Garden Vegetable Spread (Printable)
A creamy blend of fresh vegetables with herbs, ideal for spreading or dipping.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
02 - 1/2 cup finely diced cucumber, seeds removed
03 - 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
04 - 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
05 - 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
→ Dairy
06 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
07 - 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
→ Seasonings & Herbs
08 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
09 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
10 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
11 - 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
12 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
# How To Cook:
01 - In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and Greek yogurt (or sour cream). Stir with a spatula until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.
02 - Add the finely diced red bell pepper, cucumber, carrots, green onions, celery, chopped parsley, and fresh dill to the cream base. Fold everything together until the vegetables are evenly distributed throughout.
03 - Sprinkle in the garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice if using. Stir thoroughly until all seasonings are fully incorporated and the flavor is uniform.
04 - Sample the spread and add additional salt or pepper as needed to suit your preference.
05 - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
06 - Transfer the spread to a serving dish and serve chilled alongside crackers, fresh bread, pita pockets, or crudités. It also works beautifully as a sandwich spread.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It takes exactly fifteen minutes from cutting board to plate, which means you can make it while your guests are literally walking through the door.
- The creaminess balances the crunch of raw vegetables so perfectly that even people who claim they dont like veggies come back for thirds.
02 -
- If you skip seeding the cucumber, your spread will weep moisture overnight and turn into something closer to a soup than a dip.
- The spread firms up considerably in the fridge, so what seems perfectly seasoned warm will taste slightly muted cold, meaning you should be a little generous with salt and lemon at the start.
03 -
- Dice every vegetable to roughly the same tiny size so each bite delivers the full medley instead of one dominant chunk of celery or pepper.
- Full fat cream cheese makes a noticeable difference here because the spread has so few ingredients, each one has to pull its weight.