A jewel-toned vegetable spread for Passover, or any occasion

(Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico for The Washington Post)

Crunchy crudite and dip isn’t the only way to get vegetables into the mix of starters at a get-together. This festive vegetable recipe offers the opposite sensory experience — a soft, savory-sweet, spreadable counterpoint.

The spread is made with carrots, mushrooms, red bell pepper and shallots, which are all roasted in a light coating of olive oil and a touch of salt until they’re tender, deeper in flavor and caramelized.

Once cooled, the roasted vegetables are pulsed in a food processor with a brightening splash of vinegar and a little thyme, until the mixture is fairly smooth but still has some flecks of texture.

You wind up with a beautiful, jewel-toned spread that works year-round, whenever you want to offer guests something special to top crackers or bread to start a meal, or to smear on sandwiches and toasts throughout the week. And it’s also especially well suited to be served next to the chopped liver at a Passover Seder, or as a spread for matzoh throughout the holiday.