Photo by Goran Kosanovic and food styling by Bonnie S. Benwick; for The Washington Post
This holiday vegetable platter is a stunning assortment of green and red vegetables arranged decoratively around a bowl of herb-flecked avocado dip so the whole thing looks like a holiday centerpiece. It’s as compellingly delicious as it is beautiful. The dip can be refrigerated a day in advance; press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Stir before serving.
Holiday Vegetable Platter With Herbed Avocado Dip
Ingredients
FOR THE DIP
Flesh of 2 ripe avocados
4 scallions (trimmed), white and green parts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh tarragon
1/2 cup, lightly packed flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
FOR THE VEGETABLES
1 pound haricots verts (thin French green beans), trimmed
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 large Belgian endives, cored, leaves separated
Directions
For the dip: Combine the avocados, scallions, tarragon, parsley, chives, yogurt, vinegar and salt in a food processor; puree until fairly smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Unless you’re serving it right away, press plastic wrap directly on the surface (to prevent browning).
For the vegetables: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook/blanch for about 1 minute, so they become bright green yet are still crisp. Use a Chinese skimmer or large slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice-water bath; cool, then dry on paper towels.
When ready to serve, place the bowl of dip at the center of a platter. Arrange the haricots verts, red bell peppers, grape tomatoes and endive leaves around it.
Makes 12 servings (makes about 3 cups of dip)
Serving size: 1/4 C dip
Per serving: Calories 80; Total Fat 4g; (Sat Fat 1g); Protein 4g; Carb 9g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 110mg, Sugar 4g
