Any good Italian meal starts with an antipasto plate. Literally translating to “not pasta”, an antipasto platter is a traditional Italian appetizer that’s meant to precede heavier courses. Typically, antipasto is loaded with cured meats, cheeses, olives, nuts, crackers, fruit, grilled and pickled vegetables, dips and spreads, and other assorted snacks.
The beautiful thing about antipasto is that there are no hard and fast rules, you can add whatever tasty snacks you like to the board, so long as it’s not pasta. That also means it’s very easy to make a delicious and exciting vegetarian antipasto platter!
How to Make a Vegetarian Antipasto Platter
The key when making a vegetarian antipasto plate is variety. You want to strike a balance between different flavors, textures, and colors. You’ll want something that’s salty or briny, something sweet, spicy, acidic, roasted, smooth, creamy and crunchy.
Making antipasto is also a great way to clean out the fridge. If you have jars of brined olives, roasted peppers or artichokes, you can use them up here.
Olives are almost always included in antipasto, so pick out your favorite ones to add. To contrast the salty olives, add a brighter, sharper pickled vegetable, like spicy banana peppers.
It’s good to have some kind of dip, like a bean dip or pesto, and something to dip, like crackers, bread or raw veggies. You can always make a quick salad of tomatoes or some other vegetable.
Grilled vegetables, like asparagus or carrots, can also add a nice smoky roasted element to the board. Feel free to add some toasted almonds or pine nuts as well.
Antipasto usually has a mixture of hard and soft cheeses, so look for little balls of mozzarella and/or chunks of parmesan. To make the platter vegan, just leave out the cheese. Antipasto platters are traditionally served at room temperature.
About This Vegetarian Antipasto Platter
This vegetarian antipasto plate has a delightful selection of goodies. A smooth Tuscan white bean dip takes center stage, with some crunchy crackers to dip in it. Balls of fresh mozzarella make for a rich and creamy snack.
From the jars, there are briny green olives, sweet roasted red peppers and spicy pickled banana peppers. A few stalks of grilled asparagus lend a smoky crunch while a fresh salad of cherry tomatoes marinated in balsamic and basil provide a juicy retreat.
Remember, this antipasto platter recipe is just a guideline. Feel free to add or subtract whatever you want and make it your own!
Vegetarian Antipasto Platter
Ingredients
- For the Tuscan White Bean Dip:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for garnishing
- 1 shallot finely diced (or small red onion)
- 1 15.5- ounce 439 grams can white cannellini beans, drained
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the Marinated Tomatoes:
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes rinsed and halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh basil cut into ribbons
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the Grilled Asparagus:
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- Other Antipasto Ingredients:
- 1 jar hot banana peppers drained
- 1 jar roasted red peppers drained
- 1 jar green or black olives drained
- 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese balls
- 1 sleeve of your favorite crackers
Directions
For the Tuscan White Bean Dip
- 1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small pan. Add the shallot, beans, garlic, and pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the shallots become translucent.
2. Transfer the cooked beans to a food processor, reserve about ¼ cup for garnish.
3. Add the lemon zest and juice to the food processor. Blend the beans in the food processor until smooth, adding more olive oil if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Mix the reserved beans with the vinegar, parsley, and a drizzle of the olive oil. Transfer the pureed beans to a bowl and garnish with the whole beans. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
For the Marinated Tomatoes
- 1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the Grilled Asparagus
- 1. Preheat the broiler in the oven to high. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and toss with the oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper.
2. Lay the asparagus out onto a sheet pan and broil for 4-5 minutes until slightly charred but still tender.
3. Remove the asparagus from the oven and leave at room temperature until ready to serve.
Directions to Assemble
- 1. Arrange the grilled asparagus, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, olives, cheese, crackers, and any other ingredients on a large serving platter or cutting board.
2. Serve the white bean dip and marinated tomatoes in bowls.
Notes
Grapes, strawberries, apples or fresh figs
Pretzels or pieces of toasted bread
Pesto, hummus or other dips