lemon and crisp toasted pita croutons.
Silkė su Grybais (Lithuanian Herring with Mushrooms)Vilnius, Lithuania · easy · 3 h 55 minPieces of marinated herring layered with dried forest mushrooms and onions fried in oil, left to stand until the flavours meet, one of the herring dishes that open the Lithuanian Christmas Eve supper.
Skābeņu Zupa (Latvian Sorrel Soup)Riga, Latvia · easy · 1 h 40 minA sharp, bright green spring soup of sorrel and potatoes cooked in smoked pork broth, finished with chopped hard-boiled egg and a spoonful of sour cream, with rye bread alongside.
Slata Mechouia (Tunisian Grilled Pepper Salad)Tunis, Tunisia · easy · 1 hGreen peppers, chilies, tomatoes, onion and garlic charred over a flame, peeled and chopped fine with caraway and olive oil, then crowned with tuna, egg and olives.
Śledź w Śmietanie (Polish Herring in Sour Cream)Masovia (Warsaw), Poland · easy · 3 h 25 minSalted herring soaked mild, cut into pieces and folded through sour cream with grated apple, onion, dill and chives, a cold starter for Christmas Eve and every family feast.
Smoked Snoek PâtéWestern Cape, South Africa · easy · 1 h 20 minFlaked smoked snoek folded into cream cheese and sour cream with sharp Cheddar, parsley, lemon and white pepper, a Cape classic spread thickly on toast or roosterkoek.
Solomon Gundy (Jamaican Smoked Herring Pâté)Kingston (Surrey), Jamaica · easy · 40 minSmoked red herring boiled to draw out the salt, then blended with vinegar, onion, scallion, Scotch bonnet, thyme and pimento into a spicy, tangy paste for spreading on crackers.
Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)Isan (Northeast), Thailand · easy · 25 minGreen papaya pounded in a mortar with chili, lime, and tomatoes, crunchy, fiery, and alive.
Sopa de ManíLa Paz, Bolivia · medium · 1 h 20 minBolivia’s creamy peanut soup with beef, vegetables, and crispy shoestring fries on top, altiplano comfort.
Sorullitos de Maíz (Puerto Rican Cheese Corn Fritters)San Juan, Puerto Rico · easy · 45 minLittle fingers of cornmeal cooked with butter and a touch of sugar, mixed with grated Edam, rolled and fried until crisp and golden, served with a dish of garlicky mayoketchup.
Soupe aux Pois (Québécois Yellow Pea Soup)Québec, Canada · easy · 11 h 20 minWhole yellow peas soaked overnight and simmered for hours with salt pork, onion, carrot, celery, bay and summer savory into a thick golden soup, the first bowl of a sugar shack meal.
Speca me Maze (Kosovar Peppers in Kajmak Cream)Pristina, Kosovo · easy · 40 minBlistered, peeled peppers fried with garlic and simmered in a rich sauce of kajmak, yogurt and fresh white cheese, scooped up hot with plenty of warm bread.
Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley and Bulgur Salad)Beirut, Lebanon · easy · 30 minA green salad of finely chopped parsley and mint with diced tomato, spring onion and just a sprinkle of fine bulgur, dressed sharply with lemon and olive oil.
Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip)Nicosia, Cyprus · easy · 10 minSesame tahini whisked with lemon juice, lukewarm water, garlic and olive oil until pale, thick and creamy, the dip that opens every Cypriot meze with warm bread, pitta and olives.
Tarhana Čorba (Bosnian Tarhana Soup)Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina · easy · 1 h 10 minA tomato-red soup of beef mince, carrot, pepper and celery thickened with tarhana, the tangy dried pellets of fermented dough and yogurt, served in bowls with a dollop of sour cream.
Tarteletter med Høns i Asparges (Danish Chicken and Asparagus Tartlets)Zealand (Copenhagen), Denmark · easy · 1 hCrisp puff pastry cases warmed in the oven and filled to overflowing with poached chicken and white asparagus in a creamy butter-and-flour sauce, a classic Danish starter for Christmas lunches and family parties.
Tashkent Salad (Uzbek Radish and Beef Salad)Tashkent, Uzbekistan · easy · 2 hCrisp julienned green radish tossed with strips of boiled beef and golden fried onion, dressed with a little mayonnaise and crowned with boiled egg and herbs.
Tomate Crevettes (Belgian Tomatoes Stuffed with Grey Shrimp)Flanders, Belgium · easy · 30 minRipe tomatoes hollowed out and heaped with tiny North Sea grey shrimp folded through homemade mayonnaise and parsley, set on lettuce with the tomato cap as a lid.
Tzatziki (Greek Garlic Yogurt and Cucumber Dip)Attica (Athens), Greece · easy · 1 h 15 minThick strained yogurt beaten with salted, squeezed cucumber, raw garlic, olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar, chilled and scooped up with warm bread.
