We were having some friends over for a get-together and I wanted to make something healthy, but at the same time fancy. Of course! I was leaning towards a vegetable platter since I was striving for something nutritious, but the thought of a standard veggie platter was not giving me the wow factor.
My goal was to dazzle my guests with a masterpiece. With that thought in mind, I checked out Pinterest to garner some inspiration. I stumbled upon crudités platter ideas. You may be asking what exactly a crudités platter is. Crudités are simply raw vegetables arranged neatly on a platter served with dipping sauces.
Therefore, crudités is just a fancy name for a vegetable platter! Isn’t it funny how a French name like crudités, pronounced croo-duh-tay, can suddenly make it all seem uber fancy?
With the help of some Pinterest pins I was able to pull this off. My crudités platter was a stunner. The guests were wowed by the colorful array of veggies. Who would ever think the vegetable platter would be the blockbuster at a dinner party? I was even shocked.
Below is the elegant crudités platter I created:
If you want to make a show-stopping dish like this for your next get-together or bring something fancy like this as dish to pass below are some steps to success:
*First: Build Inspiration: I recommend searching for images on Pinterest or Google to nail down a color scheme or create a frame of reference for your platter. Finding an image, you can use a guide for any project is super helpful. I searched Pinterest for crudités platter ideas. Doing this helped me settle on the purple and green color combination. You are the designer here. There are no rules. Do what speaks to you and have fun with it.
*Second: Create a Shopping List and Gather Supplies: Using your reference material/image from step one, jot down a list of items you wish to display and serve. When I was walking through the produce section gathering supplies it was very helpful to have a picture to look to if I felt lost or was getting off track.
Below is a list of items I used for my fancy-schmancy crudités platter:
- Red cabbage
- Rainbow carrots (I used only purple and white)
- Cucumber
- Radishes
- Blackberries
- Green grapes
- Green beans
- Sweet baby brocoli
- Dill vegetable dip
- Hummus
- Fresh flowers for a garnish
The above list is provided as a helpful guide, but when it comes to making a beautiful crudités platter there are so many different vegetables to use. I added fruit for some sweetness and fresh flowers for a garnish. Be brave and experiment with different vegetables and color schemes. This is your masterpiece; you call the shots.
*Third: Find your canvas: Look through your kitchen cabinets for a platter, large dish, tray, cutting board, etc. I used a 21″ French country melamine tray found on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4cb6K6T. I’ve used this tray for various occasions, it is my go-to for things like this. Check out my other posts to see this tray in action; How to Create an Epic Hot Cocoa Bar and How to Create a Valentine’s Day Sweet Board.
*Fourth: Prep and Assembly: Once you have your canvas and your veggies, it is time to create your lovely crudités platter! The fun part! Before you start assembling ensure you have your vegetables, fruits and garnishes prepared in advance. Meaning, wash, cut, dice, and peel as necessary. Make certain the vegetables and fruits are of the appropriate size for snacking.
There are virtually no rules here, assemble as you see fit. I placed two small ramekins in the middle as anchors, then I worked my way around the perimeter gradually making my way to the center of the platter. The key is to minimize gaps to ensure the crudités platter does not have any open spaces. This guarantees a full and plentiful look. Fullness makes the platter appear more professional and upscale.
Lastly, place your garnishes on the platter. I added some fresh flowers to up the elegance factor. If you are going for a formal or sophisticated look, I highly recommend adding a garnish like this. This will bring your appetizer to a whole different level. It will look way chic and stand out among all the other appetizers on the table. Go forth and turn the ordinary into extraordinary!
*Fifth: Admire and Enjoy: For the final step, sit back and admire your work! Enjoy the delicious, picturesque arrangement of crudités. Watch as your guests’ jaws drop when they feast their eyes on this showpiece. Be sure to take pictures before people start digging in.
Enjoy!
P.S. Check out my post How to Make an Awesome Croquembouche, if you ever want to make donut holes look super elegant.
