A relish tray is the Upper Midwest's classic party platter: a long tray of crisp vegetables, olives and pickles, set out before a supper club dinner or a family Thanksgiving. Despite the name, it rarely has any relish on it. It is lighter than a charcuterie board, easier to make, and the perfect place for a bowl of pickled crimini, sharp and savory, next to the pickles and olives.
Here is what goes on a relish tray, how to set one up so everything stays crisp, a few relish tray ideas, and how much to make.
What goes on a relish tray
Crisp vegetables, on ice
Celery sticks, carrot sticks, radishes and scallions are the classics. Some supper clubs serve them on crushed ice or in ice water, which keeps them cold and crunchy all evening. Cucumber spears, sweet pepper strips and cherry tomatoes work too.
Pickles
Dill pickle spears, bread-and-butter chips, pickled beets and sweet gherkins. Older family trays include pickled watermelon rind.
Olives
Black and green, often stuffed with pimento. Cherry peppers or pepperoncini add a little heat.
Pickled mushrooms
Marinated or pickled mushrooms show up on plenty of family relish trays, and they earn their place: they are savory where the other pickles are only sour. Our pickled crimini are whole small caps that sit where an olive would, in a mild white wine vinegar brine with thyme. Add a bowl of white shimeji for something lighter and crisper.
Cheese spread and crackers
A dish of sharp cheddar or herbed cheese spread, with crackers on the side. Some families add deviled eggs.
A relish tray is mostly things from jars, so it is only as good as the jars you open. One jar each of pickled crimini and white shimeji covers a tray for eight to ten, and a Build Your Variety Pack lets you mix them in a single order.
How to set up a relish tray
- Chill everything. Vegetables, pickles and jars all go in the fridge the night before. A relish tray should be cold.
- Prep the vegetables. Cut celery and carrots into sticks, trim the radishes and scallions, and keep them in a bowl of ice water in the fridge until serving.
- Pick the tray. A long, divided relish dish is traditional, but any long platter with small bowls works.
- Drain the jars. Five minutes in a sieve for the pickles, beets and mushrooms, so the brine doesn't pool on the tray.
- Arrange by color. Alternate green, orange, red and dark: celery, carrots, radishes, olives, beets, mushrooms.
- Add the cheese and crackers last, at one end, so the crackers stay crisp.
Relish tray ideas
The classic supper club tray
Celery, carrots, radishes and scallions on ice, with olives, dill pickles and a cheddar spread with crackers. The version Wisconsin supper clubs set out before dinner.
The Thanksgiving relish tray
The classic, plus pickled beets, sweet gherkins, pickled mushrooms and a few deviled eggs, set out a couple of hours before the turkey. Pair it with a Thanksgiving charcuterie board if you are feeding a crowd.
The all-pickle tray
For pickle lovers: dill spears, bread-and-butter chips, pickled beets, pickled green beans, pickled okra, olives and two kinds of pickled mushrooms. A jar-opening party.
The modern tray
Seasonal raw vegetables, a whipped ranch or herb dip, smoked fish spread, good pickles and pretzel crackers. Same idea, updated.
The Christmas relish tray
Red and green: cherry tomatoes, radishes, green olives, celery, pickled beets and white shimeji, with rosemary sprigs tucked around the edge.
How much to make
For eight to ten people before dinner:
- 1 bunch of celery and 1 lb of carrots, cut into sticks
- 1 bunch of radishes and 1 bunch of scallions
- 1 jar each of dill pickles, pickled beets and olives
- 1 jar each of pickled crimini and white shimeji
- 1 tub of cheese spread and a box of crackers
Leftovers keep: put the vegetables back in ice water and the pickles back in their jars, in the fridge.
Relish tray vs veggie tray
A veggie tray is raw vegetables with a dip. A relish tray adds the pickled and briny things, olives, pickles, beets and pickled mushrooms, and usually a cheese spread. The pickles are what make it a relish tray.
Relish tray questions
What do you put on a relish tray?
Crisp raw vegetables like celery, carrots and radishes, pickles, pickled beets, olives, pickled or marinated mushrooms, and a cheese spread with crackers.
Why is there no relish on a relish tray?
The name has stuck from older usage, but the modern tray is about crisp and pickled things to nibble before dinner, not the condiment.
Do you peel cucumbers for a relish tray?
Not usually. Thin-skinned English or mini cucumbers can go on as they are. Peel thick-skinned or waxed ones.
How far ahead can you make a relish tray?
Cut the vegetables the day before and keep them in ice water in the fridge. Assemble the tray an hour before guests arrive, and drain the pickles and mushrooms at the last minute.
The short version
Crisp vegetables on ice, two or three kinds of pickles, olives, a bowl of pickled mushrooms and a cheese spread with crackers. Keep it cold and drain the jars well. For more on pickles for a party, read the best pickles for a charcuterie board, and when you are ready, build your pack with crimini and white shimeji.