Unash (Turkmen Bean and Noodle Soup)Ashgabat, Turkmenistan · medium · 9 h 50 minA warming soup of lamb and black-eyed beans with hand-cut noodles, onion fried in fat and a whole hot red chili, finished with sour milk or yogurt and a little garlic.
Urnebes (Serbian Spicy Cheese Spread)Niš, Serbia · easy · 45 minSalty white cheese mashed with kajmak, garlic, chopped hot peppers and crushed dried chilli into a fiery, rosy spread for bread and grilled meat, the way they make it in Niš.
Vinegret (Beet, Potato and Pickle Salad)Minsk, Belarus · easy · 1 h 5 minDiced boiled beets, potatoes and carrots with dill pickles, sauerkraut, onion and green peas, dressed simply with unrefined sunflower oil, a ruby-red salad for every Belarusian holiday table.
Yele Kakro (Ghanaian Yam Balls)Ashanti, Ghana · medium · 1 h 10 minMashed boiled yam mixed with a quick tomato and onion sauce, egg, thyme and ground red pepper, rolled into balls and deep-fried golden, served hot with shito.
Zacuscă (Moldovan Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Spread)Chișinău, Moldova · medium · 4 h 10 minFire-roasted eggplant and sweet red peppers cooked down slowly with onion, sunflower oil and tomato until thick and jammy, the autumn preserve spread on bread all winter.
Zibelechueche (Bernese Onion Tart)Bern, Switzerland · medium · 1 h 55 minA crisp butter shortcrust filled with a heap of slowly softened onions set in a creamy egg custard with nutmeg, the tart of Bern’s November onion market.
Accra Banana (Cameroonian Banana and Cassava Fritters)Littoral (Douala), Cameroon · easy · 55 minOverripe bananas mashed with squeezed grated cassava and a little salt, rolled into small balls and deep-fried until crunchy and deep gold outside and soft inside.
Æbleskiver (Danish Pancake Balls)Zealand (Copenhagen), Denmark · medium · 45 minLight, round buttermilk pancake balls scented with cardamom, turned in a special cast-iron pan until golden all over, served hot with icing sugar and jam, with gløgg in the weeks before Christmas.
Akabenzi (Rwandan Crispy Fried Pork)Kigali, Rwanda · easy · 1 h 10 minChunks of fatty pork simmered until tender, then fried dry in their own fat until crisp and browned, tossed with onion, green pepper and chili and finished with lime and coriander.
Akra (Haitian Malanga Fritters)Ouest (Port-au-Prince), Haiti · easy · 1 h 10 minGrated malanga blended with garlic, scallion, green pepper, thyme, parsley and Scotch bonnet, fried in spoonfuls into craggy golden fritters and eaten hot with pikliz.
Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Stuffed Fritters)San Juan, Puerto Rico · advanced · 4 h 40 minA golden, achiote-tinted masa of grated green banana and yautía wrapped round a savory beef picadillo with olives and deep-fried until crisp outside and soft within.
Alloco with Tomato-Chili SauceAbidjan (Lagunes), Côte d’Ivoire · easy · 30 minGolden fried sweet plantains with a punchy tomato-onion-chili sauce, Abidjan’s favourite street snack.
Aloo Pie (Trinidadian Fried Potato Pie)Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago · medium · 1 h 40 minA soft yeasted dough folded round mashed potato seasoned with garlic, geera and hot pepper, then deep-fried until puffed and golden and eaten with chutney.
Aloo Samosa (Punjabi Spiced Potato Samosa)Punjab, India · advanced · 2 h 5 minFlaky, ajwain-scented pastry cones stuffed with spiced potato and peas, fried slowly until blistered and golden and served hot with tamarind and mint chutneys.
Anticuchos de Corazón (Peruvian Beef Heart Skewers)Lima, Peru · medium · 5 hCubes of beef heart marinated in ají panca, vinegar, garlic, cumin and oregano, threaded on skewers and seared over hot coals, served on the street with boiled potato, corn and ají sauce.
Arancini al Ragù (Sicilian Fried Rice Balls)Sicily, Italy · advanced · 4 h 20 minSaffron rice balls packed around a meat ragù with peas and a cube of caciocavallo, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried golden, the king of Sicilian street food.
Aussie Sausage RollsNew South Wales (Sydney), Australia · easy · 1 hA seasoned filling of pork and beef mince with onion, garlic, breadcrumbs and parsley rolled in flaky puff pastry, glazed with egg and baked golden, eaten hot with tomato sauce.
Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread)Bridgetown, Barbados · easy · 1 h 55 minA dense, crumbly, loaf-shaped Barbadian coconut bread packed with grated coconut and raisins, scented with almond and spice, with a sugar-glazed crust, sliced and eaten with tea.
← Browse all collections