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These veggie tray ideas make a next-level party platter with colorful vegetables and creamy dips that go beyond just carrots and celery! Here are my best vegetable choices, dip options, and make-ahead tips.
Want to make a veggie tray but tired of the same old thing? When I say “veggie tray,” you might think of those store-bought trays in plastic with sad baby carrots and ranch. But I’ve learned there’s not too much needed to take ordinary carrots and celery from blah to amazing.
When you focus on color and texture contrasts and simple homemade dips, the veggie tray suddenly becomes the star of the party. I’ve spent years perfecting my favorite veggie tray ideas, and here I’m sharing my tricks!
The Best Vegetables for Your Tray
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 I follow every time I 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 makes a beautiful bright green color and the florets disappear quickly: everyone always loves them!
- 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.
Additional Vegetable Options
If you want to expand your veggie tray beyond the basics, here are some options I love:
- Olives, especially these marinated olives
- Dill pickles
- Blanched green beans
- Blanched asparagus
- Pickled cauliflower, pickled carrots, pickled green beans, or pickled peppers
- Marinated mushrooms
- Kohlrabi, peeled and cut into sticks
- Jicama, peeled and cut into sticks
- Zucchini or summer squash, sliced
My Favorite Dips for Veggie Trays
My favorite dip idea for a veggie tray is my simple dill dip, which requires just 5 ingredients in comes together in 5 minutes. I like to use at least two dips, which provides some contrasting flavors and makes for a more interesting veggie tray. Here are all of my top dip ideas:
- Dill dip: This classic dill dip is tangy and creamy, or try ranch dip, veggie dip, or vegan ranch.
- Hummus: Hummus is a great option for a veggie tray since it’s naturally vegan. I like this classic hummus recipe best, but you can also make variations like spicy hummus, beet hummus, or black bean 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: A green dip makes a nice color contrast, like avocado dip, green pea dip, cilantro lime crema, or vegan cilantro sauce.
- Dill pickle dip: This creamy dill pickle dip has a tangy, bright flavor.
- Aioli: This creamy French sauce is delicious with vegetables; try my garlic aioli, pesto aioli, or truffle aioli.
Styling a Veggie Tray Like a Pro
Half the fun of a veggie tray is making it look beautifully enticing (we eat with our eyes, right?) As a cookbook author with a food photographer husband, I’ve spent years trying to perfect this art! Here are a few things I’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. I like adding a little fun with fresh herbs like basil or thyme sprigs to add interest.
Serving Suggestions
This veggie tray is perfect as a standalone party food appetizer, but you can serve it alongside other platters for a festive spread:
- Pair it with my Ultimate Cheese Board or serve alongside an Antipasto Platter for an Italian-inspired spread
- Add Easy Fruit Dip with a fruit tray for a full spread of fresh healthy appetizers
- Include it as part of a larger cold appetizer spread like pinwheels or cold spinach dip
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
A veggie tray is easy to make in advance. Here are a few of our tips:
- Advance Prep: You can wash and cut all the vegetables up to 3 days ahead, including blanching the broccoli. Store everything in the refrigerator in separate containers.
- Dip Prep: Make the dips up to 3 days in advance and store them refrigerated.
- Assembly: Assemble the tray up to 30 minutes before serving.
- Storing Leftovers: If you have leftover vegetables, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dips will store for up to 1 week refrigerated.
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.
Easy Veggie Tray
These veggie tray ideas make a next-level party platter with colorful vegetables and creamy dips that go beyond just carrots and celery! Here are my best vegetable choices, dip options, and make-ahead tips.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 large tray 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Vegetables
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
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
Instructions
- 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: Spicy Hummus, Beet Hummus, Black Bean Hummus, or Green Hummus
Let us know if you have any questions!