This mezze platter is an assortment of snack options including salads, cheeses, olives, hummus, pita bread and vegetables, all arranged as a hearty appetizer plate to serve a crowd. A simple yet impressive offering that always gets rave reviews.
When I’m hosting a party, a serve a variety of appetizers including raspberry baked brie, bacon wrapped shrimp and this fresh and colorful mezze platter.
One of my favorite local restaurants serves a mezze platter on their appetizer menu, and I have to order it every time I go there. It’s the most delicious combination of grilled pita bread, hummus, olives, yogurt sauce and cheese. I now make my own sampler platter for every gathering, and people just go crazy for it!
What does mezze platter mean?
The word “meze” refers to a taste or a snack, and is similar to the tapas served in Spain. A mezze platter contains a variety of foods that are often served as appetizers in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.
How do you make a mezze platter?
Arrange a variety of dips, cheeses, olives, raw vegetables and pita bread triangles on a large platter. You can use store bought items such as hummus, dolmas and tabbouleh or make your own Mediterranean delicacies. Garnish the platter with fresh herbs, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours, or serve right away.
Tips for a perfect platter
- I like to include at least 2 dips, some of the more popular options include hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki, feta dip or muhammara. Add a drizzle of olive oil on top of your dips along with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for extra flavor and color.
- The most popular cheese for a mezze platter is feta cheese. I like to take it a step further by marinating cubes of feta cheese in olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and parsley.
- Fresh vegetables add color and crunch. Cucumbers and tomatoes are typical additions, but other great choices include radishes, red bell peppers and baby carrots.
- Feel free to purchase pre-made dolmas, or you can make your own.
- Many of the components of the platter, including the dolmas, hummus, tabbouleh and baba ganoush, can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. If you don’t want to make your own dips and salads, you can purchase them from the deli area of the grocery store.
- Check out the olive bar at your local grocery store and choose an assortment of black and green olives in different sizes and shapes.
Mediterranean Tapas Ideas
While most tapas platters include the basics like pita bread and hummus, you can add any Mediterranean themed ingredients to your appetizer offering.
- Fresh fruit such as orange wedges, halved figs, pomegranates or grapes.
- Grilled veggies including artichokes, eggplant, zucchini or bell peppers.
- Cured meats such as prosciutto or salami.
- Pickled vegetables such as garlic cloves, asparagus or green beans.
- Nuts including pistachios, almonds or walnuts.
- Dippers like breadsticks, crackers or pita chips.
- Heartier fare including meatballs or falafel.
You simply can’t go wrong with a mezze platter. They’re easy to make, look beautiful, and there’s a little something for everyone!
More party snacks
Mezze Platter Video
Mezze Platter
Ingredients
- 1 cup hummus homemade or store bought
- 1 cup tzatziki homemade or store bought
- 3 pita bread rounds
- 1 cup fresh vegetables such as cucumbers or cherry tomatoes
- 3/4 cup mixed olives
- 1/2 cup feta cheese cubed
- 1 cup tabbouleh homemade or store bought
- 8 dolmas homemade or store bought
- 4 teaspoons olive oil divided use
- 1 cup grilled or roasted vegetables such as red bell peppers or artichokes
- fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Brush 2 teaspoons of olive oil over both sides of the pita bread. Heat the pita bread in a 400 degrees F or on a grill for 3-5 minutes or until warmed through. Cut each pita into eighths.
- Arrange the pita bread, hummus, tzatziki, fresh and grilled vegetables, olives, feta cheese, tabbouleh and dolmas on a larger platter.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the hummus and tzatziki. Garnish the platter with fresh herbs, then serve.
Can you please tell me the name of the red tear drop vegetable near the tomato in your picture?
They’re little peppers! https://www.delallo.com/sweet-and-tangy-pepper-drops/
We made this for New Year’s eve and just could not stop eating it!
We absolutely loved this platter! We ended up making a meal of it!
I made this for my husbands birthday and it loved it !
I made a small version and we inhaled it!
This dish is way beyond fantastic and scrumptious and quite nutritious; it is also extremely incentivizing. I was thinking about preparing not only the same platter, but a similar platter using cold seafood such as shrimp, nova lox, and marinated baby scallops, mussels and tuna sashimi…plus a few vegetables. This could also be a platform for leftover meals, including roast beef or turkey…which would work quite well with a quick potato salad or whole cranberries and glazed baby carrots, etc. As a retiree who enjoys creative cooking, I believe that this dish can help us all during this pandemic and difficult time. I truly believe that someone will transform this absolutely gorgeous multidimensional platter into a new specialty restaurant theme once we open up the country, of course.
This is such an amazing mix of flavors! We really enjoyed all of this yummy goodness, thanks for helping me put it all together!
What a delicious snack last night. My family enjoyed this one!!
Yum – I saw your recipe and knew I just had to make it! Soooo good!
This is my kind of snack! Love all of the different flavors on this platter!
I could literally eat this DAILY…. thanks for the inspiration!
What a colorful snack platter! I love everything in it
If I could eat this everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner I would be a happppppy girl! It hits all the perfect notes.
This mezze platter is seriously making me hungry!
This looks so tasty, I love everything on that plate!
I know this is made for sharing but I might just keep this all to myself, haha! Loving this for an easy afternoon of movie snacking.