Mediterranean Mezza Platter (Printable View)

A colorful Mediterranean assortment of dips, cheeses, vegetables, and breads, enhanced with fresh herbs and olive oil.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dips & Spreads

01 - 1 cup classic hummus
02 - 1 cup baba ganoush
03 - 1 cup tzatziki

→ Cheeses

04 - 5.3 oz feta cheese, cut into rustic cubes

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cup cucumber, sliced into rounds
07 - 1 cup assorted olives (Kalamata, green, Castelvetrano)
08 - 1 roasted red bell pepper, sliced
09 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Breads

10 - 2 large pita breads, cut into triangles (use gluten-free flatbread if needed)

→ Garnishes

11 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
12 - 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
13 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
14 - 1 tsp sumac or zaatar, optional
15 - Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Extras (Optional)

16 - 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
17 - 1/2 cup dolmas (stuffed grape leaves)
18 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

# How To Make It:

01 - Place the hummus, baba ganoush, and tzatziki in small, distinct mounds around a large serving platter.
02 - Position rustic cubes of feta cheese in a small cluster on the platter.
03 - Distribute cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, assorted olives, roasted red pepper, and red onion in loose, organic mounds around the dips and cheese.
04 - Place bread triangles in a separate pile or fan them around the platter’s edge.
05 - Scatter marinated artichoke hearts, dolmas, and toasted pine nuts in small clusters, if using.
06 - Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil generously over dips, cheese, and vegetables, then sprinkle with chopped parsley, torn mint, sumac or zaatar, and season with sea salt and black pepper.
07 - Present immediately, allowing guests to help themselves.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes with minimal cooking, so you can spend your time actually enjoying your guests instead of being stuck at the stove
  • Everyone finds something they love because the platter celebrates different textures, flavors, and temperatures all at once
  • It's impossibly elegant but genuinely easy—somehow arranging beautiful things on a board feels like you've done something sophisticated
  • The cost-to-impression ratio is unbeatable, especially when you use quality store-bought dips to save time
02 -
  • Temperature matters more than you'd think—take your cheeses and vegetables out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving so they're cool but not cold. They'll taste better and feel less harsh
  • The olive oil isn't optional or merely decorative. It's what ties all the flavors together and prevents the platter from feeling dry. Don't skimp on it
  • Arrangement is genuinely important because it sets the tone for how people interact with the food. Tight, organized platters make people hesitant; loose, organic ones invite generosity
03 -
  • Make your dips the day before if you want to ease your workload on the day you're serving. They actually taste better after sitting overnight because all the flavors get to know each other
  • Invest in a beautiful platter or board that you genuinely like looking at. You'll reach for this recipe more often if the presentation vessel inspires you
  • The red onions taste noticeably better if you slice them thin and let them sit with a tiny pinch of salt for 10 minutes before serving—they soften and become almost sweet
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