This Vegetable Tray, or crudité platter, is loaded with a variety of fresh raw vegetables, nuts, crackers, and dips for an appetizer that will be a hit at your next gathering. It’s perfect for serving at your Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties! Be sure to add it to your Holiday menu!
Vegetable Tray
Yes, you could go out and buy a vegetable tray that is already assembled, but making your own is so much more impressive (and many times, cheaper)! It’s easily adaptable to add the vegetables, crackers, and nuts that you prefer; and, you will have plenty of dips to go around! And speaking of dips, it’s easy to make your own.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Dips: I included dill dip, roasted garlic hummus, and ranch dip (made with homemade ranch seasoning) on the board. Of course, you could easily add your favorite varieties. French onion dip, taco dip, and crab dip are other popular options. To save time, you can always purchase dips from the store.
Vegetables: There are so many ideas when it comes to a vegetable platter. I gave you many options you could include; the more colors I could display, the more vibrant the board looks.
Nuts/Crackers: Don’t forget about the nuts and crackers for a salty fix for guests. I include pita chips (great with the hummus), pretzel crisps, almonds, and pistachios. But, again, choose your favorite nuts and crackers to serve.
How to Serve a Vegetable Tray
With all of the sweets during the holidays, it’s nice to offer some healthy foods at your Christmas parties. When you are ready to assemble the tray, choose a board or a platter that is big enough to hold all of the goodness. Then, select some bowls (I like a variety) for the dips. Offer plates and utensils as needed. The vegetable tray should not sit out for more than two hours.
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
Yes! If you want to prepare the tray a day ahead of time, that would be just fine. I recommend keeping the crackers and nuts off of the tray until ready to serve. Cover the cut vegetables and dips with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator overnight.
What to Do With Leftovers
If you have lots of vegetables left over from the vegetable tray, don’t let them go to waste. Here are some ways to make raw vegetables work in other recipes:
- Use the vegetables to make a stir fry.
- Add them to homemade soup (like my Chicken Noodle or Chicken and Rice Soup).
- Chop up the vegetables even more and freeze them. Yes, you can freeze raw vegetables, but be sure to blanch them first. Blanching vegetables is scalding them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, followed by suddenly cooling them in ice-cold water. They will last up to a year and are great for cooking!
- Roast or saute the vegetables as a side dish.
- Simply add them to a salad for more healthy goodness.
Vegetable Tray
Ingredients
Veggies
- 3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into smaller sticks
- 3-4 ribs celery, cut into smaller sticks
- 1 large cucumber, cut into rounds
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, whole
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into sticks
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into sticks
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3-4 medium radishes, cut into rounds
Nuts/Crackers
- 1 cup pita chips
- 1 cup pretzel crisps
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup pistachios
Instructions
- Using a large cutting board (you can also use a countertop or table lined with parchment), start by arranging the largest items and dips first. Leave space in between each for nestling in vegetables, nuts, and crackers. Fill in the spaces until the board is completely full.
- Serve with plates and utensils.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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