Here is a quick guide for how to assemble a beautiful crudités platter with little effort. This party platter is loaded with vegetables and Mediterranean favorites, it is the perfect make-ahead appetizer for a crowd!
Crudités
French crudités, pronounced kroo-dee-teh, are simply raw vegetables (sliced or whole), arranged neatly on a platter or board, and typically served with a sauce for dipping.
But for something so basic, a vegetable crudité platter can be the show-stopping star of your next party. And I always like to use beautiful fresh veggies on my appetizer table to balance heftier dishes like baked brie, shrimp fra diavolo, or bites of crispy smashed potatoes or Greek keftedes (meatballs).
An elegant crudite platter is not hard to put together, and the key is to really allow the veggies to shine. I put together a quick guide for how to make the ultimate crudités platter. Use it as a frame of reference and change things up to make use of what you have on hand! Here we go…
What goes on a crudités platter?
The perfect crudités platter focuses first and foremost on the vegetables. From there, you can add a sauce for dipping and a few accompaniments to complete your veggie platter. Here is my list of crudité essentials to get you started:
- Raw Vegetables. Use what’s in season and aim for variety in texture, color, and flavor. And include at least 4 to 5 vegetables. Snap peas, mini bell peppers, carrots (rainbow carrots of different colors), cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and peppery radishes, smaller leaves of romaine or radiccho lettuce are some of my go-tos. You can also add broccoli florets, asparagus, or fresh string beans (all three can be blanched quickly then submerged in an ice bath to bring out the color).
- Dip. For a veggie platter, I like to use a creamy dip like tzatziki, walnut spinach yogurt dip, or homemade farmer’s cheese. But if you have room on your board or platter, you can add one more dips such as hummus (or roasted red pepper hummus) or baba ganoush (the smoky eggplant dip makes a fun and unexpected addition). Turkish Tarator Sauce or Tahini Sauce are both deliciously creamy dairy-free options.
- Olives and other marinated vegetables. Add in salty, briny olives and other marinated vegetables like pickles, artichoke hearts, or even sliced preserved lemons, if you have them, to instantly elevate your vegetable grazing board. I also like to add steamed or roasted beets. Marinated Olives and Walnuts (Zeytoon Parvardeh) is another delicious addition.
- Cheese? Totally optional, but if you’re adding cheese as part of your crudites spread, then baby mozzarella or blocks of feta are great options. If you want to step it up a little more, marinated feta is the way to go (and it takes very little time)
- Fruit such as grapes. It’s nice to have something like grapes, figs, or apple slices as a sweet palate cleanser on your crudite platter. Don’t go overboard on this, just tuck in some fruit where you see gaps.
What about crackers or bread?
Unlike cheese boards, a crudite platter does not typically include crackers. But you’ll see I’ve taken some liberty and tucked in a few pita wedges just to fill in gapes and to please my Mediterranean palate (I simply can’t have a dip without a slice of pita).
Crudités make-ahead tips
If you’re hosting a larger crowd and looking for ways to prepare your vegetable platter ahead of time, keep these few simple tips in mind:
- Make your dips one night ahead. Some dips like tzatziki or hummus will last several days, but I like to make them one night ahead so that they are still as fresh and delicious. Be sure to store your dip in a tightly-closed container in the fridge.
- Slice your vegetables 2 hours ahead. To keep your veggies super crispy and fresh looking, it’s best to slice them a little closer to party time. Wash and dry them well, then slice your veggies and keep them in the fridge in zip-top bags until you’re ready to assemble the platter.
More party platters:
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Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients
Simple Crudités Platter
Ingredients
Vegetables
- Snap peas
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby bell peppers, (sliced in half, seeds removed)
- Carrots, (or rainbow carrots)
- Radishes, (quartered)
- Cucumbers, (sliced in rounds or short spears)
- Cooked beets, (quarters)
Dip (select one or two)
- Tzatziki, use this recipe or a quality store-bought option
- Walnut Spinach Yogurt Dip, use this recipe or a quality store-bought option
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, use this recipe or a quality store-bought option
Olives or other marinated vegetables (choose one or two)
- Olives, (pitted kalamata olives or green olives)
- Marinated artichoke hearts
- Pickles
- Pickled or marinated mushrooms
Other
- Cheese, (such as blocks of marinated feta or baby mozzarella)
- Pita wedges, (optional)
Instructions
- On a large platter or board, place a small bowl of tzatziki sauce or other dip of your choice on one side. If using two dips, arrange the two bowls on opposite sides of your platter.
- Arrange the vegetables on the platter, filling in the spaces around the dip (bowl). For a beautiful platter, separate veggies of like colors and use ones that are different in color and texture near each other.
- Fill any gaps on your platter with the remaining ingredients including olives, grapes, cheese (feta or baby mozzarella) and wedges of pita.
Notes
- Make-ahead tips: You can make your dip one night ahead and save it in the fridge in a tight-lid container. Wash and dry your veggies and slice them about 2 hours before you’re ready to assemble the platter, and save the vegetables in the fridge in zip-top bags.
- Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including olive oils and spices.
I would love this for my 4th of July picnic
This platter is perfect! I used it to serve my guests at my Christmas party last week.
Awesome! Thanks, Neil!
Suzy’s tips for making a Crudités platter are very helpful! I pre-made a crudités platter for a party I was hosting, and everyone loved the cooked beets, walnut spinach yogurt dip and the homemade pitas I added to my board! Seriously so good, I will be doing this again!
Awesome! Thanks, Christina!
My family is coming Friday night and this will be perfect! I’ve always been scared to try this, but you make this sound easy! Thank you!
This is perfect for family gatherings! Hope you guys have a wonderful time!
It’s not a party with out a Crudité platter! Gorgeous, healthy and delish!
Such a great idea for an appetizer for the holidays! I made it for a small gathering I had and it was a huge hit!
Thanks, Emily!