Garden Vegetable Spread (Printable)
Vibrant creamy spread of cucumber, bell pepper, carrot and herbs - ready in 15 minutes for crackers or sandwiches.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fresh Vegetables
01 - 1 cup finely diced cucumber, seeded and peeled
02 - 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
03 - 1/2 cup grated carrot
04 - 1/2 cup finely diced celery
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Dairy
06 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
07 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
→ Seasonings
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (optional)
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
# How To Make:
01 - Seed and peel the cucumber, then finely dice it along with the red bell pepper and celery. Grate the carrot and thinly slice the green onions. Place all prepared vegetables together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a spatula or hand mixer until completely smooth and free of lumps. Add the Greek yogurt or sour cream and continue mixing until the mixture is creamy and well blended.
03 - Stir the minced garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, chopped parsley, and dill into the creamy base until the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout.
04 - Add the prepared vegetable mixture to the seasoned cream cheese base. Fold gently using a spatula until all the vegetables are evenly incorporated and the spread has a uniform consistency.
05 - Taste the spread and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
06 - Transfer the chilled spread to a serving bowl and accompany with crackers, toasted baguette slices, or fresh vegetable sticks such as carrots, celery, and bell peppers.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It takes about fifteen minutes and tastes like you spent an hour on it, which is the kind of shortcut I build my whole entertaining strategy around.
- The crunch of fresh vegetables folded into something rich and creamy hits a texture sweet spot that disappears fast at any table.
02 -
- If you skip seeding the cucumber, the spread will release liquid overnight and turn into something closer to soup.
- Underseasoning at the start is fine because the flavors deepen after chilling, but you cannot fix too much garlic once it is in there.
03 -
- Pat the diced vegetables dry with a paper towel before folding them in, and the spread holds its body for days.
- Use a hand mixer on the cream cheese for thirty seconds before adding anything else, and you will never see another lump.