Chicken Run Veggie Tray (Printable)

A colorful platter featuring fresh vegetables and creamy ranch-flavored hummus dip.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 cup baby carrots
02 - 1 cup cucumber sticks
03 - 1 cup red bell pepper strips
04 - 1 cup yellow bell pepper strips
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes
06 - 1 cup sugar snap peas
07 - 1/2 cup black olives, pitted

→ Ranch Hummus Dip

08 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
09 - 1/4 cup tahini
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 - 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
13 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
19 - 2 to 4 tablespoons cold water, as needed

# Directions:

01 - Wash and cut vegetables into sticks or strips. Arrange them on a large platter in playful shapes resembling chickens or decorative designs, using black olives for eyes or accents as desired.
02 - Combine chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder, dried dill, dried parsley, dried chives, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth, gradually adding cold water until the mixture reaches a creamy, dippable consistency.
03 - Transfer the prepared hummus to a serving bowl and position it in the center of the vegetable tray.
04 - Present immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under half an hour with zero cooking required, making it perfect for those moments when you need something impressive fast.
  • The ranch hummus is smooth and tangy enough that even the pickiest eaters will actually dip their veggies instead of leaving them untouched.
  • You get to play with your food by arranging shapes and decorating with olives, which somehow makes eating vegetables feel like a game instead of a chore.
02 -
  • The hummus will taste significantly saltier and more powerful when first made, but it mellows and becomes more balanced after sitting in the fridge for even an hour, so don't panic if your first taste seems intense.
  • If you add the water all at once instead of gradually, you'll end up with something closer to ranch soup than dip, and there's no good way to fix it except by adding more chickpeas.
03 -
  • Toast your tahini in a dry skillet for two minutes before adding to the food processor if you want a deeper, nuttier flavor that will make people ask what your secret ingredient is.
  • A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper stirred into the hummus adds a gentle warmth that rounds out all the herbaceous ranch flavors without making it spicy enough to scare anyone away.
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