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This Charred Vegetable Platter is an easy way to add tons of flavor to plain vegetables. They're charred to perfection which only takes a couple of minutes, then paired with the most delicious garlic whipped goat cheese, making them an easy and healthy snack option.
Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with Bernzomatic. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that help me run this site!
One of my lifetime goals is to add more vegetables into my diet. The good thing is that I tend to really love cooked vegetables--specifically roasted vegetables--but sometimes I want vegetables RIGHT NOW but don't want to snack on raw carrots. Insert: charred vegetables!
For this recipe, I used my Bernzomatic TS8000 torch because it's more powerful, covers a wider area and gets the job done faster than a smaller hand torch. I decided to pair the vegetables with whipped goat cheese, because eating vegetables should be anything but boring.
WHY CHAR VEGETABLES?
Charring vegetables is comparable to grilling vegetables in that it's fairly easy to do and it really enhances the flavor. In this recipe (and the crab dip), the TS8000 gives the vegetables a somewhat smoky flavor, which is a lot more exciting than raw vegetables, in my opinion.
Charring the vegetables will soften them, but it won't fully cook them. Expect the texture of these veggies to be somewhere between raw and cooked.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE
Whipped goat cheese is a must-make for this vegetable platter. Though you can pair a lot of things with goat cheese, whipped goat cheese is the perfect condiment for these veggies.
Start by softening the cream cheese. This is a super important step that shouldn't be skipped! You can do this one of two ways: 1) Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature, which will take 1-2 hours, or 2) Remove the foil from the cream cheese, place it on a plate, and microwave it for 15 seconds or so. You want it to be soft but not melted.
Now, this isn't just plain whipped goat cheese, it's garlic whipped goat cheese. In order to get the best garlicky flavor, you have to cook the garlic with a bit of olive oil in a skillet for a few minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Once the cream cheese is softened and the garlic is cooked, place them into your food processor, along with the goat cheese and olive oil. Pulse for 20-30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth. If you have trouble with this, add one additional tablespoon of olive oil.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHARRED VEGETABLES
- Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Skillet
- Skinny Shrimp Alfredo Bake
- Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Italian Chicken Meatballs
- Vodka Rigatoni
Charred Vegetable Platter
Ingredients
for the vegetable platter:
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 1 bunch carrots tops trimmed
- ½ head cauliflower* broken into florets
- 2-4 tablespoon olive oil
for the whipped goat cheese:
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- ½ cup goat cheese
- 2 tablespoon olive oil** divided
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Unless you own a very large cast iron skillet, you'll have to char each vegetable separately. So, place the broccolini in your cast iron and drizzle it with 1-2 tablespoon olive oil.
- Use your Bernzomatic TS8000 torch to char the broccolini for 30-60 seconds, or until it's charred to your liking. Remove it from the skillet, place it onto a plate or platter, then repeat this same process for the carrots and the cauliflower.
- Make the whipped goat cheese: Cook the garlic in a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil until the garlic is fragrant; pour it into your food processor. Then, add the cream cheese, goat cheese and 1 tablespoon olive oil and pulse until the mixture is smooth. If you're having trouble getting it to blend, add one additional tablespoon of olive oil.
- Serve the veggies with the whipped goat cheese and enjoy!
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