Vegetable Christmas Tree Appetizer Tray

vegetable christmas tree appetizer on wooden board with christmas greenery in background

Vegetable Christmas Tree Appetizer Tray

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: christmas tree appetizer, veggie christmas tree tray

Prep Time: 15

Servings:

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Cindy Rainey

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 to complete this yummy Christmas tree vegetable tray.

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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.

Notes

The vegetables and amounts used in the recipe card are suggestions. Use what you have and size the tree to fit your tray or platter. It's best to use long thin pieces to suggest sweeping branches and small or curvy pieces for the trimming. The trunk is make of a cut zucchini or cucumber and the star with bow-tie pasta.

Nutrition