Best Salad For A Crowd (2024)

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by Donya Mullins 11 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

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Whether you’re hosting a party, potluck, or family gathering this delicious, colorful Salad For A Crowd is loaded with flavor and texture and has something for everyone. It comes together in just 15 minutes and makes the best fresh, healthy side dish!

Make my Fruit Salad for A Crowd or Spaghetti Salad next time you are entertaining! They’re the #1 requested salad recipes from my family and friends.

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Have you ever found yourself in the whirlwind of hosting a big get-together and wondering what on earth to make that’s both easy and healthy? I have more times than I can count. So, years ago, I came up with a solution: a fantastic “Salad For A Crowd.”

I’ve served this green salad recipe with one of my homemade salad dressings at family holiday parties, school potlucks, and neighborhood cookouts. Sometimes, people make this salad their main dish and some as a side dish. Either way, this big-batch salad is beautiful, simple to make, and always a crowd-pleaser!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Salad Recipe

  • Easy to prepare: Just grab a large bowl or tray and add all the fresh ingredients.
  • Versatile: You can mix and match different vegetables, fruits, nuts, and dressings to create a salad that’s unique to your taste.
  • Crowd-pleaser: You can customize the ingredients to cater to different dietary needs or preferences, such as vegan or gluten-free.
  • Budget-friendly: Salads are a great low-cost way to feed a crowd.

Ingredients For Salad That Feeds A Crowd

Best Salad For A Crowd (3)
  • Greens – I use a combination of romaine lettuce and spring mix.
  • Grape Tomatoes – No prep needed since you can toss the entire container of cherry tomatoes into the salad.
  • Cucumber – Refreshing and crunchy.
  • Button Mushrooms – For texture, along with an earthy flavor.
  • Yellow Pepper – Sweetness and crunch.
  • Red Onion – Adds a fresh bite and a wonderful color to the salad.
  • Cheese—I like to use a combination of freshly grated cheddar and mozzarella. Goat cheese or parmesan cheese are also delicious options.
  • Mix-ins: If you have other veggies or fresh herbs, add them to this salad. It’s also delicious with a little crunch, like slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, or homemade croutons. Dried fruit, like dried cranberries, can add sweetness.

How To Make The Best Salad For A Crowd

  1. Mix the lettuce and spring mix together in a large bowl, serving try, or metal buffet container.
  2. In rows, layer on the tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and cheese.
  3. Gently lay a damp paper towel over the salad, then cover it with plastic wrap. Place in fridge until ready to serve.
  4. When you’re ready to serve, remove the wrapping, and add your favorite dressing on the side for guests to use as much as they like.

Salad Dressing Ideas

I am all about turning a simple salad into something special with a restaurant-quality homemade dressing. They are better than anything you can find in a store, and it is easy to make with simple, flavorful pantry ingredients.

  • Creamy Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Greek Dressing
  • Blueberry Vinaigrette
  • Easy Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Classic Thousand Island Dressing

Donya’s Success Tips

  1. Choose fresh and ripe ingredients: A great salad relies on the quality of its vegetables, so make sure to choose the freshest ingredients to make the best-tossed salad.
  2. Cut the vegetables evenly: Cut everything into even-sized pieces for a more attractive presentation.
  3. Chill the salad: For the best taste and texture, refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving.
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Commonly Asked Questions

What other vegetables are good for this salad?

Just about anything! Cucumbers, onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes are all basics for a great salad. Add olives, and feta, for a Mediterranean-style salad, or sweet potatoes and Vidalia onion for a Southern twist.

Can I make the salad ahead of time and refrigerate it?

Yes, you can make this salad ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container or with tightly wrapped plastic wrap until you’re ready to serve.

How much salad should I make for a crowd?

Aim for about 1 cup of salad per person. However, you may need to adjust the ingredients quantities depending on how many people you are feeding.

What kind of dressing is best with this salad?

Creamy vinaigrette is my favorite and it’s super easy to make. But you can also let everyone add a splash of olive oil, red wine vinegar or lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

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Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this big salad bowl recipe with Grilled Pork Tenderloin, or Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs. It’s terrific on a buffet with Brown Sugar Mustard Baked Ham and Scalloped Potatoes at the holidays.

More Salad Recipes You’ll Love

If you tried thisBest Salad For A Crowd Recipeor any other recipe, please leave a 🌟star ratingand let me know how it went in thecommentsbelow. Thanks!

Best Salad For A Crowd (11)

4.88 from 8 votes

Best Salad For A Crowd

Author: Donya Mullins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 14

Calories: 122kcal

Print Pin Rate

When it comes to feeding a crowd, salad is an excellent choice for its versatility and ease of preparation. Whether you're hosting a party, potluck, or gathering, serving up a delicious salad has something for everyone.

