A crudité platter is the easiest showstopper in entertaining: a big board of raw, colorful vegetables (think heirloom carrots, radishes, snap peas, cucumbers and radicchio) arranged in generous piles around a couple of homemade dips. Mine always gets a creamy hummus finished with olive oil and paprika plus a dill-loaded tzatziki, and the whole thing requires zero stove time. The trick is keeping everything fresh, cold and colorful, then letting the dips do the heavy lifting. Build it out with my Hummus Bar with Naan Crisps, swap in my Beet Tzatziki for a pink twist, or set the board next to a Bruschetta Bar for a full grazing spread.
Crudité Platter at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 15 to 30 minutes of prep (no cooking; add time if you blanch any vegetables)
- 👪 Servings: Scales to your board; figure a generous handful of vegetables plus dip per person
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: French / Mediterranean (appetizer board)
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Fresh, crisp, and colorful, with raw garden vegetables alongside creamy hummus and herby tzatziki
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian and naturally gluten-free; vegan if you skip or swap the yogurt-based tzatziki
- 📦 Storage Notes: Prep vegetables and dips up to 1 day ahead and store separately (some veg in ice water); assemble the board within 1 to 2 hours of serving
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: It is the no-cook centerpiece that makes you look like you tried hard when you really did not. A few minutes of prep, a whirl of the food processor for the dips, and you have a gorgeous, colorful board. It works for any party, any season, and just about any dietary need.
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It's a work of art that requires almost no cooking. Well, actually it requires zero stove time - just a few prep minutes, a whirl in the food processor and then voila! The key is to keep everything fresh and colorful. As you're well aware, I'm really into "piles" of food. Piles of radishes. Green beans. Celery. Carrots. You name it, you can put it in a little pile and then plop the dips on the board and you're ready to rock and roll.
Mix and match various veggies with either dip and your snack / appetizer board is done. I'm all about a creamy hummus topped with a drizzle of olive oil and some paprika alongside a freshly made tzatziki loaded with dill, cucumbers and green yogurt! Try your hand at it and send me pictures on instagram or snapchat!!
Substitutions & Swaps
🥕 The Vegetables
- Heirloom carrots - Leave the stems on for a rustic, colorful anchor
- Radishes - Halve them so the magenta interior shows; peppery and crisp
- Endive or radicchio - The leaves double as little scoops for dip
- Cucumbers and celery - Cool, crunchy, and reliably crowd-pleasing
- Bell peppers - Cut into planks for big color and a sweet crunch
🫛 Blanch-Worthy Picks
- Green beans - A 60-second blanch and ice bath keeps them snappy and bright
- Asparagus - Blanch the spears so they are tender-crisp, not squeaky raw
- Broccoli and cauliflower florets - A quick blanch tames the raw edge and sets the color
- Sugar snap peas - Great raw, but a flash blanch makes them pop even more
🧆 The Dips
- Hummus - The creamy default; finish with olive oil and paprika
- Tzatziki - Cool and herby with dill and cucumber; the perfect foil to raw veg
- Green goddess - Herb-packed and bright green; gorgeous on the board
- Whipped feta - Tangy and fluffy; a salty crowd favorite
- Muhammara - Roasted red pepper and walnut for a smoky, nutty change-up
🌿 Hummus Upgrades
- Calabrian chili - Swirl it in for a smoky, spicy hummus with real heat
- Roasted garlic - Blend in soft cloves for mellow, sweet depth
- Green goddess herbs - Fold in herbs and lemon for a brighter, greener dip
- Extra lemon and cumin - The two easiest ways to wake up a flat batch
🧂 Garnish & Scoopers
- Fresh dill - Shower it over the tzatziki so it reads as homemade
- Paprika and olive oil - The classic hummus finish; do not skip it
- Naan, pita, or crackers - Add a carb for scooping so the board is a real snack
- Flaky salt - A pinch over the cut vegetables makes them taste seasoned, not bare
Substitutions & Swaps
🥕 The Vegetables
- Heirloom carrots - Leave the stems on for a rustic, colorful anchor
- Radishes - Halve them so the magenta interior shows; peppery and crisp
- Endive or radicchio - The leaves double as little scoops for dip
