You don’t have to know how to say it (or spell it) to make a beautiful veggie board! That’s right – crudités are a French appetizer that include sliced or whole raw vegetables, typically served with a vinaigrette or other dipping sauce. A crudité board can satisfy all the vegetarians at your party who can’t eat the infamous charcuterie boards (named after the meat portion) out there. Let’s jump in on how to make one for your next gathering.
Easy, breezy, beautiful… (you know the rest)
Assembling a beautiful crudité board doesn’t need to be difficult. Stop at the grocery store or your local farmer’s market, and then follow the steps below. Use the items as your shopping list. Choose 2-4 from each category (or all of them) and you are set.
What to buy & how to arrange
1. Get your board
Snag your prettiest cutting board or serving platter as your plate of choice.
2. Large items first
Place the largest items on the plate first, starting with bowls for dips, sauces, or smaller items to scoop. We like to fill the bowls with:
- Vinaigrette
- Hummus
- Sour cream based dips: add seasoning
- Olives or tapenade
- Nuts: almonds, roasted and seasoned
- Seeds: sunflower and pepitas
Pro Tip: A fun replacement bowl idea is to cut the top off of a bell pepper, take out the seeds, and fill it with dip—a veggie dip bowl you can eat.
3. Veggies up
Add next the whole veggies that take up the most space, such as:
- Multi-colored carrots: play with how it looks to keep tops on or cut them off
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Bell pepper spears (great for color variety!)
- Okra
4. Sliced veggies next
Mix up the variety of shapes and sizes by adding:
- Sliced zucchini
- Halved cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Veggie chips
- Sliced radishes: aren’t watermelon radishes the prettiest?
5. The details
Add a textured element and fill in cracks between veggies with:
- Beet crackers
- Dried seaweed
- Cauliflower crisps
- Loose olives
- Large nuts
6. Top it off
Top the platter off with wet items:
- Kiwi
- Apple
- Avocado slices
- Grapes
7. Fill it in
Finish off with fillers like nuts to sprinkle in any empty spaces.
8. Serve and enjoy!
Who knew how much more exciting throwing veggies on a plate could be than your store-bought veggie tray? Taking some extra time to implement these simple steps on a crudité board for your guests adds an extra element of pizzazz to the party.
Sneak a peek at these expert accounts and wait for your stomach to growl:
