Happy Easter, everyone! Even if you don’t celebrate Easter itself, I hope that you are, at the very least, able to use it as a reason to see family and/or friends. For the Easter gathering that I am attending, I decided to bring this Easter Bunny Vegetable Tray inspired by Emily Enchanted.
I never arrive anywhere as a guest without bringing either a gift for the host or something to contribute. I figured that you can’t go wrong with healthy vegetables and hopefully, the shape would make it a bit more fun for the kids. Either way, it suits the theme and it’s a change from what I usually bring, which is exactly what I had been aiming to do.
Rather than make the dill dip, I simply purchased a container of hummus. (My favorite one to buy is the traditional hummus by Fontaine Santé but they have a red pepper hummus that is equally delicious). I plan on making hummus from scratch at home very soon; I simply didn’t think that a dish intended for a gathering was the opportune moment for experimenting. Stay tuned for a new hummus recipe, but in the meantime, let’s get hoppin’!
Easter Bunny Vegetable Tray
Ingredients
For the Veggie Tray:
2 cups Cauliflower
2 cups Broccoli
4-5 stalks of celery, cut into 3” sticks
2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers
½ cup Cubed Cheese
½ cup Baby Radishes, cut into thin rounds
⅓ cup Baby Carrots
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly chopped
½ pint Grape Tomatoes
6 pieces of Asparagus, cut into 4” stalks
3-4 pitted Kalamata Olives
Cucumber Slices (Optional)
Optional Dill Vegetable Dip (I replace this with hummus):
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 tsps Lemon Juice
1 cup Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
½ tsp Pepper
1 ½ Tbsps Dried Dill
1 tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
If needed, combine together all the ingredients for the dill vegetable dip in a small bowl. Stir until well combined. Once your dip is mixed, place it in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to fully combine.
Begin assembling your veggie tray by placing a medium ramekin (or small container/bowl) in the center of your tray. Depending on when the platter will be served, you can fill the ramekin with hummus or vegetable dipping sauce. If you’re only preparing the ingredients ahead of time, this step can wait. In the meantime, place the empty ramekin in the center of your tray. This will help to plan out the amounts of the other ingredients.
On opposite sides of your ramekin, place the tomatoes. Then, going toward the bottom of the tray, add the bell pepper slices, and carrot sticks. In the bottom center, add the cauliflower. Wherever there is a hole, you can fill it in with cheese (optional).
For the top half, place the broccoli in a line going upwards from the middle of the ramekin. On either side of the broccoli, place some crackers, standing up slightly at an angle. These create the ears. (Be mindful of trying to create a rounded top, if desired.)
The next row will be the cheese. This can be done in two ways:
1) Place the cheese in between the rows of crackers. This way, the crackers will become an outline surrounding the cheese. If you opt for this method, align your celery on the other side of each ear before placing the cheese inside the cracker ears. This will create a barrier and allow the crackers to become more sturdy. Once secure, add the cubed cheese in the middle of each ear.
2) As shown below, you can have two lines of crackers and then put the cheese slices in front of the crackers. It’s up to you and your preferences.
The size of your platter may also cause you to make some adjustments to ensure that everything will fit. (I love the platter I got because it includes a stand for a variety of utensils. However, it is a bit on the smaller side in terms of creating this dish).
Once the cheese is in the desired placement, create rows of celery and radishes.
From here, begin adding your layers switching from the broccoli half to the cauliflower half. Align your radishes next to the celery. And your carrots (and cucumber if using) next to the cauliflower.
Fill in the excess space you have with the red bell peppers and tomatoes.
When ready to serve, remove your dip from the refrigerator and spoon it into the ramekin on your tray. Once your dip is inside your dish and the top is evenly smoothed out, begin creating the bunny’s face. Start by placing two kalamata olives in the upper ⅓ area of your dish for the eyes. Place a grape tomato in the very center to act as the nose.
Slice a kalamata olive into 3 thin pieces, lengthwise. Use these three pieces to create the mouth. Then, place 3 pieces of asparagus on each side to make the whiskers.
Ta-da! A cute, healthy Easter bunny vegetable tray!
Related:
Printable Easter Fun for Your Kids!
