Don't Buy a Veggie Tray Ever Again! (2024)

An appetizer table for a good party isn't complete without a vegetable tray! This homemade veggie tray is way better than the pre-made one in stores. Choose your favorite fresh crisp vegetables, then make some homemade ranch dressing, and serve it up to your party guests.

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Easy Vegetable Tray Recipe

A veggie platter has a way of transcending holidays, seasons and parties. Maybe we're not eating veggies "in season" sometimes, but every party I go to has a vegetable tray — no matter the time of year!

It's something easy that really everyone will eat. Maybe the picky eaters won't choose a tomato or cucumber, but dip a vegetable in enough sauce and it's unrecognizable and totally delicious. It's such a simple dish that it should be added to your Thanksgiving appetizer choices as well!

Having some healthy foods at parties is always beneficial too. Don't get me wrong — I love jalapeño popper dip and pizza muffins as much as the next person. But having an easy, healthier appetizer always makes me feel a bit better about my plate.

If you're not a cook, this vegetable platter is the perfect thing for you to volunteer to bring to the next party. All you need are raw veggies and a creamy dip. An easy vegetable tray is a party staple and crowd-pleaser!

And yes, you could buy one of these trays! But who knows how long they've been on the shelf. When you go the DIY route — with homemade ranch dressing to boot — you can be sure the veggies are fresh and pick-and-choose the ones you like best.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

I'm sure we all have reasons to love a good crudite platter! A few reasons I love snacks like this are:

• Game day parties, holiday parties, and special occasions always need some healthy options. So this is an easy way to ensure there is something relatively healthy on ever party appetizer table.
• You can create manageable sizes of platters for any size party you are planning. If you have an large party, then easily create an extra large platter with a variety of flavorful dips. A small party just needs a small platter with a tasty dip!
• They're easily customizable. So you can use whatever vegetables and dip that you want and turn a vegetable tray into a platter of your favorites.

What to Put on a Veggie Tray

A vegetable platter is typically just made of crisp raw veggies and a delicious dip or two. You can add cheese and crackers if you want, but then that kind of morphs the platter into more of charcuterie board. Which is perfectly ok! A few good vegetables for these platters are:

• cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
• broccoli florets
• cauliflower florets
• sliced english cucumbers
• carrot sticks or baby carrots
• celery sticks
• sliced bell peppers
• mini peppers
• snap peas

Need some ideas for different dips? Here's a few tasty additions to dunk these crunchy veggies in:

• ranch dressing
• guacamole
• french onion dip
• whipped feta dip
• fresh hummus
• jalapeño ranch
• sour cream dip
• buffalo chicken dip

How to Build an Easy Vegetable Tray

It is easiest to make a good vegetable tray on a large platter or even a sheet pan.

Place the ranch dip, or other favorite dip, on the center of the platter.

Then, slice and cut fresh vegetables and arrange them around the bowl or bowls of veggie dip. Make sure you have a variety of vegetables so that there is something for everyone on the platter. It's also good to have a variety because the rainbow of colors is very pretty!

Serve the vegetable tray immediately, or cover it well with plastic wrap and then store in the fridge until needed.

How to Store a Veggie Tray

If you have any leftovers after your party, you can either transfer them to an airtight container and cover the platter tightly in plastic wrap. Then store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Hot Tip: Pre-cut vegetables from the grocery store often do not last as long as cutting fresh vegetables yourself. If you need the platter to stay fresh for awhile, then cut your own veggies!

What to Serve with a Vegetable Platter

There is a myriad of different appetizers that pair well with a vegetable tray. You can make a fruit tray with a tasty fruit dip that would look so pretty next to a fresh veggie tray!

A fresh tomato tart with puff pastry also pair well with a vegetable tray. Want another crunchy appetizer to serve with these crisp veggies? Then make easy crostini and top with tomato bruschetta!

Fresh pita chips with yummy dip and crispy crackers are always good pairing with veggies too!

Tips for Success

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• Need a way to keep your platter cold during a party? Then fill a pan with ice water and place the veggie tray on top of it. It will keep the vegetables cold and crispy, which also makes their flavor bettter!
• If you are serving the vegetable platter immediately, then make sure the veggies have been refrigerated before chopping. Cold veggies are much better than room temp veggies.
• At minimum, use at 3-4 different raw vegetables on a platter. The more variety, the better!
• Garnish your tray with fresh herbs for a pretty presentation!

FAQ

More Vegetable Recipes

• Roasted Root Vegetables
• Steamed Broccoli
• Corn and Tomato Salad
• Oven Roasted Green Beans