Crudités & Marinated Vegetables Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Wash all vegetables thoroughly. Trim and peel carrots if needed; cut into sticks about 3–4 inches long. Slice cucumber into long spears or rounds, depending on preference. Trim celery into sticks. Thinly slice fennel and radishes. Core and cut red bell pepper into strips. Arrange cherry tomatoes whole. Place prepared vegetables on a platter and refrigerate until serving.

Process chickpeas

In a food processor, combine drained chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin and kosher salt. Pulse to combine, then run processor while slowly streaming in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons ice water. Continue processing until mixture is very smooth and whipped, scraping down the bowl once or twice. If too thick, add 1 teaspoon water at a time to reach a creamy, spreadable consistency.

Adjust and finish

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon if desired. Transfer whipped chickpeas to a shallow serving bowl, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil if reserved, and sprinkle smoked paprika on top.

Make labneh (if starting from yogurt)

If you have strained labneh, skip to plating. To make quick labneh, line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth or a doubled paper towel and set over a bowl. Spoon Greek yogurt into the cloth, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, fold the cloth over, cover and refrigerate 4–12 hours to thicken (longer for firmer texture). For immediate service, use thick Greek yogurt and stir with salt and lemon until very smooth.

Finish labneh

Turn labneh into a shallow serving dish, use the back of a spoon to create a small well in the center, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar (if using) and a pinch of sea salt.

Prepare vegetables

If using raw zucchini, slice on a bias to 1/4-inch thickness. Blanch green beans in boiling salted water 2–3 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp; immediately plunge into ice water and drain. If using raw beets, roast whole wrapped in foil or in a covered pan at 400°F (200°C) for 45–60 minutes until tender; peel and slice once cool. Combine prepared zucchini, blanched green beans and roasted beets in a bowl.

Make marinade

Whisk together red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, minced or thinly sliced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, 4 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper until emulsified.

Marinate vegetables

Pour the marinade over the warm (or room-temperature) vegetables and toss to coat. Let marinate at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator to develop flavor. Bring marinated vegetables to room temperature before serving if chilled.

Assemble platter

On a large serving board or platter, place bowls of whipped chickpeas and labneh spaced apart. Arrange the crudités and marinated seasonal vegetables around them in groups for visual appeal. Spoon a little extra marinade over the vegetables if desired. Scatter chopped parsley and toasted seeds or pine nuts over the labneh and marinated vegetables. Add lemon wedges to the platter for squeezing.

Serve

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Provide small spoons for dips and allow guests to dip crudités and marinated vegetables into the whipped chickpeas and labneh. Leftovers: keep dips covered in the refrigerator up to 3–4 days; marinated vegetables up to 3 days.