What’s your favorite party platter? Mine is this Meditteranean style mezze platter loaded with vegetarian snacks, dip, chips, and cheese. This easy-to-refill appetizer platter is always a crowd favorite and gives me time to shake a leg or two while hosting the party.
What is a Mezze Platter?
The word ‘Mezze’ literally means sharing. Hence, the purpose of a mezze platter is to have shareable appetizers on the table – an important aspect of Arabic and Middle Eastern cuisine. A Mediterranean appetizer platter is an assortment of several Middle Eastern bite-size snacks served on one platter. A mezze platter can be both vegetarian or meat-based (with kebabs, meat skewers, or roasted chicken), depending on personal preference. Most mezze platters contain popular appetizers like hummus, tabbouleh, feta cheese, olives, pita, or any other bite-size bread, crackers, and one or two Mediterranean dips.
My Tried & True Tips
It is enjoyable to create your own Mediterranean party platter. You can serve it with wine or even chilled beer. It is entirely fuss-free and requires minimal cooking time. Here’s what you need to keep in mind while creating a Mezze platter: Will it be Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian? The choice depends on the people you are serving the snacks to. If it’s a mixed crowd or if you’re unsure of preferences, it’s recommended to go for a vegetarian mezze platter. Since the appetizers are served on a single platter, vegetarians may not feel comfortable eating from the same tray in which meat is also served. How Many Snacks: The idea of a snacks platter is to serve easy-to-eat finger food. It is not the display of your cooking skill. So try not to over-crowd the platter. One or two fulfilling snacks like falafel/kebab accompanied by dips, munchies, and fresh cheese/veggies is good enough. Selection of Snacks: Try to serve snacks that complement each other. Like hummus with crackers. Soft cheese with marinated olives or fresh fruits. It is essential to have harmony among the various dishes on a mezze platter. Also, include snacks that are easy to eat (non-drippy, not huge pieces that become embarrassing to tear or require cutlery). Keep it non-greasy: Nobody likes the sight of a calorie-loaded appetizer platter. Hence, it is crucial to keep your snack platter a bit refreshing and non-greasy. Try to include minimal deep-fried snacks, that too accompanied by loads of fresh produce such as – fruits, veggie sticks, cheese, olives, and a cooling dip.
Vegetarian Mezze Platter Guide
Here is my complete guide to building a perfect vegetarian mezze platter at home without breaking a sweat or hours of planning. Let’s get into the more delicate details of my vegetarian Mediterranean platter: Falafel: The chickpea falafel is an essential snack on an authentic mezze platter. You can add other kinds of fulfilling nibbles such as mixed veg cutlets, kebab, cheese balls, or grilled paneer tikka to this platter. Hummus: No mezze platter is complete without a creamy hummus. Try to introduce flavor and color to the mezze platter with avocado hummus and beetroot hummus. Dips: Apart from hummus, I like to add baba ganoush, roasted red pepper dip (muhammara), tzatziki, or tomato salsa to my mezze platter for extra dipping sauce. Marinated Olives: I love olives, and for me, they are a must-have item in any Mediterranean appetizer platter. The olives do not necessarily have to be marinated. The ones soaked in brine solutions work fine too. Crackers: From crispy pita bread, and lavash to cheese crackers or any readymade munchy that has a nice crunch to it is perfect for this party platter. These can be easily purchased from the nearby bakery or supermarket. Veggie Sticks and Fresh Fruits: Bite-sized and easy-to-dip sticks of crunchy, fresh vegetables and fruits give so much freshness to the mezze platter. Some options are cucumbers, carrots, radish, cherry tomato, green and red bell peppers (served raw), or grilled veggies like herb potatoes, sweet potato fries, etc. Some of the fruits that taste best on a platter like – figs, red seedless grapes, black grapes, strawberries, cantaloupes, or watermelon. Cheese & Nuts: A non-crumbly soft cheese cut into the bite-size, and a choice of assorted dry fruits or nuts will give your snacks platter an edge. The dry fruits that taste good in a mezze platter are – dried figs, apricots, salted cashews, sweet dates, or toasted hazelnuts. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter or follow us on Youtube for video recipes.
