Salad Bar Ideas

Two green salads in white bowls next to salad ingredients in small bowls.

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Build your own salad bar at home and let everyone assemble their perfect salad with their favorite ingredients. This is an easy, practical choice for entertaining and you can use the leftovers for meal prep lunches!

Prep Time30

Total Time30

Course: Main Dish, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

6 cups assorted salad greens see notes below
15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups roasted sweet potatoes
2 roasted beets chopped
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes or grapes tomatoes in assorted colors, halved
1 large avocado chopped
1 cucumber peeled and chopped
⅓ cup diced red onion
⅓ cup sliced almonds
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
8 ounces marinated mozzarella balls drained
¾ cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette
¾ cup Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Optional Add-Ins

Cooked protein
Dried fruit
Hard-boiled eggs
Croutons store-bought or homemade Hot Dog Bun Croutons

Instructions

Chop and rinse your greens in a salad spinner. Transfer them to large serving bowl.
Prep all the fresh vegetables as needed and transfer them to small containers like the glass prep bowls pictured in this post. I have these bowls in a variety of sizes and use the smaller bowls for items like nuts and dried fruit. When serving larger groups, slightly larger glass or ceramic bowls or even disposable bowls can be used.
Roasted veggies can be prepared in advance, cooled and refrigerated or served slightly warm.
Salad dressings should be made and stored in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To serve, just set out the greens and place the smaller bowls of ingredients and the salad dressings around the bowl so that everyone can serve themselves.

Notes

The amounts of the ingredients can be adjusted to serve any size group.

Salad Greens: I usually use a combination of a chopped romaine lettuce combined with a couple of handfuls of mixed baby greens. You can use any type of greens you love or that you need to use up. Kale, baby spinach, arugula, even bagged coleslaw mix can be thrown in the bowl.

Raw Vegetables: A variety of crunchy raw veggies are vital. I almost always go with cucumber, radishes, and diced red onion. Colorful cherry tomatoes and creamy avocado are also favorites. Shredded carrots, celery, thawed frozen peas or corn, and diced bell pepper are great options.

Roasted Vegetables: Cooled roasted veggies are delicious in salads and add a good amount of vitamins and nutrients.

Beans: For an added boost of protein and fiber, I always include rinsed canned beans in my salad bars. Chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans are our favorites.

Nuts: I never do a salad bar without including one or two types of nuts. Sliced almonds are my personal favorite. Chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, or any type of nuts you have in your pantry will work.

Cheese: I like to set out a tangy or funky cheese like feta or blue cheese and a more mild cheese like marinated mozarella balls. Cubed sharp cheddar cheese, pepper Jack, or smoked gouda are great too! Go with what you love or have on hand.

Protein: Although not pictured here, I always include protein in my salad bars. Chopped rotisserie chicken breast is a convenient choice. Leftover grilled chicken or steak also frequently makes an appearance. Cooked and crumbled bacon is a quick way to add a ton of flavor.

Dried Fruit: Dried fruits like cranberries, dates, or golden raisins will add a nice bit of sweetness.

Eggs: More protein, more flavor! Hard-boiled eggs, halved and seasoned with a little salt and pepper are a great addition.

Salad Dressing: To cover all the bases, I include both a vinaigrette and a creamy salad dressing. Check out my collection of homemade salad dressings or use your favorite store-bought variety.

Croutons: Store-bought croutons or my Hot Dog Bun Croutons that you can make with any type of leftover sandwich rolls, hamburger or hot dog buns.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Transfer the greens to a large zippered plastic storage bag, press out as much air as possible, and seal the bag.
Prep all the remaining ingredients and place them in the small serving bowls. I don't recommend slicing avocado (if using) until just before serving.
Transfer the bowls to a large rimmed baking sheet to make it easy to carry to the fridge. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate everything until you're ready to serve.
Then, it's just a matter of transferring the greens to a large salad bowl and chopping the avocado. Set all the bowls of ingredients and dressings out and let everyone build their salads!

*The nutrition information was calculated for one variation of a salad made from the salad bar. The salad consists of everything listed with one type of nuts, cheese, and salad dressing and no cooked meat or dried fruit. This is meant to be an example only and nutrition values will vary depending on ingredients used.

Nutrition