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The best veggie tray is full of colorful, fresh vegetables, with a variety of flavorful dips to choose from. A vegetable tray is a must-have at parties and loved by kids and adults alike.
Entertaining is a snap when you’ve got some great appetizers in your back pocket! I always serve a nice variety of snacks, including my Olive Cheese Ball, Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites, Crockpot BBQ Little Smokies, and Stuffed Mushrooms.
I love entertaining year-round and always plan a variety of snacks for my guests to munch on. While the appetizers tend to vary, a veggie tray always makes an appearance.
A crudite platter is simple to make – just cut up a bunch of raw veggies, add some chip dip, hummus, or Whipped Feta Dip, and set your vegetable tray out to be devoured. Even a 7 Layer Taco Dip is a delicious dip for veggies. They’re great for potlucks too.
Some of my other favorite snack platters that are always a hit include my Charcuterie Board, Christmas Tree Fruit & Cheese Platter, and my Epic Antipasto Platter.
recipe walk-through
What Goes on a Veggie Tray?
The great thing about this appetizer is how easy it is to customize! You can use vegetables that you have on hand, from your garden, or even pre-cut veggies. As long as it tastes good and can be eaten raw, they’re a great option. Here is a list of some of the more popular veggies for your tray.
- Baby carrots
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Bell peppers or mini peppers
- Mushrooms
- Green beans
- Radishes
- Snap peas
- Green onions
How To Assemble A Veggie Tray
- Choose your veggies. You can opt for the basics like carrots, celery, and tomatoes, or add seasonal veggies like asparagus and zucchini.
- Choose your dips. Ranch dip, ranch dressing, and French Onion Dip are clear favorites, but hummus or fresh homemade salsa are also delicious and healthy dips you can add. You can purchase premade dips at the grocery store, or use your favorite dip recipe to prepare them at home. More dip options: Sour Cream and Onion Dip, Caramelized Onion Dip, Creamy Herb Veggie Dip, or Blue Cheese Dip.
- Assemble the platter. Start by scooping your dips (you should have at least 2) into small bowls and placing them at opposite ends of the platter. Scatter the veggies around the tray, placing them in groups or artfully creating a mosaic of color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cut veggies can be left out for a maximum of 2 hours. After that, your crudite platter and dips should be covered and refrigerated.
This is a great make ahead appetizer! Get all the peeling and cutting out of the way up to 24 hours in advance and store in airtight containers in the fridge. Make your dips a day ahead of time, too. You can arrange your tray a few hours in advance, just make sure to keep it covered in the fridge.
English cucumbers (the long, skinnier kind that are sold wrapped in plastic) don’t need to be peeled. Regular cucumbers tend to have a waxy skin that is best when peeled.
Definitely! In a pinch, you can grab a tray already made up, but it will be more economical to purchase your own fresh veggies and cut them yourself. Plus, this way you can guarantee their freshness and choose just the ones you like.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Veggies
For storage, place leftovers in airtight storage bags or containers in the fridge and they will stay fresh for several days. Keep in mind that cut veggies will dry out over time.
Dips should be stored separately and in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Recipe Tips
- Add some color to your tray by serving veggies and dips on a bed of lettuce leaves, or garnish with fresh herbs.
- Try to include at least 4-5 different vegetables for a variety of color.
- Add some crackers, bread, or marinated olives to your tray for visual and textural interest.
- There are a few veggies that will benefit from a quick blanch to make them easier to bite into, like asparagus, cauliflower and green beans, so pay attention to that when planning your platter. To blanch, boil some salted water and dip the veggies in for about a minute, then “shock” (stock the cooking process) them in ice water.
- Consider peeling any vegetables that have a tougher skin, like carrots, cucumbers, and celery.
- Add fresh herbs or sprinkle some seasoning on the tops of dips to signify the flavor or add contrast.
- Plan for about half a cup of vegetables per person and ¼ cup of dip.
More Veggie Appetizers You’ll Love
Veggie Tray
Ingredients
- 3 carrots peeled and cut into sticks
- 2 celery stalks peeled and cut into sticks
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers any color, seeded and cut Into sticks
- 1/2 cup radishes
- 1 cup green beans
- 1 cucumber sliced into coins or sticks
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 3 cups assorted dips, such as hummus, ranch or onion dip
- crackers optional
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and chop up vegetables into sticks or large pieces.
- Scoop dips Into small bowls and arrange on a large platter.
- Arrange vegetables around the dips. Serve Immediately or refrigerate (covered) up to 4 hours.
Notes
- Note that nutritional information is approximate and will vary by what you include on your veggies tray.Â
- The amounts are not an exact science. Keep it simple – add a bunch of chopped up vegetables to a tray and add a couple of dips. That’s it!
- Place leftovers in airtight storage bags or containers in the fridge and they will stay fresh for several days. Keep in mind that cut veggies will dry out over time. Dips should be stored separately and in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Plan for about half a cup of vegetables per person, and ¼ cup of dip.
- Chop vegetables up to 24 hours in advance and store in airtight containers in the fridge. Make your dips a day ahead of time, too. You can arrange your tray a few hours in advance, just make sure to keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
