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    Home » Appetizers » Holiday Veggie Tray

    Holiday Veggie Tray

    Published: November 24, 2021 · Jill Baird · 4 Comments

    vegetable tray shaped like a turkey for thanksgiving dinner

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    This Holiday Veggie Tray is full of crisp and colorful veggies, served with homemade ranch dressing on the side.  It’s the perfect appetizer to serve at your next holiday party or gathering.

    Jump to:
    • Holiday Veggie Tray
    • Ingredients in this Holiday Veggie Tray
    • How to Make a Veggie Tray
    • Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Vegetable Platter
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Storing
    • Holiday Veggie Tray Recipe

    Holiday Veggie Tray

    Our classic Holiday Veggie Tray includes a wide variety of raw and blanched vegetables as well as a recipe for an easy peasy homemade ranch dressing for dipping.  If ranch dressing isn’t your thing, serve any one of your favorite homemade or store bought dips instead.

    For kids veggie platters, keep the selection simple and create kooky faces out of veggies for a fun presentation.  Or, try our recipe for these individual Mini Veggie Cups.

    In this recipe, we’ve also included tips and tricks for putting together the absolute best veggie platter to fit any holiday.  Need an Easter Veggie Tray?  Fill ‘er up with spring favorites like asparagus, radishes and snap peas.  Or, for a Thanksgiving Veggie Tray hollow out mini pumpkins to serve your dips in.  

    An appetizer tray filled with cut fresh veggies and a container of dip decorated to look like a little cat face.

    Ingredients in this Holiday Veggie Tray

    Best Veggie Tray Vegetables

    There are so many great options for easy veggie tray ideas, including:

    • Carrots (regular, rainbow or baby carrots)
    • Celery
    • Radishes
    • Snap Peas
    • Cucumbers
    • Bell Peppers
    • Cherry Tomatoes
    • Green Beans
    • Asparagus
    • Jicama
    • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower

    Veggie Tray Dip

    Serve with the Homemade Ranch Dressing from this recipe, or choose from any number of dip ideas on this list.  If you are serving a larger group, it’s also nice to offer a couple of choices:

    • Homemade Ranch Dressing: our version of homemade ranch is made with dried dill, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, mayo and buttermilk.
    • Southwest Ranch Dressing - ranch dressing with a little zing.
    • Hummus - your favorite kind.
    • Everything Bagel Seasoning Dip - made with a base of sour cream and cream cheese.
    A photo of a ramekin of dip on a veggie tray, next to a close up photo of a bell pepper cut to look like a funny face.

    How to Make a Veggie Tray

    1. Prep veggies.  Wash and cut all vegetables and arrange on a platter.
    2. Make ranch dressing.  In a blender, add the dried dill, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, mayo and buttermilk.  Blend on high until smooth.
    3. Serve.  Serve with Homemade Ranch Dressing on the side.  Enjoy!

    Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Vegetable Platter

    • Blanch any green vegetables in boiling salted water for about 1 minutes, then shock them in ice water to stop the cooking.  It brings out their color and keeps the crisp-tender.
    • When choosing your veggies, pick a combination of different colors, textures and sizes.
    • For a stunning presentation, hollow out a small cabbage, bell pepper or even a mini pumpkin to serve the dip in and line your serving platter with lettuce or cabbage leaves.
    • Serve veggies with a variety of dips for guests to choose from.
    • Don’t limit the Holiday Veggie Tray to just veggies - you can add olives, cheese, pickles, fresh herbs and more.
    A veggie platter made with carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes and cherry tomatoes with a ramekin of dip decorated with a veggie face.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why do you need to blanch vegetables?

    There are many reasons to blanch vegetables, but for crudite platters, we suggest blanching any green veggies.  It really brings out the color and keeps them crisp-tender.  This would include snap peas, asparagus, string beans or broccoli.

    How long will this vegetable tray stay fresh?

    Your Holiday Veggie Tray will taste the freshest if consumed within the first 24 hours.  However, as long as your wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap and store in the fridge, you can eat it for up to 3 days.

    Can I make a veggie platter in advance?

    You can make the dip up to 4 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.  As for the veggies - you can prepare them up to 4 hours ahead of time, cover the tray lightly with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

    Storing

    • Dip: Store any leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  
    • Veggie Tray: Wrap any leftover veggies in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    image for vegetable tray shaped like a bunny
    Print

    Holiday Veggie Tray Recipe

    This Holiday Veggie Tray is full of crisp and colorful veggies, served with homemade ranch dressing on the side.  It’s the perfect appetizer to serve at your next holiday party or gathering.
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 20 people
    Calories 212kcal
    Author The Carefree Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Carrots cut into sticks
    • 1 lb Celery cut into sticks
    • ½ lb Radishes sliced
    • ½ lb Snap Peas blanched
    • ½ lb Cucumbers sliced
    • ½ lb Bell Peppers cut into sticks
    • 1 lb Cherry Tomatoes

    Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

    • 2 teaspoon Dried Dill
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Chives
    • 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    • ½ Cup Mayo
    • ½ Cup Buttermilk

    Instructions

    • Wash and cut all vegetables and arrange on a platter. Serve with Homemade Ranch Dressing on the side. Enjoy!

    Homemade Ranch Dressing

    • In a blender, add the dried dill, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, mayo and buttermilk. Blend on high until smooth.
    • Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 1926mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 525IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

    Here are more of our favorite appetizer recipes:

    • Easy Appetizer Recipes
    • Pizza Pinwheels
    • Jalapeno Artichoke Dip
    • Frank's Buffalo Chicken Dip
    • Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Bites
    • Oven Roasted Asparagus
    • More Vegetable Recipes
    • More Holiday Recipes
    • More Dip Recipes

    If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest,  feel free to leave a comment and photo there too.  Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

    veggie tray in shape of turkey

    This Holiday Veggie Tray includes both raw and blanched vegetables as well as a recipe for an easy homemade ranch dressing for dipping. Mix and match your favorite fresh vegetables and dips to create the perfect veggie trays for any occasion.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Crystal

      December 07, 2021 at 12:29 pm

      This might just be the cutest thing that I have ever seen!

      Reply
    2. Brandy

      November 26, 2021 at 8:05 am

      This veggie tray is perfect for any holiday or get together! Love how festive you can make it. Plus always a fan of veggies and dip! Something for everyone!

      Reply
    3. Katherine

      November 25, 2021 at 4:23 am

      I love this! It's so cute and a fun way to make the kids eat healthy at Thanksgiving!

      Reply
    4. Kate

      November 25, 2021 at 4:22 am

      This is so perfect for making sure everyone has healthy nibbles at Christmas!

      Reply

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