Today we get to talk about one of my favorite topics: Mezze. Mezze takes the party platter to a whole new level of delicious. And it’s not hard to put together the perfect Mediterranean mezze platter with dips like hummus or baba ganoush, along with fresh veggies and other Mediterranean favorites. Be sure to see my complete guide below and watch the video for how to build the perfect Mediterranean mezze platter!
Where I come from, a gathering is not complete without mezze!
If you’re not familiar, mezze is basically small plates for sharing; often thought of as appetizers. But, if you’ve been to Greece, Turkey, Lebanon or parts of the eastern Mediterranean, you probably know that mezze can be the entire meal.
To me, mezze is the most disarming, unpretentious, and intimate meal. It is designed for long visits, lots of laughter, and the deepest of conversations with friends and loved ones.
How to Build The Perfect Mediterranean Mezze Platter
Putting together the perfect Mezze platter is not complicated at all. Here is a simple guide for you:
1) Remember mezze is for sharing. Think, intimate and plentiful. Find the largest platter you have to display your mezze. Of course you can serve mezze in separate small dishes, and I do that often. But I also enjoy a beautiful mezze platter display. One mezze platter works particularly well for smaller parties of 10 or fewer guests. And you can always make two or more platters if you are having a larger party.
2) Vegetables are king! True Mediterranean mezze includes plenty of colorful veggies.
If you have time, make a Mediterranean salad like tabouli, which can be a beautiful centerpiece to your platter. This time, I kept things simple by choosing to slice up some fresh tomatoes and Persian cucumbers (which are great with dips and spreads).
Add roasted vegetables! I enjoy roasted eggplant, weather with the addition of tahini and pomegranates like this one, or plain with a pinch of Sumac! Other options like roasted tomatoes or baked zucchini would work too!
3) Creamy spreads take center stage!
In the eastern Mediterranean, you will find that mezze always includes dips and spreads along with warm pita bread. Top of the list is, of course, hummus!
If you have the time, you can make a classic creamy hummus or this roasted red pepper hummus ahead of time. In a pinch, I’ve also quality store-bought hummus like organic hummus from Sabra, for example.
Consider adding tzatziki or labneh (yogurt cheese). Again, if you don’t have the time, you can use quality store-bought tzatziki, and you may find labneh at specialty stores or your local Middle Eastern store.
5) Add olives and briny pickles! I like to add things like quick pickled cucumbers, Greek kalmata olives, marinated artichokes, or pickled mushrooms. Check out your local store’s olive bar for inspirations.
6) Other Mediterranean favorites: cheese (feta and baby mozzarella are my go-to here); meats like Prosciutto or salami; and figs or grapes for a little something sweet to cleanse the palette.
7) Breads. Of course warm pita is always a good choice to go with your mezze platter. But you can add crostini and crackers as well.
I hope you’ll use this as a loose guideline for building your mezze platter. Remember, there really is no right or wrong way to mezze. The one rule: Share!
Watch The Video to see how I put together my Mediterranean Mezze Platter:
Other Recipes to Try
Ultimate Mediterranean Brunch Board
Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Cilantro Sauce
Batata Harra: Middle Eastern Spicy Potato Salad
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Mezze: How to Build the perfect Mediterranean Party Platter
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 12 people 1x
Description
An easy and healthy Mediterranean mezze platter is a sure and healthy way to please a crowd!
Ingredients
- 2 baby eggplants, sliced lengthwise (1/2″ or so in width)
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Traditional Creamy Hummus or 10-oz tub quality store-bought alternative
- Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus or 10-oz tub quality store-bought alternative
- 1/2 bell pepper, any color, cored
- Homemade Greek Tzatziki or quality store-bought tzatziki
- 6 Campari tomatoes, quartered
- 6 Persian (baby) cucumbers, sliced into spears
- Pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 15-oz can good quality marinated artichoke hearts
- 6 oz Greek feta cheese, cubed (not crumbled)
- 6 oz baby mozzarella cheese balls
- 3 oz prosciutto di parma
- 6 California fresh figs, halved (substituent: seedless grapes)
- 1 tsp sumac
- Pita bread or your choice of rustic European bread for serving
Instructions
- Place the eggplant slices on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let the eggplants “sweat out” any bitterness for 20 minutes or so. Pat dry.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the eggplant slices on a lightly oiled baking pan, drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, assemble the remaining ingredients on a large serving platters. Begin with the two hummus spreads on opposite sides. Place Tzatziki sauce in the cored bell pepper right at the center of the platter. Assemble the remaining ingredients on the platter to your liking. When the eggplant is roasted to a nice medium-brown, remove it from the oven and sprinkle with 1 tsp of sumac. Add the roasted eggplant to the platter.
