More fun than a side salad, it’s a spread of the good stuff in a burst of glam colour, with two dipping sauces: one sweet for the fruit and one savoury for the veggies. What’s more, this arrangement of produce will double as your tablescape. Don’t forget to use Mom’s favourite fruits and veggies! Below are some suggestions to get you started.
Make it ahead
Store cut vegetables submerged in cold water in locking glass containers or Mason jars so they don’t dry out. Drain water, pat dry, and assemble platter right before serving. The fruit platter can be assembled up to 1 hour before serving and kept covered in the fridge.
Rainbow Fruit and Veggie Platters with Two Plant-Based Dips
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours, drained
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) recently boiled water, plus more to thin
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) coconut oil
- 6 soft Medjool dates, pitted, soaked for 2 hours, drained
- 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) instant coffee (optional)
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 14 oz (398 mL) can artichoke hearts, drained well
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours, drained
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened nondairy milk (cashew, oat, or coconut milk)
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) miso paste
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley
- Pinch of Aleppo-style pepper or red pepper flakes, to serve
- 1 bunch of red or green seedless grapes, halved if desired
- 2 cups (500 mL) fresh blueberries
- 2 cups (500 mL) fresh raspberries
- 1 cup (250 mL) fresh blackberries
- 1 melon such as cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cubed
- 5 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 large watermelon radishes, sliced
- 2 lbs (1 kg) rainbow carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 English cucumber, sliced
- 1 head of broccoli or cauliflower, cut into florets
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories363
- protein8 g
- total fat16 g
- sat. fat4 g
- total carbohydrates54 g
- sugars29 g
- fibre11 g
- sodium225 mg
Directions
01
For sweet dip, to high-speed blender, add all Sweet Vanilla, Cardamom, and Coffee Dip ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Add additional water to thin until desired fruit dip consistency. Transfer to serving bowl, cover, and chill completely, about 4 hours or up to 4 days.
02
For the savoury dip, in saucepan, heat olive oil over medium, add garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately add drained artichoke hearts and sauté for 3 minutes, until warmed through.
03
To high-speed blender, add soaked and drained cashews, milk, lemon juice, and miso paste and blend until smooth. Add cooked artichoke mixture and parsley, and briefly pulse to chop but not blend completely. Transfer to serving bowl and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
04
For platters, arrange fruit and vegetables on separate platters or one extra-large platter in a pattern of your choice. Keep each fruit or vegetable in its own section (as opposed to mixing them all together) to create the rainbow appearance. Serve fruit with sweet dip and veggies with savoury dip.
Allison Day, RHN, is a nutritionist, blogger, and cookbook author. Check out her cookbooks, Whole Bowls and Purely Pumpkin (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016).
