The quick answer
To make a crudités platter that looks catered, choose 6 to 8 vegetables in different colors, cut them into a mix of shapes, place two or three dips first, then add the vegetables in clusters by color and fill every gap. Cut sturdy vegetables up to 2 days ahead, assemble the morning of and keep the platter covered and cold until guests arrive.
A crudités platter is the most forgiving thing you can bring to a party. There's no cooking, it suits almost every diet and, done right, it's the first thing people photograph. The difference between a plain veggie tray and one that looks catered isn't the vegetables. It's the color, the cuts and the way it's built.
It's also the platter our brand is named after. Here's how we build ours.
What you'll need
- 6 to 8 vegetables in at least four colors (see the chart below).
- 2 or 3 dips with different textures, such as creamy, hearty and bright.
- A few finishing touches, like fresh herbs, flaky salt, lemon wedges, olives or edible flowers.
- A large tray with a lid. We use the Crudités Square (12" × 12"), so the platter can be built ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
How much to buy
| Serving | Vegetables per person | Dip per person |
|---|---|---|
| Appetizer with other food | About 1 cup (3–4 oz) | 2–3 tablespoons |
| The main snack | About 1½ cups (5–6 oz) | 3–4 tablespoons |
The best vegetables for crudités, by color
Choose at least one vegetable from each row. Color is what makes a platter look abundant.
| Color | Vegetables | How to prep |
|---|---|---|
| Red & pink | Watermelon radish, red radishes, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper | Slice radishes into thin coins or halves. Leave tomatoes whole. |
| Orange & yellow | Rainbow carrots, yellow bell pepper, golden beets | Cut carrots into long batons or halve small ones lengthwise. Roast or steam beets, then slice. |
| Green | Snap peas, Persian cucumbers, endive, green beans, broccolini, asparagus | Blanch green beans, broccolini and asparagus for 1–2 minutes, then plunge into ice water. |
| Purple & white | Purple carrots, purple cauliflower, fennel, jicama, celery hearts | Break cauliflower into small florets. Slice fennel thin. Cut jicama into sticks. |
How to cut vegetables for crudités
Use three or four different cuts. Mixing shapes is the easiest way to make a platter look professional.
- Long batons for carrots, cucumbers, celery and jicama.
- Thin coins for watermelon radish and golden beets.
- Halves for small radishes, baby carrots and Persian cucumbers. Leave a little green on top.
- Whole for snap peas, cherry tomatoes and endive leaves.
How to build a crudités platter, step by step
- Place the dips first. Set two or three small lidded cups on the tray, spaced apart. They become the anchors everything else is built around.
- Add the biggest vegetables. Fan carrots, cucumbers and peppers around the dips in clusters. Keep each color together instead of mixing them.
- Fill every gap. Tuck radishes, snap peas and tomatoes into the open spaces. A full tray with no empty spots is what reads as catered.
- Finish it. Add herbs, a pinch of flaky salt, lemon wedges and a few edible flowers. Drizzle olive oil over the hummus.
How to make a crudités platter ahead of time
This is where most platters go wrong. Vegetables dry out when they sit uncovered, so the secret is keeping everything cold and covered until the last minute.
- Up to 2 days ahead: wash and cut sturdy vegetables like carrots, peppers, radishes, fennel and jicama. Store them in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel.
- 1 day ahead: blanch green vegetables and make the dips.
- The morning of: cut cucumbers and tomatoes, then build the platter.
- Until serving: stretch the lid over the tray and keep it in the fridge. The lid is reversible: one side sits close over flat arrangements, and the other leaves room for taller ones.
Three easy dips for crudités
- Whipped feta: blend feta, Greek yogurt, lemon zest and olive oil until smooth.
- Green goddess: blend herbs (parsley, chives, basil), yogurt or mayonnaise, lemon juice and a little garlic.
- Hummus with chili oil: top store-bought or homemade hummus with chili crisp and sesame seeds.
Keep each dip in its own small lidded cup on the tray. That keeps the vegetables crisp and makes the platter easy to pack.
How to bring a crudités platter to a party
Build it at home, cover it and carry it flat. Keep the dips in lidded cups so nothing spills, and pack a small bag of herbs to refresh the top when you arrive. On a warm day, keep the platter in a cooler bag until it's time to serve.
Build it, cover it, bring it
The tray we build every platter in
Crudités trays come in Square (12" × 12") and Rectangle (9" × 12"), with a reversible stretch lid that keeps a platter covered from the fridge to the party. 2-Packs from $34.95.
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From the fridge to the party
Frequently asked questions
What vegetables go on a crudités platter?
Pick 6 to 8 vegetables in different colors and shapes. Good choices are rainbow carrots, radishes, snap peas, Persian cucumbers, bell peppers, endive, fennel, cherry tomatoes and blanched green beans or broccolini.
How far ahead can I make a crudités platter?
Wash and cut sturdy vegetables like carrots, peppers, radishes and fennel up to 2 days ahead and store them in the fridge with a damp paper towel. Assemble the platter the morning of, cover it and keep it cold until guests arrive.
How do you keep crudités from drying out?
Keep cut vegetables covered and cold until serving. Wrap them in a damp paper towel when you store them, and cover the finished platter. A Crudités tray with its stretch lid lets you build the platter early and keep it covered in the fridge.
Which vegetables should be blanched for crudités?
Green beans, broccolini, asparagus and broccoli taste and look better blanched. Boil them for 1 to 2 minutes, then plunge them into ice water. They stay crisp and turn bright green.
How much crudités do I need per person?
Plan on about 1 cup of vegetables and 2 to 3 tablespoons of dip per person when the platter is served with other food. Go up to 1½ cups if it's the main snack.
What's the difference between crudités and a veggie tray?
They're the same idea. Crudités is the French name for raw or lightly blanched vegetables served with dip. It usually suggests a more styled platter, with a mix of colors, cuts and a few dips.
What are the best dips for crudités?
Serve two or three with different textures: something creamy like whipped feta or green goddess, something hearty like hummus, and something bright like a lemony yogurt dip. Keep each dip in a small lidded cup on the tray so it stays separate from the vegetables.
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