How to Make a Salad Bar- The EASY Way!
A salad bar is a great option for almost any occasion. It can be scaled to feed a huge crowd, made beautifully for something as elegant as a bridal shower or baby shower, made simply for a family dinner, or anything in between. The beauty of it is, everyone loves it because each person can customize it to exactly what they like! Today, I am going to share with you my resource list I keep to go through for when I am throwing together a salad bar to pick the toppings. There are HUNDREDS of toppings on this list that I go through to as a reference to pick and choose what I want to serve. You don’t need them all, but this serves a great place to look through and narrow down what you want without forgetting anything! Make sure to check out my post on pizza toppings and combos if you need something to go with your salad bar!
What to put on a salad bar:
Here are a few rules of thumb for deciding what you need for your salad bar.
How many people do you need to feed? For a small family dinner I made do 4-5 toppings and 1 type of greens. For a large party, I may do 20+ toppings with a choice of 3 greens.Is there a theme? Do you want a caesar salad bar, or is the salad bar an addition to pizza, BBQ, pasta, or another type of cuisine you can try to compliment? This helps narrow down what you may want to offer on the salad bar.What do you have on hand? Do you have produce already on hand you hope to use, or are certain things readily available and in season?Combine categories– Make sure to choose toppings from each category below to give more options for creating your salad masterpiece. Having a balance of greens, vegetables, proteins, grains, crunch and dressing makes the most versatile options.
Salad Bar Greens
Choose one or more of these as a base for your salad:
RomaineShredded cabbage- red or greenIceberg lettuceArugulaSpinachKaleMixed greens
Salad Bar Topping Ideas
The possible options for topping a salad are virtually limitless, so we will break down the toppings into categories to help organize it in an easy way to narrow down a few options from each to create a well balanced salad bar. Make sure to check out the section below to get salad topping combination ideas and inspiration.
Vegetables
Tomato CucumberOnion – Red, white, yellow, greenCarrotsBell pepperZucchiniSquashMushroomsOlivesAvocadoBroccoli CauliflowerArtichokeAsparagusBeetsJacimaOkra- pickledRadishRoasted sweet potatoesedamameGreen peasBrussels sprouts- shredded or roastedJalapeñosBasil
Fruits
ApplesPearsMandarin orangesMangoPineappleStrawberriesBlueberriesBlackberriesRaspberriesFigsShredded coconutDried cranberriesDried apricots
Proteins
Bacon/ Bacon bitsChicken Breast- shredded, grilled, baked, poached, friedChicken thighsChicken tendersSteakHamBoiled eggsSalmonDeli meat- turkey, ham, etcTofuShrimp
Nuts + Seeds
Nuts and seeds can be added raw, seasoned or toasted to a salad.
WalnutsPecansAlmondsPeanutsSun flower seedsPumpkin seedsPepitas
Grains + Beans
Cooked grains or rinsed and drained canned beans are a great way to bulk up a salad.
QuinoaBarleyCornBlack BeansPinto BeansChick peasBlack eyed peasRed beansNavy beansCooked pasta
Cheeses
Add cheese either shredded, grated, or cut into bite sized cubes.
CheddarParmesanRomanoMonterey JackBlue CheeseGorgonzolaMozzarella- Fresh or shreddedQueso fresco or CojitaFontinaGoat cheeseFeta cheeseBurrata
Crunch
CroutonsTortilla Chips, or crispy stripsPita ChipsToasted ramen noodles
Salad Dressing
RanchBalsamicCaesarItalianBlue CheeseGreekAsianLemon VinaigretteFrenchHoney Mustard Jalapeno RanchPoppy seed Red Wine VinaigretteOlive oil and vinegar
Salad Combinations
If you are putting together a salad bar, it can be very helpful to have some combinations in mind to help ensure you have enough to make a well rounded salad. Here are a few popular salad combinations:
Caesar Salad
Chopped RomaineParmesan cheeseCroutonsCaesar DressingOptional protien: grilled chicken, salmon, hard boiled egg
Southwest Salad
Chopped RomaineShredded Red CabbageTomatoCornRed Bell PepperAvocadoTortilla StripsRanch or Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
Spinach Strawberry Salad
SpinachStrawberriesCandied Pecansred onionPoppy seed dressing
Classic Wedge Salad
Quartered Iceberg lettuceTomatoBlue CheeseCrumbled baconButtermilk or blue cheese dressing
Cobb Salad
Chopped Romaine or icebergTomatoesAvocadoChickenHard boiled eggsgreen onionBlue cheeseRed wine vinaigrette
Caprese Salad
Sliced TomatoFresh MozzarellaTorn basil leavesOlive oil + Balsamic vinegar
Steakhouse Salad
Romaine lettuceTomatoShredded carrotsCucumberCroutonsCheddar CheeseRanch dressing
Greek Salad
Romaine LettuceTomatoCucumberPepperoncini PeppersOlivesGreek dressingCroutons or pita chips
With THOUSANDS of combinations of to make from a good salad bar, there is no way to list them all here, but use this a great starting point to put together your own salad bar. Take inspiration from here, or leave me a comment with fun topping ideas and combos that YOU love!
