Crudité:
What is crudité? It is a platter filled with fresh raw vegetables usually paired with dips to be enjoyed as an appetizer. Which makes for a great option if you are entertaining and want to level up your vegetable platters.
What do you add to a crudité?
When it comes to creating a crudité, seasonal and fresh vegetables are a must! And it is a perfect way to highlight what is currently in season to your guest. But don’t worry about those picky eaters, even the pickiest of eaters will be gathering around this platter to enjoy it, guaranteed.
Vegetables I added to mine:
This is my list of items I added to mine and most of the items were found at Trader Joes, Sprouts, and Mother’s Market. But I highly suggest if you have a farmers market near you, to shop their first. Because that is where you will finds the most seasonal and unique vegetables.
- Rainbow carrots
- Celery
- Endives
- Variety of radishes including watermelon radishes
- Sweet mini pepper as well as red bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Snap peas
- Green beans
- Cherry tomatoes
- Persian cucumbers
Other vegetable suggestions:
But you are not limited to just my list, here are some other great additions to add to your platters:
- Asparagus
- Zucchini
- Artichokes
- Purple cauliflower
- Jicama
- Broccolini
The Dips:
Choose the dips based off the type of vegetables you have picked out. Of course, ranch and hummus are the obvious choices. But there are so many good options out there, I highly suggest mixing it up, add a variety for all to enjoy, and include at least one vegan option.
I wanted to take my guest outside of their comfort zone and not just place ranch as my dip. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with good ole ranch! However, I wanted this crudité to be something different and help introduce different ways to enjoy eating vegetables.
And so I went with sprouted cilantro jalapeño hummus, sprouted chipotle hummus, homemade guacamole, and vegan caramelized onion dip (from Trader Joes).
Preparing produce:
First things first, wash and rinse all of your produce well. I like to let mine sit in water and Branch Basics concentrate for at least 15 minutes. And then I rinse it all really well and let air dry. Then I chop all of the vegetables into desired shapes and sizes.
Assembling the platter:
And now comes the fun part, assembling the platter. I first start by adding small bowls to my platter and filling with the dips. And then I start from the outside of the platter and start filling in the spaces, being mindful of the shapes and colors. Because you don’t want too much of the same color or shapes next to each other. Think of your platter as your canvas and you are the artist about to create a masterpiece.
But there really isn’t a right or wrong way to create your crudité, just have fun with it! And you can always move things around once you start creating, if you realize things need to be moved around after you have completed your platter.
Can I prepare this ahead of time?
Yes! To help save some time, I suggest washing, rinsing, air drying, and pre chopping everything the night before. And so the day of you can just pull everything out and assemble your platter. But make sure when storing your pre chopped vegetables you keep everything separate so that it is easier to assemble your platter with everything separated.
What size platter should I use?
The size of the platter really depends on the amount of guest you will be serving. But for mine I used a 15×15 size platter.
What type of serving utensils do I use?
I purchased these tongs for the platter. I also had some mini wooden spoons I used for the dips. And the mini bowls I used you can find here.
How to Make a Crudité Platter:
Ingredients
Ingredients for platter:
- Rainbow carrots
- Celery
- Endives
- Variety of radishes including watermelon radishes
- Sweet mini pepper as well as red bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Snap peas
- Green beans
- Cherry tomatoes
- Persian cucumbers
- Homemade guacamole
- Hummus
- Vegan caramelized onion dip from Trader Joe’s
Ingredients for guacamole:
- 3 large hass Avocados
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 small limes juiced
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Guacamole instructions:
- Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits
- Add the avocado to a medium bowl with seasonings, lime juice, cilantro, and mix it all up
- Refrigerate while you prepare the rest
Instructions for crudité platter:
- Start by adding small bowls to a 15x5 serving tray
- Fill each bowl with hummus, dip, and guacamole
- Start adding vegetables from the outside in, keeping in mind colors, sizes, and shapes
- Continue to fill platter until there is not empty space