Medically reviewed by Shahzadi Devje, Registered Dietitian (RD) & Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE)
Feast your eyes on this stunning easy and healthy plant-based platter. Featuring a sweet and creamy veggie dip made with roasted bell pepper, chickpeas, avocado and dried cranberries centred around an assortment of vegetables, fruits and toasted naan bread to create a beautiful and simple holiday centrepiece.
During the holiday season, we get excited to enjoy foods we don't usually get to eat during the less festive months. This year, I've gone all out and created some of my favourite easy and healthy holiday dishes - with a desilicious twist. This veggie dip platter is 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 certainly makes it on my list of easy and healthy recipes for this season.
Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Dried Cranberries?
I love the addition of dried cranberries to a traditional hummus recipe. Besides a festive twist, and giving a desi-licious flair, cranberries add a sweet tang, along with an extra pop of flavour. This means that there's no need for any salt. The red pepper is roasted in the oven to intensify the flavour. And while the oven is busy at work, you can prep the remainder of the ingredients and create the platter of veggies and fruits.
Did you know, cranberries may offer potential health benefits. Research indicates that dried cranberries support heart and digestive health and may play a role in cancer prevention and diabetes management.
How to make plant-based holiday platter - step by step
- Start by grilling the bell pepper in the oven (Image 1). I like to use my hands to coat the pepper chunks with oil and broil for 3-5 minutes until charred.
- Begin the veggie dip by adding avocado, chickpeas, grilled pepper, lemon juice, water and 1 tbsp olive oil (Image 2). Blend for a few seconds and use your blender's tamper tool (Image 3).
- Add the cranberries and continue to blend until creamy. I like to have chewy cranberry bits in my hummus, but you can blend them completely if you prefer a creamy consistency (Image 4-5).
- When preparing the vegetables and fruits, make sure they're washed and dried thoroughly. I like to cut in strips, making the perfect dippers for my easy and healthy veggie dip. You can stack more veggies and fruits, depending on the number of guests.
When creating a veggie dip platter, you want to have a variety of textures, like the crunch of baked naan bread coated with a creamy hummus. I've intentionally picked sturdy veggies and fruits, which are a perfect match for this veggie dip. You can prep your veggies ahead of time, wrap them in paper towels, and refrigerate in an airtight glass container.
Here's what I use for my platter:
- 3 small carrots
- 1 small cucumber
- 2 cups blackberries
- 3 naan breads (Lebanese-style). I toast mine for a few minutes in the oven.
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 cup of snap peas
Besides being tasty, this veggie dip also gives a brilliant pop of colour to your platter.
Tips To Make The Perfect Holiday Veggie Dip Platter
- Decide on a centrepiece that will complement 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* fresh 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 hodgepodge
- Keep it bite-sized
Love Veggies? Here Are More Desi~licious Easy And Healthy recipes you may like:
- Pumpkin Curry
- Desi Vegan Bean Burgers
- Chickpea Kale Curry Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Wedges
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Holiday Veggie Dip Platter | Easy and Healthy Recipes
Ingredients
Grilled Pepper
- 1 red bell pepper washed and cut in medium chunks
- 1 tsp olive oil extra virgin
Veggie Dip
- 1 avocado small, ripe
- 1 cup garbanzo beans cooked
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp water
- ¼ cup dried cranberries unsweetened
Instructions
- In a small oven tray, use your hands to toss the pepper chunks with 1 tsp olive oil, making sure all the pieces are coated with oil. Broil for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until charred.
- Begin the veggie dip by adding avocado, chickpeas, grilled pepper, lemon juice, water and 1 tbsp olive oil. Blend for a few seconds and use your blender's tamper tool.
- Add the cranberries and continue to blend until creamy. I like to have chewy cranberry bits in my hummus, but you can blend them completely if you prefer a creamy consistency.
- When preparing the vegetables and fruits for the platter, make sure they're washed and dried thoroughly. I like to cut in strips, making the perfect dippers for my easy and healthy veggie dip. You can stack more veggies and fruits, depending on the number of guests. Serve with the dip.
Notes
- Decide on a centrepiece that will complement 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* fresh 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 hodgepodge
- Keep it bite-sized
Please note the nutritional analysis values are estimates and suggestions. This nutrition facts table does not know your life - your body, including your hunger and satiety cues, change daily. It's okay to eat more or less. Say no to food guilt and instead embrace mindful eating.
Shahzadi is an award-winning registered dietitian (RD) regulated by the College of Dietitians of Ontario and certified diabetes educator (CDE), approved by the Canadian Diabetes Educator Certification Board. A YouTuber and notorious foodie, she's dedicated to helping you end your cooking wars, transform your health, and be the best version of yourself! Shahzadi is an on-air nutrition expert for CTV Your Morning and a regular contributor for Global News and other national media outlets.
Such a great platter, beautifully put together! Perfect for the holiday season and for entertaining!
Thanks, heaps, Tisha! Am so glad you think so. Enjoy 🙂
Flavorful Dip and awesome for a party platter. This is definitely exciting.
Yay, thanks, Veena! I love the flavours so much too:)
I love how easy that dip looks to make! Looks tasty! We always make platters over the holidays, love the ideas!
Thanks, Beth! Us too!! They're super easy and everyone gets to gobble down all those veggies 🙂
Yum, this dip and platter looks fantastic!! I can't wait to try it out. The veggies make me want to dive right in. Love the step by step photos. Cheers!
Am super happy to hear that, Adrianne! It's sweet, and yummy 🙂
This is such a great dip. Everyone loves it even though it's completely plant-based. 🙂
Thanks, Anita! Plant-based and yumminess go hand in hand in my book 🙂
delicioso e facil de fazer, e saudavel parabens pelo artigo
thank you so much!! Am so glad you found it delicious 🙂
This is such an awesome idea! Perfect for this time of year, can't wait to try out the recipe 🙂
Thanks, Chris. Can't wait to hear your thoughts 🙂
What a delicious platter! Even my non veggie lovers will gobble this one up!
haha, I love it!! My kiddos loved the sweetness and all those veggies got eaten 🙂
The dip was a hit at my party! Will definitely be making it again!
Yay! You made my day, Kristen!! Thank you, lovely!
This looks like such a delicious platter - and so healthy too! Great to snack on.
Thanks so much, Bintu! I couldn't agree more. We love this one!
great platter! The avocado veggie dip with cranberry is a great idea for the season!
Yes, absolutely, David! Love the seasonal flair too 🙂