A delicious meat-free alternative, this vegetable platter is a fun way to eat your daily dose of vegetables. Fresh and filling it provides plenty of variety for picky eaters and a wide range of healthy foods packed with vitamins.

The highlight of a vegetable platter is the colour. Select red, orange, green, and all the shades you can find between to create a dazzling platter. And if you’re worried about the freshness of your platter, shop local for freshly picked vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

Your base (dips and spreads)
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- hummus
- garlic butter
- chutney
- pesto

Bread
- baguette
- sourdough
- rye

Cheese
- soft (Brie, Camembert, Buffalo Mozzarella)
- crumbly (Feta, Stilton)
- hard (Gouda, Manchego)

Fruit and vegetables
- grapes
- apple pieces, cut into shapes
- melon
- pineapple
- celery sticks
- carrot sticks
- cucumber, cut into shapes
- capsicum
- broccolini (stir fried with sesame seeds or lightly steamed)

Fillers
- crackers (plain, seeded)
- bread sticks
- crostini
- pickled onions
- cherry tomatoes
- olives
- dates
- dried apricots
- falafel balls
- nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachio)

A splash of creativity
Shape your carrot ends into points and skewer cherry tomatoes or olives on the top for some playful height.

Using a nice, big platter or board, start by placing out your cheese. Try to use different types, it’s good to choose one for slicing, one spreadable and one flavoured for good range. The same goes for crackers and breads - go for different textures, flavours and sizes. Spread around vegetables, fruits, olives and falafel for plenty of colour too! Place little bowls for oil, vinegar, dips and spreads around the board, and add the finishing touch with some fresh herbs.

Great for any occasion, a vegetarian platter can be as simple, complicated, fancy or plain as you like and is sure to please your guests, family, and friends.