Listed below are all our prime veggie tray concepts for a subsequent stage occasion platter! These tasty dips and greens transcend the bizarre carrots and celery to make a colourful, flavorful tray that may impress everybody.
Why we love this recipe
Wish to make a veggie tray however uninterested in the identical previous factor? As two cookbook authors, we’ve put collectively just a few of our prime veggie tray concepts for a crowd-pleasing occasion platter! Each time we carry a variation on this tray to events, everybody goes loopy over the intense colours and engaging dips.
Right here’s the factor: there’s not an excessive amount of wanted to take these bizarre carrots and celery from blah to superb. Our 3 greatest tips? Play up the vegetable coloration and texture contrasts, make our dill dip recipe that takes simply 5 minutes, and go for steamed broccoli as an alternative of uncooked: it makes everybody comfortable!
Veggie tray concepts: greatest greens to make use of
Certain, everybody is aware of carrots and celery. However what are some veggie tray concepts that make for a next-level tray? Use as many colours as potential. Listed below are some ideas that we observe each time we construct a tray:
- Carrots: Keep away from child carrots. Peel and slice medium to giant carrots for one of the best taste. Use rainbow carrots if you’ll find them for brightly coloured look!
- Broccoli: Use steamed broccoli or blanched broccoli, flippantly salted, which makes a extra tender texture and candy taste. It additionally makes an exquisite shiny inexperienced coloration. Everybody at all times raves once we do that trick!
- Bell peppers: Use purple, orange, yellow or a mixture for one of the best look. Mini candy peppers additionally look good.
- Cucumber: We like utilizing English cucumber, which has one of the best taste and shiny inexperienced coloration. The peel is much less bitter and the seeds are smaller than a typical cucumber.
- Snap peas: Snap peas are at all times a favourite, with their candy taste and crunch. Keep away from snow peas right here, that are thinner and fewer candy.
- Celery: Celery nonetheless works, when surrounded by these colours and textures.
- Cherry tomatoes: Use multi-colored tomatoes if you’ll find them.
- Radishes: Utilizing radishes brings in a pleasant shiny pink coloration distinction! We like slicing them for straightforward consuming.
What to keep away from on a veggie tray? Uncooked cauliflower is usually a well-liked alternative, however we discover its taste may be very robust and it may be laborious to digest. We keep away from it on a veggie tray, or you could possibly make steamed cauliflower first.
Extra vegetable concepts
There are heaps extra vegetable concepts for a veggie tray! Listed below are just a few extra concepts:
Dip concepts for a veggie tray
Our favourite dip concept for a veggie tray is our easy dill dip! This recipe requires simply 5 elements in comes collectively in 5 minutes. It’s good to make use of a minimum of two dips, which supplies some contrasting flavors and makes for a extra attention-grabbing veggie tray.
Listed below are all of our prime dip concepts, and just a little bit about why we love them:
- Dill dip: This traditional Dill Dip makes use of mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or bitter cream), and massive fill taste. Various choices are Ranch Dip, Veggie Dip, or Vegan Ranch.
- Hummus: Hummus is a superb possibility for a veggie tray because it’s naturally vegan. We like our traditional Hummus Recipe greatest, however we additionally love variations like Beet Hummus, Black Bean Hummus, or Inexperienced Hummus.
- French onion dip: This French Onion Dip is creamy and wealthy.
- Spinach dip: A chilly Spinach Dip is a pleasant different for a veggie tray. For vegan, use Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip.
- Inexperienced dips: We like including coloration contrasts with a inexperienced dip, like Avocado Dip, Inexperienced Pea Dip, Cilantro Lime Crema, or Cilantro Sauce (vegan).
- Dill pickle dip: This creamy Dill Pickle Dip has a tangy, shiny taste everybody loves.
- Aioli: Aioli is a creamy French sauce or dip. Strive our Garlic Aioli, Pesto Aioli, Chipotle Aioli, or Truffle Aioli.
Suggestions for styling a veggie tray
Half the enjoyable of a veggie tray is making it look fantastically attractive (we eat with our eyes, proper?) As two cookbook authors and meals photographers, we’ve spent years making an attempt to excellent this artwork. Right here are some things we’ve realized:
- Begin with the dips in low, small bowls. Place the dips onto the tray first.
- Place piles of greens across the dips, taking part in up contrasts in textures and colours. Place completely different coloured greens subsequent to one another, and make completely different patterns with the shapes.
- Garnish with herbs. We like including just a little enjoyable with recent herbs like basil or thyme sprigs so as to add curiosity.
Storing leftovers and make forward ideas
A veggie tray is straightforward to make prematurely. Listed below are just a few of our ideas:
- Wash and lower the greens prematurely (together with steaming or blanching the broccoli or inexperienced beans).
- Retailer lower greens as much as 3 days refrigerated.
- Make the dips prematurely and retailer as much as 1 week refrigerated.
Extra appetizer recipes
This veggie tray is one in all our favourite wholesome appetizers: it’s the right occasion meals concept! Listed below are just a few extra appetizer recipes to attempt:
Dietary notes
This veggie tray is vegetarian and gluten-free, and dairy-free and vegan with vegan dips like hummus or the choices famous above.
Steadily requested questions
Think about including colourful and attention-grabbing greens like snap peas, radishes, bell pepper strips, jicama sticks, kohlrabi, blanched asparagus, and even roasted greens like roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted candy potatoes.
Hummus, guacamole, tzatziki, black bean dip, and white bean dip are all scrumptious and nutritious choices. You may also attempt making your personal yogurt-based dip with herbs and spices.
To maintain greens recent, retailer them within the fridge till able to serve. When you’re getting ready the tray prematurely, think about using a humid paper towel to cowl the greens and hold them from drying out. You may also wrap particular person greens in damp paper towels and retailer them in a sealed container till able to assemble.
Description
Listed below are all our prime veggie tray concepts for a subsequent stage occasion platter! These tasty dips and greens transcend the bizarre carrots and celery to make a colourful, flavorful tray that may impress everybody.
Veggie Concepts
- Carrots (rainbow carrots if potential)
- Celery
- Cucumber (English cucumber is greatest if you’ll find it)
- Snap peas
- Pink, orange, or yellow bell peppers
- Broccoli (steamed broccoli or blanched broccoli is greatest)
- Radishes
- Cherry tomatoes (multi-colored, if potential)
- Olives
Dill Dip
- 1 cup full fats Greek yogurt (or bitter cream; see notes)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dried dill
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Different Dip Concepts (Elective): Hummus, Avocado Dip, Tzatziki, French Onion Dip, Dill Pickle Dip, Spinach Dip, Cottage Cheese Dip, Garlic Aioli, Pesto Aioli, Inexperienced Pea Dip, White Bean Dip, Cilantro Lime Crema
- Slice the greens. Steam the broccoli or blanch the broccoli and sprinkle it with salt, which makes the feel extra nice for consuming.
- Combine the elements for the dill dip in a big bowl. Refrigerate for half-hour for greatest taste (dip shops as much as 1 week refrigerated).
- If making one other dip, combine up the hummus or different dip recipe.
- Place the dips in small shallow bowls. Prepare the greens across the dips. Serve instantly.
Notes
We desire Greek yogurt, which retains this dip lighter and provides a tang to the flavour. Bitter crema makes it very wealthy and creamy.
Different hummus variations: Beet Hummus, Black Bean Hummus, or Inexperienced Hummus
- Class: Appetizer
- Technique: No Prepare dinner
- Delicacies: Greens
- Food plan: Vegetarian