Garden Vegetable Spread (Printable)
Light, creamy blend of fresh vegetables with herbs and cheese. Ideal for spreading, dipping, or sandwich filling.
# 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 and 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 Make:
01 - In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with Greek yogurt or sour cream. Stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth, lump-free, and uniformly creamy.
02 - Add the diced red bell pepper, cucumber, chopped carrots, green onions, celery, fresh parsley, and dill to the cream base. Fold gently with a spatula until all 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 consistent throughout.
04 - Taste the spread and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed to suit your preference.
05 - Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the spread to firm up slightly.
06 - Transfer the chilled spread to a serving dish. Serve with crackers, toasted bread, crudités, or use as a filling for sandwiches and pita pockets.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It turns whatever vegetables are languishing in your crisper drawer into something you will actually want to eat.
- No cooking required, which means your kitchen stays cool and you get to feel productive without breaking a sweat.
02 -
- If you skip the chilling step the spread will taste flat and the vegetables will feel disconnected from the cheese, patience really does pay off here.
- Wet vegetables are the enemy, so pat the cucumber dry with a paper towel after removing the seeds or your spread will weep overnight.
03 -
- Dice everything as small and uniform as you can manage, the spreadability depends on it.
- For a vegan version, swap in a good quality plant based cream cheese and coconut yogurt, the flavor profile shifts but stays delicious.