- You can cover and refrigerate this mezze party platter; take it out a few minutes before your guests arrive. Enjoy with warm pita and crostini or your choice of crackers!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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I love the mediterranean diet I was born in italy and i must say its very healthy
AnnMarie, thank you for sharing! Welcome to The Mediterranean Dish
This looks amazing and I’m making it tomorrow. Can’t figure out what kind of eggplant you used to get that shape from the slices. Are they the Japanese eggplants and you sliced them vertically and then across?
I love all the recipes and having spent several years in the Middle East all of the ingredients are familiar and delicious. I would love for you to post an ingredient list for each dish. I guarantee it will not put me off but I am counting low carbs.
Hi Rita, thank you! Glad to have you here! We have started using a new program that allows us to share nutrition information. Is that what you’re looking for? You’ll find our more recent recipes include this information.
Hi. This one is a great recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing! I just want to know the kind of meat on the plate. How did you prepare it?
Hi Rose. So sorry I’m just getting to your comment. I used prosciutto, but you can use any Italian cured meat.
Shared on FB, as well!
Really interesting, and so lovely and colourful! It’s still amazing to me how these platter ideas make for such easy entertaining. We learned this concept in exploring French cooking, but find it all over that area. It suits our style of casual entertaining very well. We do like to put on fancier meals, but especially in summer, this seems so fitting!
I’m happy for you, that you were sponsored by Sabra, as we like their products. I wish they could use olive oil instead of canola, though. Anyway, I digress. I appreciate your simple, humble writing style. It’s not trying to be super snappy or overly bubbly, which can be so distracting and unnecessary, but just conversational and clear. And the photos turned out really well!
Thanks for a lovely post that, yet again, shares from the culture and ethos of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Nancy, thank you so much for the thoughtful comment. I really appreciate your kindness and constructive feedback. Thank you for taking the time to write. Please let me know when you try other recipes!
Dear Suzy, new to your site but so happy I found you. My Husband has multiple health issues what they call intermingling automune disease so trying to get him on a healthy diet proved very difficult. I have found the Mediterranean diet to be the best and gratefully I found you and your delicious recipes. Have you published a cookbook, if not please keep your delicious recipes coming. I have even cooked your dishes for company and everybody has been so generous with the compliments. Can’t wait to serve the mezzanine platter. Have a happy 4th and again, thank you.
Dear Leigh, thank you so much for the kind comment! I am grateful to have you here, and honored that you’ve found the site helpful! I do not have a cookbook published as of yet, but that is not out of the question someday…hopefully in the near future. I’ll be posting recipes regularly here, so please stay in touch as you try them!
Fantastic idea and recipe! This was so easy to assemble and was devoured by guests. Served with grilled shrimp and an orzo salad. Lovely, thank you!
Awesome, Deena! Thanks so much for giving it a try!
Love Mediterranean dishes part of my families background.
Appreciate your ideas and recipes. Thank you so much.?
Wonderful, Leslie! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. Enjoy!
You bet, that is a good dinner.
Glad we agree!
We’re having a heatwave here in So Cal, so this is a perfect dinner..all I need is a glass of wine!
Ya, it’s pretty hot here in Atlanta as well!
You are so right about that. I love Mezze.
Some days, it is all I crave!
Some of my favorite things but why buy hummus? it’s so easy to make and it stores well. Good make ahead treat.
Maureen, thanks for stopping in! Great feedback. Most of the time, when I make hummus, I like to use dried chickpeas, soak them over night, and then I cook them of course before I make the hummus. But when I don’t have time to do that, I use quality ready made hummus like Sabra because they actually make their hummus from dried chickpeas (not pasteurized or from cans) and real Mediterranean tahini. We all take short cuts once in a while, as long as we don’t sacrifice the quality 😉
Love this!!
Looks delicious to me! I don’t need anything else, I love everything about this!
Hummus and FIGS! Yes! Your platter is lovely, and I could make dinner out of that, any day. Love the Sabra brand…it is so high quality and tasty!
Thank you, Dorothy! Glad you like this platter.