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This Christmas veggie tray turns lightly steamed broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes into a festive wreath around a bowl of hummus. It’s a fresh, colorful appetizer that looks so pretty next to all the vegan Christmas cookies, and you can shape it into a Christmas tree, too!
If you loved my turkey veggie tray at Thanksgiving, this is its Christmas sibling. The red and green veggies look just like a holiday wreath, it brings a burst of color to the table, and you might be surprised at how quickly it all gets eaten. Want a bigger spread with fruit, crackers, and olives, too? Set it out with my Christmas wreath charcuterie board.
Quick Glance
- Recipe Name: Christmas Veggie Tray
- Why You’ll Love It: A festive, colorful holiday appetizer you can shape like a wreath or a Christmas tree.
- Time and Difficulty: About 25 minutes, including 5 minutes of steaming, easy.
- Main Ingredients: Broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and hummus.
- Method: Lightly steam the veggies (or leave them raw), set a bowl of hummus on a round platter, and arrange the veggies around it.
- Texture and Flavor: Crisp-tender, fresh veggies with a creamy dip.
- Quick Tip: Keep each type of veggie together after steaming so the wreath comes together fast.
Table of Contents
- What Makes This Christmas Veggie Tray So Good
- Christmas Veggie Tray Ingredients
- How to Make a Christmas Wreath Veggie Tray
- How to Make a Christmas Tree Veggie Tray
- Toni’s Tips for the Best Christmas Veggie Tray
- Ways to Switch It Up
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Christmas Veggie Tray FAQs
- More Vegan Holiday Appetizers
- Christmas Veggie Tray [Tree OR Wreath] Recipe
What Makes This Christmas Veggie Tray So Good
With all the rich food that comes with the holidays, I love having a lighter option on the table any time I’m entertaining. Serve it with my easy hummus recipe or your favorite store-bought dip, and set it out while everything else finishes cooking. It’s a great starter before a festive main like my pineapple glazed tofu ham.
- So festive: Red and green veggies look just like a holiday wreath, so it doubles as a centerpiece.
- Two fun shapes: Make a round wreath with one dip in the center, or a Christmas tree with dips around the outside.
- Quick to make: It comes together in about 25 minutes.
- Make-ahead friendly: Prep the veggies a day or two ahead, or assemble the whole tray the day before.
- Fresh and colorful: A tasty way to add more vegetables to your holiday spread, and it’s naturally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free with the right dip.
- Easy to customize: Serve the veggies raw or lightly steamed, and swap in whatever your family loves.
- Budget-friendly: Just simple, everyday veggies you can find at any grocery store.
Christmas Veggie Tray Ingredients
You’ll need a mix of green and white veggies, red cherry tomatoes for pops of color, and a creamy dip for the center. You’ll find the full list and amounts in the recipe card below.
- Broccoli: The florets make the green base of the wreath. Face them up for the fullest look.
- Cauliflower: White florets tucked into the green look like a dusting of snow.
- Broccolini: The long, leafy stems give the wreath more shape and texture.
- Asparagus: The spears tuck in between the florets for even more green.
- Cherry tomatoes: Whole or halved, they look like little red ornaments.
- Hummus: I used my classic hummus in the center. Homemade or store-bought both work.
PRO TIP: Other great veggies for a Christmas veggie tray include carrots, cucumber, snow peas, sugar snap peas, steamed green beans, red, orange, or yellow bell pepper strips, celery, radishes, baby corn, dill pickles, and olives. Roasted or pickled beets look so festive too, but set out toothpicks since they can stain fingers. My guide on how to prepare carrots has easy ways to cut carrot sticks.
The Best Dips for a Christmas Veggie Tray
I love homemade vegan dips, but store-bought ones work, too. For a wreath, one thick dip in the center is all you need. For a tree, set out two or three.
- Hummus, like my easy beet hummus (so festive and red!) or edamame hummus
- Cold white bean dip with chives
- Vegan French onion dip
- Creamy vegan spinach dip or spinach artichoke dip
- Easy guacamole
- Salsa, like my restaurant style blender salsa
- Vegan ranch dressing, tzatziki, baba ganoush, buffalo dip, or a creamy pesto vegan yogurt dip
How to Make a Christmas Wreath Veggie Tray
Before you start, rinse and trim the vegetables and cut the cauliflower and broccoli into 2-inch florets. Grab a large pot with a lid, tongs, a colander, and a large round platter or board. If you prefer your veggies raw, skip the steaming and go straight to step 4.
Step 1: Layer the veggies. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower first, then layer the broccoli, broccolini, and asparagus on top, so the firmest veggies sit closest to the heat.
Step 2: Steam. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and steam for 5 minutes without lifting the lid.
Step 3: Drain and cool. Lift the veggies into a colander with tongs, keeping each type together. Rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking, then let them cool.
Step 4: Set up the dip. Place a bowl of hummus in the center of a large round platter.
Step 5: Make the wreath base. Arrange the broccoli all around the bowl, with the florets facing up.
Step 6: Decorate. Tuck the cauliflower, broccolini, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes over the broccoli in any design you like.
PRO TIP: For a red bell pepper bow, cut 5 pieces: two wide strips for the loops, a small piece for the center, and two thin strips for the ribbons. Set it at the top of the wreath.
