Garden Vegetable Spread (Printable)

Creamy, herb-packed vegetable spread ready in 15 minutes. Perfect for crackers, toast, or sandwiches.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy & Base

01 - 8 oz (1 cup) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
02 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 small carrot, finely grated
04 - 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
05 - 1/2 cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
06 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
07 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

→ Seasonings & Flavorings

09 - 1 clove garlic, minced
10 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
11 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
13 - 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Stir vigorously with a spatula until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.
02 - Add the grated carrot, chopped red bell pepper, cucumber, spring onions, parsley, and chives to the cream cheese mixture.
03 - Fold in the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the spread.
04 - Taste the spread and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed to balance the flavors.
05 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the spread to firm up.
06 - Transfer to a serving dish and serve chilled alongside crackers, toasted bread, or use as a sandwich spread.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It takes exactly fifteen minutes from cutting board to plate, which means you can make it right before guests arrive and still have time to change your shirt.
  • The cream cheese and yogurt base is rich enough to feel indulgent but light enough that you will keep coming back for more without feeling heavy.
02 -
  • If you skip seeding the cucumber, you will wake up to a puddle of watery spread surrounded by a sad ring of vegetables.
  • The spread tastes dramatically better after a night in the fridge, so making it a day ahead is the smartest move you can make.
03 -
  • Grate the carrot directly into the bowl over the cream cheese mixture so every last bit of juice ends up in the spread instead of on your cutting board.
  • If your cream cheese is stubborn and will not soften, microwave it in ten second bursts and stir between each one until it yields without melting.

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