Learn how to make an easy crudités platter from start to finish, perfect for seamless entertaining. This post is sponsored by Hidden Valley Ranch but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
No holiday or party table should be bare of a good crudités platter.
While I love making charcuterie or cheese boards, a crudités platter is a personal favorite for so many reasons.
First, they’re colorful and stunning — filled with vibrant seasonal vegetables and various shapes and textures. Second, they’re more cost-effective than charcuterie or cheese boards, making them a great choice for a bigger crowd. Last, but not least, they’re more versatile and accommodating to different dietary restrictions.
Not to mention how incredibly effortless they are to put together.
Here are my top tips to make the absolute best easy crudités platter this holiday season.
How to Make a Crudités Platter
The Dip
We’re making an easy platter, so we’re going to keep things simple with one dip: ranch. Who doesn’t love ranch, right? It’s also the most popular choice for crudités and veggie platters.
We’re not going to make just any ranch, but we’re going to make the-very-best-ranch: Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Ranch. It’s the #1 ranch mix used in restaurants for a reason.
Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Ranch (full recipe below) comes together with a few simple ingredients to create a delicious dip full of flavor.
With creamy buttermilk, spices, fresh garlic, and chives, this homemade ranch is a quick and easy crowd-pleaser.
The Veggies
Use whatever veggies you like and feature a mix of seasonal vegetables with various colors and textures. Look for rainbow or colorful varieties of vegetables when possible (rainbow carrots, Aloha peppers, Easter Egg radish, purple cauliflower).
While most of your veggies should be raw, don’t be afraid to roast some for additional flavor and texture. For green beans, asparagus, or snap peas, blanch the vegetables to bring out their green color.
Below are some vegetables for your crudités platter:
- asparagus
- beets
- bell peppers
- broccoli
- carrots
- cauliflower
- celery
- cucumbers
- endive
- fennel
- green beans
- jicama
- radishes
- sugar snap peas
- tomatoes
- zucchini or baby squash
The Extras
Who says that crudités platters need to be only raw vegetables? Think outside the box and have fun with your platter. Here’s some ideas on things to add for a variety of flavors and textures:
- pickles and pickled vegetables
- marinated vegetables (artichokes, mushrooms, roasted red peppers)
- roasted garlic
- breads and crackers (pita chips, garlic crostini, breadsticks)
- chips (kale chips, sweet potato tortilla chips, carrot chips)
- olives
- nuts
- cheeses (fresh mozzarella cheese balls, marinated feta, manchego)
- meats (proscuitto, ham, peppered salami)
- dried and fresh fruits (apricots, figs, pears, apples)
- fresh butter and sea salt (for radishes)
- sweet additions (jams, dark chocolate, chocolate-covered fruit)
Crudités Platter Tips
If possible, cut your fresh vegetables right before serving to maintain optimal freshness. If you need to prep them the night before, store cut carrots and peppers wrapped in damp paper towels in air-tight containers to keep from drying out. Store sliced radishes in a shallow container filled with cold water, and save delicate vegetables like endive and cucumbers for the day of.
Prep what you can in advance. Make the dip 1-2 days before, skewer fresh mozzarella cheese balls, and roast any vegetables the day before. You can also place olives and pickled vegetables in their serving bowls, plastic wrap them, and refrigerate. Just let them come to room temperature before adding them to the platter.
Be mindful of your guests and their dietary restrictions. For example, if you know that you have a few vegan or vegetarian guests, make sure meat or cheeses are not touching anything else on the tray.
We hope that these tips ensure crudités platter success! What are your favorite appetizers for effortless entertaining? Let us know in the comments below.
Print
Restaurant Style Ranch
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Description
With creamy buttermilk, spices, fresh garlic, and chives, this ranch is a quick and easy crowd-pleaser for either a dressing or dip.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 packet Hidden Valley® Restaurant Style Ranch
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped chives
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let thicken.
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This looks like the perfect snacking platter to me! 🙂
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What a beautiful spread! Saving this for the next time we have company!
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Such a gorgeous platter!! I can’t wait to try this!
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I really loved this idea! Perfect for entertaining!
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This looks totally awesome!
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I absolutely love this thank you for sharing!
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I actually like the fresh ranch dip better than anything store bought. The consistency is just so much better.
I love enjoying a crudités platter like this! There’s just something about meats veggies and cheese that pair perfectly together.
Ranch makes everything so much better and the Hidden Valley Ranch dip is my favorite! When I’m stressed and overwhelmed, I often buy pre-cute veggies to add to my crudite trays as that’s one less thing for me to do.
I’ve never seen a crudites platter before. I could nibble at that all day long. Love fresh veggies.
Yes please!!! I need this in my life like right now bid rather have this than the dry cereal I’m snacking on right now.
What a beautiful platter! I would love to make something like this for Christmas this year!
This is one amazing platter. I know many who would really love this. I think it would be perfect for the holidays too.
No gathering is complete without a crudites platter. Yours looks wonderful. I love the idea of adding some more exotic vegetables into the mix.
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Very impressive presentation! This looks so tasty and easy to put together
I love a good crudites platter. This one looks especially delicious. The ranch is a nice touch.
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This is helpful! I wouldn’t mind putting together a pretty platter for guests over the holidays. This sounds easy enough.
This platter is beautiful! Hidden Valley Ranch is my favorite. This is perfect for the holidays and easy to make. I find charcuterie platters can be expensive and time consuming. I really like this platter!
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