How to Make a Christmas Tree Veggie Tray
For this version, you build the tree right on a board or platter, then set bowls of dip around the outside. Prep and steam the veggies the same way as the wreath.
- Start with the base. Use your largest veggies, like broccoli, to make the widest row at the bottom of the tree.
- Build up. Add rows of veggies that get narrower as you go, to make a triangle shape. Snow peas or sugar snap peas look great along the edges.
- Add the ornaments. Scatter cherry tomatoes over the tree. Cucumber and carrot slices make fun ornaments too, and bell pepper strips look like tinsel.
- Top it off. Cut a bell pepper into a star for the top, and add a trunk with veggies, vegan rosemary crackers, or pretzel sticks.
- Add the dips. Set bowls of dip around the tree, and fill any open space with crackers.
Toni’s Tips for the Best Christmas Veggie Tray
- Use super fresh vegetables: For the best flavor and crunch.
- Raw or steamed, your choice: Cucumbers and carrots are great raw, and a quick steam gives broccoli and cauliflower a more tender bite. You can mix and match, too.
- Keep the steam short: A quick steam keeps the veggies crisp and green.
- Label the dips: If you set out a few, a little label helps everyone know what they’re dipping into.
- Keep it cool: Serve the tray over a dish of ice.
- Have fun with the design: Half the fun of a Christmas veggie tray is trying new veggie combos and shapes.
Ways to Switch It Up
- Fun shapes: Use small cookie cutters to make cucumber or carrot stars and candy canes.
- Garnish: Add lemon or lime slices and sprigs of fresh herbs for a little extra holiday flair.
- Different veggies: Try snap peas, radishes, mini sweet peppers, or roasted beets.
- More party bites: Round out the spread with more of my vegan appetizer recipes.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Prep ahead: Wash, cut, and steam the veggies 1 to 2 days ahead and store them in airtight containers in the fridge. Homemade dips can often be made 2 to 3 days ahead, and many taste even better on day two.
- Make the whole tray ahead: Assemble it up to a day ahead, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill it until serving. I like to slice cucumbers and tomatoes fresh, right before serving.
- Serving time: Like any cut veggies and dips, it’s best not to leave the tray out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
- Leftovers: Store leftover veggies in airtight containers or reusable bags in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Christmas Veggie Tray FAQs
This tray serves about 6 to 10 people as an appetizer. For a bigger crowd, use a larger platter, add an extra ring of broccoli, and set out a second bowl of dip.
No! Plenty of veggies are great raw. I like a quick steam for the broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, and asparagus because it gives them a more tender bite, but it’s up to you.
A large round platter or board works best for a wreath, since it gives the veggies room to circle the dip. For a Christmas tree, a large rectangular board gives you more space for the triangle shape.
Yes! Kids love arranging the broccoli florets and placing the cherry tomato ornaments. Leave the steaming and chopping to the grown-ups, then let little helpers decorate.
More Vegan Holiday Appetizers
Vegan Appetizers
Easy Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Vegan Lunches
Spinach and Mushroom Puffs [Vegan Hand Pies]
Vegan Appetizers
Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Vegan Lunches
Vegan Pizza Rolls
If you tried this Christmas veggie tray or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Christmas Veggie Tray [Tree OR Wreath]
![Completed Christmas Veggie Tray [Tree OR Wreath] on a white surface.](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Holiday-Wreath-Vegetable-Tray-Plant-Based-on-a-Budget-16-300x300.jpg)
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- ¼ head cauliflower cut into 2-inch florets
- 2 heads broccoli cut into 2-inch florets
- 2 bunches broccolini ends trimmed
- 1 bunch asparagus ends trimmed
- 1 container (10 ounces or 283 g) classic hummus homemade or store-bought
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes whole or halved
Instructions
- Rinse and trim the vegetables.
- Pour the water into a large pot with a lid and bring it to a boil. (For raw veggies, skip to step 8.)
- Add the cauliflower to the pot first.
- Layer the broccoli, broccolini, and asparagus on top of the cauliflower.
- Cover, reduce the heat to low, and steam for 5 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Transfer the vegetables to a colander with tongs, keeping each type together.
- Rinse the vegetables with cold water to stop the cooking, then let them cool completely.
- Place the bowl of hummus in the center of a large round platter.
- Arrange the broccoli all around the bowl, with the florets facing up.
- Tuck the cauliflower, broccolini, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes over the broccoli to decorate the wreath.
- Serve right away, or cover and chill until serving.
Notes
- Prefer raw veggies? Skip the steaming and simply rinse, trim, and pat the vegetables dry.
- For a Christmas tree, arrange the broccoli in a triangle on a large board, add narrower rows of the other veggies, and top with cherry tomato ornaments. Set bowls of dip around the tree.
- For a bell pepper bow, cut a red bell pepper into 5 pieces: two wide strips for the loops, a small piece for the center, and two thin strips for the ribbons.
- Wash, cut, and steam the veggies 1 to 2 days ahead and store them in airtight containers in the fridge, or assemble the whole tray up to a day ahead, cover it, and chill until serving.
- Serve the tray over a dish of ice to keep it cool, and avoid leaving it out for more than 2 hours.
- Store leftover veggies in airtight containers in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
This Christmas Veggie Tray idea is so cute! Love the creativity!
Right?! So cute and so festive!
Festive and delicious 🙂
Yess! Perfect for your xmas table!!
So festive!