- Cucumbers and celery - Cool, crunchy, and reliably crowd-pleasing
- Bell peppers - Cut into planks for big color and a sweet crunch
🫛 Blanch-Worthy Picks
- Green beans - A 60-second blanch and ice bath keeps them snappy and bright
- Asparagus - Blanch the spears so they are tender-crisp, not squeaky raw
- Broccoli and cauliflower florets - A quick blanch tames the raw edge and sets the color
- Sugar snap peas - Great raw, but a flash blanch makes them pop even more
🧆 The Dips
- Hummus - The creamy default; finish with olive oil and paprika
- Tzatziki - Cool and herby with dill and cucumber; the perfect foil to raw veg
- Green goddess - Herb-packed and bright green; gorgeous on the board
- Whipped feta - Tangy and fluffy; a salty crowd favorite
- Muhammara - Roasted red pepper and walnut for a smoky, nutty change-up
🌿 Hummus Upgrades
- Calabrian chili - Swirl it in for a smoky, spicy hummus with real heat
- Roasted garlic - Blend in soft cloves for mellow, sweet depth
- Green goddess herbs - Fold in herbs and lemon for a brighter, greener dip
- Extra lemon and cumin - The two easiest ways to wake up a flat batch
🧂 Garnish & Scoopers
- Fresh dill - Shower it over the tzatziki so it reads as homemade
- Paprika and olive oil - The classic hummus finish; do not skip it
- Naan, pita, or crackers - Add a carb for scooping so the board is a real snack
- Flaky salt - A pinch over the cut vegetables makes them taste seasoned, not bare
Crudité Platter FAQs
What is a crudité platter?
A crudité platter is a French-style appetizer board of raw, fresh vegetables served with one or more dips. The word crudité comes from the French for raw, and the spread usually includes crisp vegetables like carrots, radishes, cucumbers, snap peas and celery arranged around hummus, tzatziki or a creamy dip. It is a colorful, no-cook starter for parties and entertaining.
What vegetables go on a crudité platter?
Use a colorful mix of raw and lightly blanched vegetables: heirloom carrots, radishes, snap peas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, celery, radicchio and pattypan squash all work well. Choose a range of colors and shapes so the board looks abundant. Cut everything into easy dipping pieces and keep it cold until serving.
How do you keep a crudité platter fresh and crisp?
Soak cut vegetables like carrots, celery and radishes in ice water for 15 to 30 minutes before arranging, which makes them snap. Pat them dry, then build the board on a chilled platter as close to serving as possible. For a long party, set the platter over a hidden tray of ice.
What dips go with crudité?
Hummus and tzatziki are the two go-tos: a creamy hummus finished with olive oil and paprika, and a dill-and-cucumber tzatziki. Ranch, green goddess and whipped feta are all great additions. Offer at least two so guests get contrast; see the Substitutions section for more dip ideas.
Can I make a crudité platter ahead of time?
Yes. Cut the vegetables and make the dips up to a day ahead, storing the veg in airtight containers (some in ice water) and the dips covered in the fridge. Assemble the board within an hour or two of serving so nothing dries out or warms up.
How To Assemble a Gorgeous Crudité Platter
Ingredients
- Heirloom Baby Carrots with stems on
- Snap Peas
- Small Patty Pan Squash
- Yellow cherry tomatoes
- Red cherry tomatoes
- Radishes
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Radicchio
- 1 recipe homemade Hummus
- 1 recipe homemade Tzatziki
Instructions
- Arrange all the vegetables on a large platter in piles.
- Put the 2 dips in bowls and add to the platter.
- Serve as needed.
Notes
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Marian Cooper Cairns / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
What is the round striking vegetable with a green edge. Beautiful platter
SO gorgeous! I always love your platters, so artful!
So beautiful (and delicious)!
Another winner!
So awesome and that purple is epic!
This is definitely a work of art. I love making Crudités boards. So many different options! I'm loving the raddichio!
STUNNING Gaby! I want to eat all of it!
This is so pretty! I have so many veggies from my local CSA and can't wait to make this!!
Your platters are always so beautiful!! Wow! This looks delicious as always.
You are the queen of Crudite! Seriously perfection!
Can't think of another thing that should be on this platter. It's perfect!
Gorgeous board and great tips!
Such a pretty platter!
What a beautiful platter! You are inspiring me every day with my food prep and styling!