Healthy Charcuterie Board: Our Good Clean Platter

DATE NIGHT DONE RIGHT! A HEALTHY CHARCUTERIE BOARD FOR TWO.

They say you eat with your eyes first, and nowhere does that feel more true than the simple yet elegant charcuterie board. What makes an awesome spread? Variety! A plethora of colors, flavors and textures - sweet and salty, crunchy and soft. These boards traditionally contain cured meats and heavy cheeses, but you can easily substitute with bright veggies and fruits and our favorite vegan brands to build a healthy charcuterie board around delicious plant-based foods. It makes the perfect no-cook dinner for two. A little sweet, a little savory and served with lots of love.

Here are some ideas to get you started!

WHAT TO INCLUDE ON A CHARCUTERIE BOARD:

Raw Veggies: We always love to use mini sweet red and yellow bell pepper and sliced Persian cucumbers. Other great choices include carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and radishes. Radicchio and endive are a great vehicle for dips. Go for a variety of colors that will pop on the board.

Fresh Fruit: Apple slices and red grapes are classic choices. Other great options include strawberries, blueberries, pears, and mandarin oranges. When in season, fresh figs are out favorite. As with the veggies, the more colorful the better.

Dried Fruit: Adding a few dried fruits will offer the perfect contrast to the flavors and textures on the board. We love figs and apricots. Raisins, dried cranberries, and dried cherries would also be delicious.

Olives: Our favorites for a charcuterie board are Kalamata and Castelvetrano. Choose whichever olives you like, or leave them off if you're not a fan.

Vegan Cheese: We have a few favorites, Violife Feta Cheese and Treeline French Style. Both are delicious with dried apricots or topped with a dash of honey and thyme to make it feel more special. If you want to make your own, check out this recipe for Vegan Cheese Dip from one of our favorite recipe blogs, Fit Foodie Finds.

Hummus or Other Dips: Our Classic Hummus is always a hit, or choose any dip you like including tzatziki, olive tapenade, baba ganoush, red pepper dip, etc.

Nuts: We love Brazil nuts and pistachios on the board for variety. Walnuts or marcona almonds are also great options.

Bread: A take-and-bake loaf of bread is a fun idea - and the smell of fresh baked bread will make the whole house feel warm and cozy. Just bake for 10 minutes, slice and serve on the board. You could also use a fresh baguette or ciabatta from the bakery. Our favorite gluten-free choice is Kim + Jack’s. peasant loaf.

(Or) Crackers: Choose your favorites! We love Simple Mills Sea Salt + Almond Crackers.

Meat as a treat: we don’t often include veggie based “meat” but on this board, if it feels like a fit, Field Roast makes some excellent and pretty artisanal plant based sausages.

Sweet Treats: For a dark chocolate finish we love Hu Chocolate Chunks or their salty dark chocolate bar broken into imperfect bites.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE A CHARCUTERIE BOARD:

We like to find a beautiful platter or rustic cutting board, add in some simple ramekins, a couple of spreading knives and you are good to go! Don’t overthink it, just let your creative juices flow!

Garnish goes a long way: Fresh flowers and a few sprigs of rosemary will definitely gives the board a more festive and special feel!

What to drink: Traditionally you would serve charcuterie with wine. If you are looking for a clean crafted libation, shop these no sugar added wines with our friend Paula at Scout & Cellar. Beer instead? We love Samuel Smith Organic Lager. And if you’re feeling bubbly - this is our Good Clean favorite. More of a mocktail mood? We can’t wait to try the non-alcoholic distilled spirits from Seedlip and these sexy botanical concoctions from Kin Euphorics. Cheers!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

If you make a Good Clean Charcuterie Board let us know what you think! Leave a comment and don’t forget to take a picture. We love seeing what you come up with! Happy cooking.