Crudité Vegetable Wreath with Ranch Dip

Recipe courtesy of EatingWell.

Take your veggies and dip to the next level with this colorful crudité wreath. This vegetable appetizer is a stunner with white cauliflower, red tomatoes and green broccoli, green beans, snap peas, kale and Brussels sprouts. It’s also a delicious way to start your celebration with veggies (which there are rarely enough of at parties and holidays). The homemade ranch dip, which uses nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, takes just a few minutes to make, or you can use a healthy store-bought dip.

Ingredients 

Preparation 

• To prepare crudité: Put a large pot of water to boil. Set a large bowl of ice water by the stove. Blanch broccoli for 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to the ice bath to chill. Drain well. Blanch Brussels sprouts, green beans and snap peas in the same way.
• To prepare dip: Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, shallot, dill, vinegar, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl; set it in the center of a large circular platter or decorative serving board.
• Arrange kale around the bowl, with the frilly edges on the outside. Top with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, snap peas, and cauliflower. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Nutritional Information 

• Serving size: ½ cup vegetables and 1 tablespoon dip
• Per serving: 49 calories; 3 g fat(0 g sat); 1 g fiber; 4 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 30 mcg folate; 2mg cholesterol; 2 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 805 IU vitamin A; 34 mg vitamin C; 29 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 81 mg sodium; 174 mg potassium
• Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (57% daily value)
• Carbohydrate Servings: ½
• Exchanges: 1 vegetable, ½ fat