Make holiday gatherings extra fun with this festive Christmas Tree Veggie Tray! It's a great holiday appetizer that you can prep ahead of time, then assemble simply before the party. We've got tips and step-by-step instructions to make it super simple!
You will LOVE this holiday party appetizer. And all of your guests will, too!
- It's a great make-ahead party recipe. See the tips below for prepping the entire dish ahead of time!
- You can use almost any veggie you want. Let your creativity flow and create fun patterns in the shape of a Christmas tree with a variety of yummy vegetables!
- Guests will delight in how CUTE this party tray is! Sure, you can throw some veggies onto a plate in any form or fashion. But in simply a couple of minutes, you can create a simple veggie tray that makes people smile!
- This is a SUPER EASY party appetizer the whole family can help make. This is a fun holiday appetizer that the kids can totally make on their own! If you have younger kids, you can slice up the veggies and let the kids place them on a platter in the shape of a Christmas tree.
Kitchen tools and equipment
For this recipe, you simply need a few basic kitchen tools:
Cutting board – The main kitchen tools you'll need to make this Christmas tree veggie tray are a sturdy cutting board and knife.
Vacuum Sealer – If you are prepping the veggies ahead of time, you can use a FoodSaver Multi-UseHandHeld Vacuum Sealer along with Preserve and Marinate Containers or Vacuum Seal Bags to help them stay fresh, longer!
Ingredients to make this holiday veggie tray
Be sure to properly wash all of the vegetables before prepping and assembling the Christmas tree veggie tray.
Tomatoes – Use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes for the top of the tree.
Broccoli – Broccoli is perfect for this because the veggie already looks like little trees! If you plan to prep the veggies ahead of time and assemble simply before the party, be sure to blanch the broccoli first, then dry before vacuum sealing for refrigerator storage. This is true for any cruciferous vegetable you want to vacuum seal. See the notes about blanching in the recipe card below.
Bell Peppers – Use a combo of sliced red, yellow, and orange bell peppers for the middle row. Then use sliced green bell peppers for part of the row below it.
Cucumbers – Slice cucumbers for the center portion of the green vegetables row.
Snap Peas – Place these whole next to the cucumbers.
Carrots – Peel and slice one or two medium carrots for the tree trunk.
Step-By-Step Instructions: How to Make a Christmas Tree Veggie Tray
Place tomatoes in a star-shaped bowl at the top of the platter. Or, if you don't have a star-shaped bowl, place the tomatoes onto the platter to form either a star shape, ribbon shape, or to form the top triangle of the tree.
In the next row, place the broccoli immediately beneath the tomatoes to form a row.
Below the broccoli, place the red, yellow, and orange bell pepper slices to form a row that extends in width simply slightly beyond each side of the broccoli row.
Below the bell peppers, place the green bell peppers, cucumber slices, and snap peas to form a tight row that extends simply slightly beyond each side of the bell pepper row.
Stack the carrot slices below the green veggie row, in the middle, to form the tree trunk.
Simple make-ahead party appetizer
This is an awesome time and sanity-saving recipe for the holidays because you can prep all of the vegetables in advance!
If you are prepping the veggies ahead of time, you can use a FoodSaver Multi-UseHandHeld Vacuum Sealer along with Preserve and Marinate Containers or Vacuum Zipper Bags to help them stay fresh, longer!
The FoodSaver Multi-Use HandHeld Vacuum Sealer is a compact, portable, vacuum sealing machine. We love how it hardly takes up any space, yet still locks in freshness like the larger FoodSaver machines. It makes meal prep SUPER convenient!
We've written about how much We love the FoodSaver Preserve and Marinate Containers before, and this new FoodSaver Multi-Use HandHeld Vacuum Sealer makes me love them even more.
If you've ever been guilty of throwing away vegetables that went bad before you could use them, We highly recommend checking out this system. Being able to prep veggies and have them stay fresh for longer is a game changer!
Whenever you are ready to assemble the veggie tray, simply move the sealing knob on the Preserve and Marinate Containers over to the Open (Marinate) position. You'll hear the sealed air escape, and then you can lift the lid.
Remove the veggies and assemble them according to recipe instructions.
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Recipe FAQs
Can We use other veggies?Yes! If you are making this the day of, feel free to use any veggies you have on hand. Celery, zucchini, baby corn, and olives are simply some other ideas you can use.
Are there any vegetables We should NOT use in a veggie tray?While most vegetables aren't actually toxic to eat raw, there are some that many people prefer eating fully cooked. Vegetables like potatoes, brussels sprouts, artichokes, eggplant, and butternut squash are usually best prepared fully cooked before serving. You could save those for an all-roasted vegetables tray.
Can We mix raw vegetables with cooked vegetables?Stick with either all fresh and blanched then chilled veggies, OR an all roasted veggies tray. Mixing and matching fresh crisp veggies with hot roasted veggies is a recipe for disaster.
What to serve with a Christmas tree veggie tray
Serve this festive vegetable tray with your favorite dip! Some simple recipes for you to try:
More simple holiday recipes
Christmas Tree Veggie Tray
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 15 mins Assembly: 10 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 6 It's simple to make this fun and festive veggie tray in the shape of a Christmas tree!Ingredients
- ½ cup tomatoes
- 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched (see NOTES below) and dried
- assortment of bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green), sliced
- cucumbers, sliced
- snap peas
- 1 cup sliced carrot sticks
Instructions
- Place tomatoes in a star-shaped bowl at the top of the platter. Or, if you don't have a star-shaped bowl, place the tomatoes onto the platter to form either a star shape, ribbon shape, or to form the top triangle of the tree.
- In the next row, place the broccoli immediately beneath the tomatoes to form a row.
- Below the broccoli, place the red, yellow, and orange bell pepper slices to form a row that extends in width simply slightly beyond each side of the broccoli row.
- Below the bell peppers, place the green bell peppers, cucumber slices, and snap peas to form a tight row that extends simply slightly beyond each side of the bell pepper row.
- Stack the carrot slices below the green veggie row, in the middle, to form the tree trunk. Serve with dairy-free spinach dip, smoked salmon artichoke dip, or hummus.
Notes
Make-ahead tip: You can slice the veggies ahead of time. Then place into FoodSaver Preserve and Marinate Containers or Vacuum Bags and seal using your FoodSaver Multi-Use Handheld Vacuum Sealer. This helps the veggies stay fresh longer! When ready to use, simply open the bags or containers and assemble according to recipe directions. Broccoli tip: Cruciferous veggies like broccoli can emit gasses when stored, so it's best to blanch broccoli florets, then dry them completely before vacuum sealing. To blanch: bring water to a boil in a large pot, add the broccoli and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain the water and submerge broccoli into an ice bath or bowl of quite cold water, then dry broccoli completely before vacuum sealing and storing. Veggie options This recipe is meant to be a guide to help you create a fun and festive Christmas veggie tray! Feel free to substitute in other veggies, such as zucchini or green beans. You can create an even more "tree-like" scene by threading in strands of rosemary branches throughout. And also feel free to make it a fruit and veggie tray, with berries, pineapple, melon, and cranberries for a festive touch!Nutrition
Calories: 16 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 0.1 g, Saturated Fat: 0.03 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01 g, Sodium: 20 mg, Potassium: 146 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 3762 IU, Vitamin C: 16 mg, Calcium: 15 mg, Iron: 0.2 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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