How To Make a Crudité Platter

Learn how to make a crudité platter in this easy-to-follow guide! Including tips, board inspiration, and recommendations for a flavorful platter!

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Thank you Heluva Good! for sponsoring this post. Heluva Good! Dips are the perfect way to add flavor to any occasion. All opinions are my own!

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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, today’s post is a guide on how to build the perfect crudité platter – the best part of any party! You know, maybe it was a sign at an early age that I’d become a vegetarian blogger when I’d always beeline for the veggie platters at parties. Having celery and carrots with a delicious dip (my favorite is ranch) was my favorite! 

With so many dishes to plan for a Thanksgiving meal, it’s important to me and my family to keep things simple. A crudité platter is ideal for this because you don’t have to cook anything – just arrange everything on the board! Also, using a pre-made dip like the Heluva Good! Buttermilk Ranch Dip is the perfect no-stress yet delicious addition to any board. You can find their dips in the dairy aisle of most supermarkets! 

The key to making a successful crudité platter is including lots of different elements that will appeal to anybody at your party. Here are my tips for what to include!

What to include in your crudité platter:

1 // Vegetables. This one is obvious! The word crudité actually means “rawness” in French, an homage to the raw state of vegetables. For your crudité platter, you want to be sure to use firm vegetables that will hold their own against the dip. Some ideas can include:

• Carrots 
• Celery
• Mini Cucumbers
• Radishes
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Bell Peppers
• Snap or Sugar Peas

2 // A really good dip. My favorite dip to use for vegetables is a classic, creamy ranch. For this board I used Heluva Good!’s buttermilk ranch dip, perfect for the veggies I used. They also have dips in flavors including French Onion and Jalapeño Cheddar. These dips would also be perfect for dipping potato chips, pretzels, or tortilla chips!

3 // Nuts or seeds. Adding a crunchy element to the platter adds interest and texture. For this platter I used pumpkin seeds, but you could also include:

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Cashews
• Peanuts

4 // A pickled element. To juxtapose the fresh nature of the raw veggies, consider adding some pickles! For this platter I used traditional mini dill pickles, but you could also include:

• Pickled radishes
• Pickled asparagus
• Pickled carrots

How to make the board beautiful:

It’s true that people eat with their eyes first, and a beautiful crudité platter will be even more delicious! There are a few simple tricks that you can employ to make your board extra pretty:

1 // Use color. Choose vegetables in a wide variety of colors for a beautiful visual effect.

2 // Alternate colors. When arranging your board, alternate between colors to make each vegetable pop. On my board, I alternated between green and red/orange vegetables for the most dramatic effect.

3 // Put the dip in the center. Pour the dip into a nice ceramic or glass bowl and put it right in the center of the board. The dip will be the common denominator for all of the veggies!

4 // Add nuts to the dip. If using a creamy dip like I did, consider adding nuts on top for a beautiful effect. This will also add delicious texture to the dip! 

I hope you enjoyed these tips and tricks on how to make a crudité platter! I’ve only posted one how-to “recipe” before, but I’ve really enjoyed this type of post. Coming up I think I may post a guide on how to build a vegetarian cheese and charcuterie board, stay tuned!

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving!

P.S.

If you make a crudité platter and post it on Instagram, be sure to tag me @wellandfull and #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your takes on my recipes :)