Easy Plant Based Holiday Platter | Healthy Christmas Menu

Feast your eyes on this stunning and easy plant based holiday platter. With an assortment of fruits and vegetables – centred around a bowl of creamy and delicious Cranberry and Roasted Beet Hummus – super healthy and perfect as your holiday centrepiece.

During the holiday season, we get excited to enjoy foods we don’t normally get to eat during the less festive months. This year, I’ve gone all out, and created some of my favourite (and easy!) holiday dishes – like this holiday plant based platter. It’s delicious and perfect for entertaining – just before your exquisite holiday dinner! In fact, I’ve also taken this platter along, when attending parties. I would say, it’s party-perfect and couldn’t be simpler to pull off!

I love the addition of dried cranberries to a traditional hummus recipe – thanks to US Cranberries for this recipe. I’ve made a slight tweak to the recipe, by omitting the salt and pepper. This cranberry and roasted beet hummus brings such a festive twist. The taste WILL blow your mind. Not to mention, cranberries offer potential health benefits.

Did you know, research indicates that dried cranberries support heart and digestive health and may play a role in cancer prevention and diabetes management.

Wow, right?!

How to make plant-based holiday platter – step by step

We’re bringing the outdoor wreath – indoors. I create a wreath using long lettuce leaves, sprigs of rosemary and cucumber shavings. The shades of green are lush! You can certainly stack more depending on the number of guests and your design.

You know how much we love our fruits and veggies here. Lets be honest, what’s not to love? Tart apple slices, fresh berries, juicy tomatoes, sour cherries and savoury crackers – encircling a creamy dreamy dip of cranberry roasted beet hummus (recipe from US Cranberries). It’s the perfect combination for a plant based holiday platter – bursting with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre.

Excited?

Here’s what I use for my platter:

• 1 head Romaine lettuce

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 cup blackberries

• 1 cup cherries

• 1 green apple

• 1 red apple

• Selection of savoury crackers

• 1 cucumber

• 4-5 sprigs of rosemary

Now this hummus is not only tasty, it also gives an incredible pop of colour to your platter. What’s great, is that you can make the hummus ahead of time, and simply serve on the day (cheers to effortless hosting!).

The beets and shallots are roasted in the oven to intensify their flavours. And whilst the oven is busy at work, I prep the rest of the ingredients and create the platter.

Then, it’s a simple matter of throw in the ingredients, and process until you achieve a creamy texture. You may need a dash of water to create the right consistency – but take it slow and easy!

I have to confess, this cranberry and roasted beet hummus is homemade comfort at its best: chunks of beets and shallots nestled in a creamy tangle of chickpeas, dried cranberries and orange zest – it’s pretty incredible! You can certainly serve this with any items that take your fancy!

Tips to make the perfect holiday platter

• Decide on a centrepiece that will compliment the other items on your platter
• Introduce different textures to add variety
• Prepare your platter last – to keep it fresh and vibrant
• Always opt for *quality* ingredients – it’s worth it!
• Make it colourful so it’s inviting
• Think about the arrangement – you don’t want it to look like a collection of hodge podge
• Keep it bite-sized

Have you made my plant based holiday platter before?

What are your favourite items on a holiday platter? Share with me in the comments below!

If you try this recipe, would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram and twitter!  Can’t wait to see your photos.

Easy Plant-Based Holiday Platter | Healthy Christmas Menu

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Feast your eyes on this stunning and easy plant based holiday platter. With an assortment of fruits and vegetables - centred around a bowl of creamy and delicious Cranberry and Roasted Beet Hummus - super healthy and perfect as your holiday centrepiece.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Appetizer

Servings: 16 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup shallots approximately 5-6 shallots
• 1 cup olive oil divided
• 2 cups dried cranberries
• 1 orange zested
• 350 ml water
• 4 cups beets quartered, roasted
• 6 cups garbanzo beans cooked
• 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
• 2 cups water as needed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Cut shallots into quarters. In small roasting pan, combine with 1/2 cup oil and cover with aluminum foil and roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 45 minutes, or until soft
• Combine dried cranberries, orange zest and 350 mL water and simmer uncovered until water has almost completely evaporated and cranberries rehydrate
• Toss beets in 1/2 cup oil, and roast on a sheet pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until edges become brown
• Place cooked garbanzo beans, rehydrated cranberries, shallots, roasted beets, 1 cup water and lemon juice in blender. Puree until smooth, add more water to loosen, if necessary
• Serve with your platter

Notes

Items for platter:

• 1 head Romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 cup cherries
• 1 green apple
• 1 red apple
• Selection of savoury crackers
• 1 cucumber
• 4-5 sprigs of rosemary

Nutrition Facts

Easy Plant-Based Holiday Platter | Healthy Christmas Menu

Amount Per Serving

Calories 312 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 12g

Sodium 368mg15%

Potassium 392mg11%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 7g28%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 200IU4%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 40mg4%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.