Here are all our top veggie tray ideas for a next level party platter! These tasty dips and vegetables go beyond the ordinary carrots and celery to make a colorful, flavorful tray that will impress everyone.
Why we love this recipe
Want to make a veggie tray but tired of the same old thing? As two cookbook authors, we’ve put together a few of our top veggie tray ideas for a crowd-pleasing party platter! Every time we bring a variation on this tray to parties, everyone goes crazy over the bright colors and tasty dips.
Here’s the thing: there’s not too much needed to take those ordinary carrots and celery from blah to amazing. Our 3 best tricks? Play up the vegetable color and texture contrasts, make our dill dip recipe that takes just 5 minutes, and go for steamed broccoli instead of raw: it makes everyone happy!
Veggie tray ideas: best vegetables to use
Sure, everyone knows carrots and celery. But what are some veggie tray ideas that make for a next-level tray? Use as many colors as possible. Here are some tips that we follow every time we build a tray:
- Carrots: Avoid baby carrots. Peel and slice medium to large carrots for the best flavor. Use rainbow carrots if you can find them for brightly colored look!
- Broccoli: Use steamed broccoli or blanched broccoli, lightly salted, which makes a more tender texture and sweet flavor. It also makes a beautiful bright green color. Everyone always raves when we do this trick!
- Bell peppers: Use red, orange, yellow or a combination for the best look. Mini sweet peppers also look nice.
- Cucumber: We like using English cucumber, which has the best flavor and bright green color. The peel is less bitter and the seeds are smaller than a standard cucumber.
- Snap peas: Snap peas are always a favorite, with their sweet flavor and crunch. Avoid snow peas here, which are thinner and less sweet.
- Celery: Celery still works, when surrounded by these colors and textures.
- Cherry tomatoes: Use multi-colored tomatoes if you can find them.
- Radishes: Using radishes brings in a nice bright pink color contrast! We like slicing them for easy eating.
What to avoid on a veggie tray? Raw cauliflower is often a popular choice, but we find its flavor is very strong and it can be hard to digest. We avoid it on a veggie tray, or you could make steamed cauliflower first.
More vegetable ideas
There are lots more vegetable ideas for a veggie tray! Here are a few more ideas:
Dip ideas for a veggie tray
Our favorite dip idea for a veggie tray is our simple dill dip! This recipe requires just 5 ingredients in comes together in 5 minutes. It’s nice to use at least two dips, which provides some contrasting flavors and makes for a more interesting veggie tray.
Here are all of our top dip ideas, and a little bit about why we love them:
- Dill dip: This classic Dill Dip uses mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and big fill flavor. Alternative options are Ranch Dip, Veggie Dip, or Vegan Ranch.
- Hummus: Hummus is a great option for a veggie tray since it’s naturally vegan. We like our classic Hummus Recipe best, but we also love variations like Beet Hummus, Black Bean Hummus, or Green Hummus.
- French onion dip: This French Onion Dip is creamy and rich.
- Spinach dip: A cold Spinach Dip is a nice alternative for a veggie tray. For vegan, use Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip.
- Green dips: We like adding color contrasts with a green dip, like Avocado Dip, Green Pea Dip, Cilantro Lime Crema, or Cilantro Sauce (vegan).
- Dill pickle dip: This creamy Dill Pickle Dip has a tangy, bright flavor everyone loves.
- Aioli: Aioli is a creamy French sauce or dip. Try our Garlic Aioli, Pesto Aioli, Chipotle Aioli, or Truffle Aioli.
Tips for styling a veggie tray
Half the fun of a veggie tray is making it look beautifully enticing (we eat with our eyes, right?) As two cookbook authors and food photographers, we’ve spent years trying to perfect this art. Here are a few things we’ve learned:
- Start with the dips in low, small bowls. Place the dips onto the tray first.
- Place piles of vegetables around the dips, playing up contrasts in textures and colors. Place different colored vegetables next to each other, and make different patterns with the shapes.
- Garnish with herbs. We like adding a little fun with fresh herbs like basil or thyme sprigs to add interest.
Storing leftovers and make ahead tips
A veggie tray is easy to make in advance. Here are a few of our tips:
- Wash and cut the vegetables in advance (including steaming or blanching the broccoli or green beans).
- Store cut vegetables up to 3 days refrigerated.
- Make the dips in advance and store up to 1 week refrigerated.
More appetizer recipes
This veggie tray is one of our favorite healthy appetizers: it’s the perfect party food idea! Here are a few more appetizer recipes to try:
Dietary notes
This veggie tray is vegetarian and gluten-free, and dairy-free and vegan with vegan dips like hummus or the options noted above.
Frequently asked questions
Consider adding colorful and interesting vegetables like snap peas, radishes, bell pepper strips, jicama sticks, kohlrabi, blanched asparagus, or even roasted vegetables like roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted sweet potatoes.
Hummus, guacamole, tzatziki, black bean dip, and white bean dip are all delicious and nutritious options. You can also try making your own yogurt-based dip with herbs and spices.
To keep vegetables fresh, store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If you’re preparing the tray in advance, consider using a damp paper towel to cover the vegetables and keep them from drying out. You can also wrap individual vegetables in damp paper towels and store them in a sealed container until ready to assemble.
Description
Here are all our top veggie tray ideas for a next level party platter! These tasty dips and vegetables go beyond the ordinary carrots and celery to make a colorful, flavorful tray that will impress everyone.
Veggie Ideas
- Carrots (rainbow carrots if possible)
- Celery
- Cucumber (English cucumber is best if you can find it)
- Snap peas
- Red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
- Broccoli (steamed broccoli or blanched broccoli is best)
- Radishes
- Cherry tomatoes (multi-colored, if possible)
- Olives
Dill Dip
- 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream; see notes)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dried dill
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Other Dip Ideas (Optional): Hummus, Avocado Dip, Tzatziki, French Onion Dip, Dill Pickle Dip, Spinach Dip, Cottage Cheese Dip, Garlic Aioli, Pesto Aioli, Green Pea Dip, White Bean Dip, Cilantro Lime Crema
- Slice the vegetables. Steam the broccoli or blanch the broccoli and sprinkle it with salt, which makes the texture more pleasant for eating.
- Mix the ingredients for the dill dip in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes for best flavor (dip stores up to 1 week refrigerated).
- If making another dip, mix up the hummus or other dip recipe.
- Place the dips in small shallow bowls. Arrange the vegetables around the dips. Serve immediately.
Notes
We prefer Greek yogurt, which keeps this dip lighter and adds a tang to the flavor. Sour crema makes it very rich and creamy.
Other hummus variations: Beet Hummus, Black Bean Hummus, or Green Hummus
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Vegetables
- Diet: Vegetarian
