Mediterranean Mezze Platter with Homemade Hummus and Tzatziki
Appetizer
EASY
A vibrant no-cook Mediterranean appetizer featuring creamy homemade hummus, cool tzatziki yogurt dip, and an elegant arrangement of fresh vegetables, olives, and warm pita bread. Perfect for entertaining or casual entertaining.
Ingredients
- 1 chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
- 2 garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
- 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
- 0.25 teaspoon sea salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cup heirloom tomatoes, sliced or diced
- 1 English cucumber, sliced into rounds
- 1 roasted red peppers, drained and halved
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 0.5 cup fresh chickpeas
- 8 pita bread
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Steps
- Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas thoroughly under cold water and set aside.
- Mince the garlic cloves finely with a chef's knife.
- In a food processor, combine drained chickpeas, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Pulse the food processor until the mixture reaches a creamy, smooth consistency, about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Transfer the hummus to a small serving bowl and set aside.
- Peel the medium cucumber and finely dice it into small pieces for the tzatziki.
- Finely chop the fresh dill with a chef's knife.
- In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, diced cucumber, chopped dill, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Stir the tzatziki mixture until fully combined and smooth, then transfer to a small serving bowl.
- Slice the heirloom tomatoes into thin rounds or cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Slice the English cucumber into thin rounds, leaving skin on for visual appeal.
- Drain the roasted red peppers and cut them into halves or quarters.
- Pit the Kalamata olives if not already pitted, and place in a small bowl.
- Crumble the feta cheese by hand or with a fork into bite-sized pieces and place in a small bowl.
- Arrange the large serving platter by creating sections: place the hummus and tzatziki bowls in two corners, then arrange groups of tomato slices, cucumber rounds, roasted red peppers, olives, feta cheese, and fresh chickpeas in colorful clusters around the dips.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over the hummus, creating a decorative pool in the center.
- Scatter fresh chopped parsley over the entire platter for color and freshness.
- Arrange the pita bread rounds on the platter or serve on a separate bread basket alongside.