Check out my recipe for making this perfect little Vegetable Wreath!
When it comes to the holidays, we all tend to indulge in the great things in life…and the less healthy food options! Why? Because some of those unhealthy options are just so festive and perfect for the holidays! Well, now you can have a festive appetizer/side dish that’s also a healthy option!
I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for a veggie tray! I could literally eat cucumbers and ranch every single day! Lucky for me, whenever I go to a holiday gathering, there’s usually some sort of a veggie tray to snack on! Making a vegetable wreath is super easy to do and it uses easy-to-find ingredients while looking super festive!
One of the nice things about making a Christmas wreath veggie tray is that you can fully customize it to your liking. I would recommend sticking with vegetables that are red and green in color just so that it still looks like a holiday wreath.
One of the trickiest parts about making a Christmas wreath veggie platter is finding the perfect tray to put it on! You want a fairly large, round tray of some sort. My secret little trick for this one is to use a lazy Susan. Yep, that’s right. A lazy Susan. I happen to have a 15-inch round, marble, lazy Susan. And, let me tell you…it was absolutely perfect for making the Christmas wreath vegetable platter! Everything fit perfectly and it actually looked like a wreath since the base of it was round. Oh…and it spins so that everyone can reach whatever they want on the tray!
Do you want to kick up your holiday appetizers a notch or two? Then pull out your cookie cutters! Yes, I said cookie cutters for a Christmas veggie tray! And let me tell you, the cookie cutters made such a big difference! I mean, I put mini Christmas trees on the vegetable tray! The cookie cutter that I used is about 2 inches in size and it was perfect for cutting the cucumber slices into trees! How cute are they!
Tips for making a Vegetable Wreath
Any large, flat tray or board can be used. Serving trays or cutting boards are great options. I used a round, 15-inch, marble lazy Susan that worked perfectly! Adjust the size of your wreath based on the size of your board or tray.
Put the leftover raw vegetables in a ziplock bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. It’s recommended to sort the vegetables and store each type separately as not all veggies have the same lifespan and they have different moisture content.
Use small cookie cutters. They work wonderfully and you’ll end up with uniform shapes throughout.
Yes, you can make it in advance. However, since the cucumbers have a high moisture content, they may start to either dry out or get soggy if they are cut too far in advance. To prepare in advance, make the wreath as instructed, place a dry paper towel over the wreath (be sure to cover the cucumber slices), cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Looking for more Appetizer Recipes? Check out all of our appetizer recipes here!
Ingredient substitutions and tips for making a Vegetable Wreath:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Cucumbers-Wash and slice the cucumbers into ¼ inch thick slices.
Celery-Wash and slice in half lengthwise and then in thirds so that you have celery sticks that are about 3 or 4-inch celery sticks.
Broccoli-Wash and cut the stems off to make bite-sized florets.
Grape Tomatoes- Grape or cherry tomatoes can be used. It’s not recommended to use full-sized tomatoes as they will have to be cut and there is a lot of moisture in the tomatoes.
Ranch-You can make your own ranch dressing or ranch dip or buy it pre-made at the grocery store. Different flavors of dip can be used like veggie dip, artichoke dip, cream cheese dip, dill dip, or anything that you think goes well with veggies!
Any red or green vegetables can be used to make the vegetable wreath. Feel free to use snap peas, red bell pepper, or radishes.
Directions for making a Vegetable Wreath:
1. Place a ramekin filled with ranch dip in the center of the platter.
2. Overlap the cucumbers to form a ring around the outermost part of the platter. Save a few cucumber slices to use as a garnish in step 6.
3. Place the celery sticks in 5 sections to connect the ramekin to the cucumbers. You may need to trim the celery sticks so that they fit.
4. Depending on the size of your celery, you’ll need 5 or 6 celery sticks for each section.
5. Fill the gaps between the celery sticks with broccoli florets.
6. Place 3 grape tomatoes in the center of each of the broccoli sections. The tomatoes should look like holly berry clusters.
7. Use a small holiday-themed cookie cutter and cut the remaining cucumbers. Place on top of the “wreath” to add a festive touch.
Pin Vegetable Wreath on Pinterest:
Recipe
Vegetable Wreath
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin RecipeEquipment
- Round Serving Tray or Lazy Susan About 15-inches in diameter
Ingredients
- 2 (2) Cucumbers (Cut into ¼-inch slices.)
- 8 Ribs (8 Ribs) Celery (Washed and sliced in half and then cut into 3rds.)
- 4 Cups (364 g) Broccoli (Washed and cut into small florets.)
- 15 (15) Grape Tomatoes
- 1 Cup (240 g) Ranch Dip
Instructions
- Place a ramekin filled with ranch dip in the center of the platter.
- Overlap the cucumbers to form a ring around the outermost part of the platter. Save a few cucumber slices to use as a garnish in step 6.
- Place the celery sticks in 5 sections to connect the ramekin to the cucumbers. You may need to trim the celery sticks so that they fit. Depending on the size of your celery, you'll need 5 or 6 celery sticks for each section.
- Fill the gaps between the celery sticks with broccoli florets.
- Place 3 grape tomatoes in the center of each of the broccoli sections. The tomatoes should look like holly berry clusters.
- Use a small holiday-themed cookie cutter and cut the remaining cucumbers. Place on top of the "wreath" to add a festive touch.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
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