Vegan Meze Platter

There’s something about a Mediterranean meze platter that is inherently very sexy and inviting - it’s delicious, healthy, great for entertaining, and transporting. It also fits into most dietary restrictions and preferences, making this a total crowd pleaser. It’s appetizers like these that make you not even care about the main course that is coming (or wish that you hadn’t even ordered a main course because you’re so stuffed!) Continuing on from the Turkish theme from earlier this week, today we’re talking probably the best appetizer plate known to man - a Mediterranean meze platter! So many good flavors, textures, visuals, and full of vegetables, plant-based protein, and healthy fats. And paired with a glass of red wine? One could argue that it is the perfect meal on it’s own…

I hesitate to even call this a recipe, since it’s really an assortment of various items beautifully displayed together. Although you could easily cook each of the items on your own, I made my own babaghanoush but used storebought hummus and pre-marinated artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes. It made for this to be really simple to throw together, and when you decorate with a couple of sprigs of mint and parsley - it looks incredibly visually appealing and (mildly) professional. I didn’t even tell my guests that this was going to be coined as “vegan” dish and they didn’t even ask twice about it - although I’m sure a bit of feta would have been a nice addition. This is a fantastic appetizer for entertaining, because you can assemble the majority of the plate ahead of time, and then just lay out the hummus and babaghanoush before serving. It makes for a very stress-free hosting experience, and there is something for everyone to enjoy on the platter. We actually went through several iterations of this plate because I had leftovers of everything and my guests were hungry! But yeah, by the time the real food came around, no one was hungry. If I could eat grape leaves and dried fruit and babaghanoush and call it my dinner most nights, I would be a happy little food blogger!

Vegan Meze Platter

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

There's something about a Mediterranean meze platter that I think is inherently kind of sexy - it's delicious, great for entertaining, healthy, and transporting.

Author: Dani California Cooks

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• Hummus (homemade or store bought)
• Babaghanoush (homemade or store bought)
• Handful of olives - green and kalamata
• Marinated artichokes and sundried tomatoes
• Dried fruits (dates, figs, apricots)
• Fresh fruits (grapes, figs)
• Nuts (almonds and pistachios)
• Grape leaves (I used store bought from Whole Foods)
• Crackers and/or pita
• Mint and parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the hummus and the babaghanoush in little serving bowls
2. On a large serving platter, distribute the items around the sides of the plates - make sure that people sitting around your table will have equal access to each nibble (to prevent having to turn the plate around and around your table)
3. In the center, place the pita/crackers
4. Surround the pita/crackers with the serving bowls of babaghanoush and hummus
5. Garnish the entire plate with mint and parsley
6. Serve with great wine and great company!

Notes

Slices of feta are a great addition for those who are non-vegan.

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