The Recipe Critic

Crudités

January 07, 2023

Crudités is a French dish that is a fresh vegetable board served with delicious dips like hummus. It’s the perfect way to add color and variety to your appetizers, and will be the star of your next party!

I like to balance out my party dishes with this veggie board because it is light and refreshing. I always serve dips and other appetizers that can be a bit heavy. Don’t get me wrong, they are my favorite thing to make and eat! If you are looking for some other fun appetizers to serve at your next party you’ve got to try this easy poolside dip, these perfect for a crowd ham and cheddar sliders, or these crispy air fryer chicken wings.

A crudités tray full of vegetables and hummus.

Crudités Platter

Don’t worry, I didn’t know how to pronounce crudités when I first saw it either! It’s a French word that is pronounced kroo-dee-teh which means a tray of raw vegetables that usually has a dip. I add hummus, because it is my favorite thing with raw veggies but a Ranch dip or a Greek yogurt dip would also be perfect. My biggest tip for making this tray is getting vegetables that you KNOW your family or friends will enjoy!

I like to serve a veggie tray or crudités along with other more filling and hearty party dishes like jalapeño poppers and little smokies. There’s a lot to be said about crunchy fresh vegetables to break up your snacking. It’s also a great way to keep lots of vibrant colors on your table.

Ingredients

Crudités is a perfectly fresh tray of veggies that you can serve anytime. It’s really important that you pick vegetables that are flavorful and in their prime. A bigger cucumber doesn’t mean a better or more flavorful cucumber. It’s a great time to figure out what size a vegetable is the most flavorful and to spend a few extra minutes at the grocery store picking the best you can find.

Dips

  • Hummus: I absolutely love making hummus at home because you can make it taste exactly the way you like. You can also get one from the store. I like to have a classic simple hummus and another more flavorful one. Whatever you choose, hummus is perfect for crudités!
  • Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: Roasted red pepper hummus is one of my all time favorite hummus recipes. It’s so easy to make, and it’s full of deep and savory flavors. It’s the perfect way to spice up your veggies.

Whole Vegetables

  • Asparagus: Asparagus has such a great flavor and is perfect for dipping! Cut the bottoms off and make sure to wash them well.
  • Cauliflower: Cauliflower is easier to eat in my opinion than broccoli, so I like to add it to my tray. It also tastes great with hummus!
  • Tri Color Carrots: I like the different colors of carrots for crudités, and they each have a slightly different flavor. I like to quarter them so that they are still long for dipping.
  • Sugar Snap Peas: These are everyone’s favorite! The pod is edible, so I usually just throw the whole pea on the plate and let my guests decide how they want to eat them.
  • Radish: I really like radishes raw. I slice them in half or into quarters so that they are easier to eat.
  • Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are so easy to pop in your mouth, and they are so juicy and refreshing.
  • Mini Sweet Peppers: The mini size are perfect for one bite, and they are so full of flavor.
  • Broccolini: I find people like broccolini better than heads of broccoli, so I always go with broccolini!
  • Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage: This is for garnish and smell mostly. It really makes the tray beautiful!

Sliced Vegetables

  • Eggplant: I love egg plant! I sliced it into quarters the long way so they were easy to dip. If you bought an older bigger egg plant, you might want to peel it. The peel can get bitter.
  • Celery: This is the obvious classic. It’s a great one to add!
  • Red Cabbage: I like to eat raw cabbage, but I know lots who don’t. Leave this out if it isn’t your thing!
  • Cucumber: Cucumber has the perfect crunch and goes great with hummus. It always disappears first! I like to slice it into long sticks that are easy for dipping.
  • Rainbow Chard: Chard has a stalk kind of like celery and a top like lettuce. I like the rainbow variety because of the beautiful color.
A close up of the tray and all of the veggies and hummus.

Crudités Recipe

You can assemble your crudités however you want. I like to arrange the veggies in different patterns and mix up the colors so that it looks interesting and appetizing. Make sure to wash your veggies really well before putting them on your board!

  1. Add Dip: On a large platter add the hummus dips.
  2. Add Veggies: Arrange the veggies around the dips and garnish with rosemary, thyme and sage.

Tips for Making Crudités

There is so much room for creativity in crudités! I like to make it differently every time because it keeps my family interested in it. I haven’t gotten tired of making it yet! Here are some tips for making your crudités tray.

  • How to Slice Veggies: I like to think about how I’m going to eat the veggie before I slice it. I want it to be easy to dip, and also avoid double dipping if I can! That means slicing the veggies bite size with enough room to hold onto it as well as dip it. The other thing you want to think about is how to slice it so the veggie tastes best. If you don’t like the flavor of the cucumber skin, peel it before slicing it.
  • Dips to Add: You don’t have to stick with just hummus! You can definitely branch out and just put whatever you love best with fresh veggies! A bleu cheese dip would be amazing, my family loves ranch. I make this veggie dip recipe a lot, and it’s always a crowd pleaser.
  • How to Choose Vegetables: My rule of thumb when choosing what to put on my board is what do people WANT to eat? There’s no point in putting eggplant on there if you know no one likes it! All of the veggies I chose are ones I know my family and guests would enjoy, so make sure to keep the people eating your crudités in mind when you are loading it up.
A hand dipping a celery stick into hummus from a crudités tray.

Storing Leftovers

Storing leftover crudités is so simple! You can just throw some plastic wrap over the top and pop it in the fridge. Here is how to store your crudités.

  • In the Refrigerator: Store your leftover crudités by covering your board with plastic wrap or putting all of the veggies in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The veggies will start to get soft and unpleasant after a few days.

Other Boards to Try

I love party food! I’m a total snacker, and boards were made for me. If you are a snacker like I am, you need to try all of these recipes! They are perfect for gatherings or holidays, or just days you don’t feel like cooking.

Print

Crudités

Cruditès is a French dish that is a fresh vegetable board served with delicious dips like hummus. It's the perfect way to add color and variety to your appetizers, and will be the star of your next party!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine French
Keyword crudités, vegetable board
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 0.4kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe for Hummus
  • 1 recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
  • Asparagus
  • Eggplant sliced into strips
  • Cauliflower
  • Tri Color Carrots
  • Celery sliced
  • Sugar Snap Peas
  • Radish
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Red Cabbage sliced
  • Mini Sweet Peppers
  • Cucumber sliced into strips
  • Broccolini
  • Rainbow Chard sliced
  • Rosemary thyme, sage, for garnish

Instructions

  • On a large platter add the hummus dips.
  • Arrange the veggies around the dips and garnish with rosemary, thyme and sage.

Nutrition

Calories: 0.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.04g | Protein: 0.02g | Fat: 0.03g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Calcium: 0.1mg | Iron: 0.01mg

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