This festive Christmas Tree Appetizer is fun and easy to make with fresh vegetables like pea pods, green beans, celery, carrots, and bell peppers. Decorate the veggie Christmas tree with cherry tomatoes and cucumber, all “standing” on a bed of cauliflower. Choose your favorite dips and sauces (see below) to complete this yummy Christmas tree vegetable tray.
After making my cute Thanksgiving Turkey Fruit Platter I thought I’d try to do something for Christmas too. But instead of using fruit, I decided to try a festive tree with vegetables instead.
I love vegetable trays because it gives me the chance to highlight my best plant-based sauces and veggie dips. For all of my vegan sauces, dressings, and dips click here. Below you’ll find my favorite sauces and dips that go particularly well with vegetables.
Yummy sauce and dressing suggestions.
Of course, vegetables are boring if they aren’t dipped in a yummy sauce or dressing of some sort. For my plant-based readers I have some tasty suggestions:
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Suggested ingredients to use in making your own festive Christmas tree vegetable tray.
This vegetable tray Christmas tree appetizer is fun to make and will be the hit of your holiday buffet table! You can customize it with other vegetables you’d like to use too!
Keep in mind that the branch layers should be made from long narrow green vegetables. Green beans, celery, or pea pods work perfectly.
The decorative trimming can be done with any small vegetable pieces that are colorful. Of course, round vegetables like cherry tomatoes make perfect balls. Other round colorful pieces like sliced carrot round or radishes would work beautifully too. Red or yellow bell peppers cut into thin curvy strips would be a lovely trim around the tree.
I made the trunk out of a chunk of zucchini. Mexican grey squash or cucumber would also be perfect for the trunk. The star on top was made with bow-tie pasta and is only for decoration. I’ve also used frilly celery leaves found in the heart for the star.
Really, the sky is the limit. Here is what I used to make my vegetable tray Christmas tree:
- 1 bunch celery
- ½ pound green beans
- 1 green pepper
- 2 carrots
- 1 zucchini or cucumber
- 10-20 cherry tomatoes
- 1 head cauliflower for the snowy hill
- 1 handful of bow-tie pasta
How to make this cute Christmas tree appetizer vegetable tray
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
Prep the veggies
Start by choosing the vegetables you will use. Keep in mind that you need longish thin vegetables for the branches and then colorful vegetables for the trimming.
Wash, dry, and cut all the vegetables you will be using. Cut the celery and green peppers into narrow strips. Trim the ends off the beans. Cut any “trimming” vegetables you are going to use. Some trimming pieces can be long and others, round. Cut the cauliflower into small bite-sized pieces.
Now, to assemble your cute vegetable Christmas tree platter!
- Starting with the bottom layer and working up, layer the celery, green beans, pea pods, and green pepper slices in the shape of a pine tree.
- Lay the carrot slices and/or sliced red pepper to trim the tree like a garland.
- Decorate with tomato and cucumber/zucchini ornaments.
- Arrange the pasta star. Add the cucumber trunk.
- Finish with a bed of cauliflower snow on the bottom.
Serving suggestions
And that’s it! Add a few sauces for dipping and you’ve got your festive vegetable Christmas tree appetizer tray!
Please see the suggested plant-based sauces above, or use your favorite vegetable dressings and dips.
You can prep the vegetables for your veggie tree ahead of time. I like to wash, dry, and cut the veggies I’m using ahead of time and then keep them in the fridge in airtight containers will I’m ready to use. For the freshest tastiest veggie Christmas tree tray, don’t prep more than a few hours ahead of time. The night before should be okay as long as you are using super-fresh vegetables.
I wait to assemble my vegetable tree platter till just before serving. Once the vegetables have been prepped, it comes together fairly quickly.
For some other tasty holiday treats from Veggie Fun Kitchen, try:
Printable Recipe Card
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Vegetable Christmas Tree Appetizer Tray
Ingredients
- 1 head celery
- ½ pound green beans or use pea pods
- 1 green pepper
- 2 carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cucumber or use zucchini
- 10-20 cherry tomatoes
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 handful bow-tie pasta or other interesting pasta shape for the star
Instructions
- Wash and dry all vegetables. Peel the carrots and cut into thin sticks. Snip the ends off the green beans. Cut the celery into narrow sticks. Cut the peppers into thin slices. Slice the cucumber or zucchini into thin rounds but leave on two inch section unsliced and cut in half for the trunk. Cut the cauliflower into small bite-sized pieces.
- Starting with the bottom layer and working up, layer the celery, green beans, pea pods, and green pepper slice3s in the shape of a pine tree.
- Lay the carrot slices and/or sliced red pepper to trim the tree like a garland.
- Decorate with tomato and cucumber/zucchini ornaments.
- Arrange the pasta star. Add the cucumber trunk.
- Finish with a bed cauliflower snow on the bottom.
- You can make this up to a couple of hours ahead of time, but cover well and refrigerate. I prefer to prep my vegetables ahead of time, refrigerate, and assemble right before serving. Serve with your favorite dips and dressings. See below for suggestions.
What a fun & healthy holiday idea for kids. I’ll be making one of these with my nieces.