Ingredients

  • 3 heads of romaine lettuce – washed and chopped
  • 1 large bag of spring mix salad
  • 1 container grape tomatoes – washed
  • 1 large cucumber – washed and sliced
  • 1 small container button mushroom – cleaned and sliced
  • 1 yellow pepper – seeded and cut into strips
  • ½ red onion – cut into strips
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • In a large pan, place lettuces and mix together.

  • Layer in rows the tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, peppers, onions and cheeses.

  • Gently lay a damp paper towel over salad then over with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

Additional toppings –

  • sliced boiled eggs, bacon, grilled chicken, blue cheese, banana peppers, feta cheese, carrots, celery. Theme salads – Greek, Cobb, Mexican or your own special combination of ingredients.

Homemade Salad Dressings –

  • Creamy Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Greek Dressing
  • Blueberry Vinaigrette
  • Easy Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Classic Thousand Island Dressing

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 836IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    Rate & Comment

  1. Best Salad For A Crowd (14)Renee

    Best Salad For A Crowd (15)
    Bright and colorful, my guest we’re impressed! Thank you!

    Reply

  2. Best Salad For A Crowd (16)Jess

    Hello,
    With the salad for a crowd, do you toss it when ready to serve?

    Reply

    • Best Salad For A Crowd (17)Donya Mullins

      You can toss or let people make their own salad.
      ~Donya

      Reply

  3. Best Salad For A Crowd (18)Gloria

    Hello, do you serve this salad as shown or toss it before serving?

    Reply

    • Best Salad For A Crowd (19)Donya Mullins

      After.

      Reply

  4. Best Salad For A Crowd (20)Stacey Wilkin

    Hi! This recipe is really going to help me this weekend. Thank you! My question is — how much of your homemade salad dressing should I make for this salad/size group (18-20)?

    Reply

    • Best Salad For A Crowd (21)Donya Mullins

      Hey Stacey. I would double the recipe. Let me know how everything turns out!
      ~Donya

      Reply

  5. Best Salad For A Crowd (22)Ebony

    Best Salad For A Crowd (23)
    Simple & Delicious

    Reply

  6. Best Salad For A Crowd (24)Priscila Jensen

    Hi! Thanks for sharing 🙂 How many does this recipe feed?

    Reply

    • Best Salad For A Crowd (25)Donya

      Hey Priscila. Thanks for stopping by. This recipe serves about 18 – 20. As the post shows, I had the drum line over so I needed lots of fruit. I do fill in with grapes and other fruit that is on sale. Hope this helps.
      XO,
      ~Donya

      Reply

  7. Best Salad For A Crowd (26)Walking on Sunshine

    Thank you for joining Delicious Dishes Recipe Party this week. Hope to see you again!

    Reply

Best Salad For A Crowd (2024)

FAQs

How much salad for 50 people? ›

According to Pen & Fork, 50 small side salads require approximately 50 cups of lettuce, while 50 entrée salads require 100 to 150 cups of lettuce.

How much salad is needed for 100 people? ›

When preparing a tossed salad for a large group of people, the rule is 3 ounces per person, according to the Seattle Times, so 300 ounces of salad would be needed to serve 100 people.

How much lettuce for 40 people? ›

If you are serving only salad as one of the main dishes (Soup & Salad or Salad bar), plan on approximately 2.5 ounces lettuce per person.

How many heads of lettuce to feed 70 people? ›

You can also work out how much lettuce for one person .

18 lettuces for 70 people. 1870 will be enough for 1 person. 1870×175 will be needed for 175 people. 45 lettuces will be needed.

How do you calculate food for 50 people? ›

Rules to Plan By

Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet. Guests will always eat — and drink — more at night than during the day.

What is a good portion size for salad? ›

For salad and other raw greens, aim for portions that equal about two baseballs. With cooked vegetables like broccoli, each portion should be the size of about one baseball. Tennis balls are the visual aid of choice for fruit.

How many people will 20 pounds of potato salad feed? ›

There are other foods like hotdogs and hamburgers. For 50 people, I would make 20 pounds of potatoes with four onions diced, and a quart of mayonnaise. I also include a dozen diced boiled eggs.

How many servings are in a box of suddenly salad? ›

How many servings are found in Suddenly Pasta Salads? Every Suddenly Salad box contains 4 to 4.5 servings per package.

How many heads of romaine lettuce to feed 100 people? ›

Some greens weigh more than others, however, so you'll need to tailor this figure to the specific recipe. For example, to prepare Caesar salad for a crowd of 100, start with about 20 pounds of romaine lettuce, which translates into 15 heads.

How many cups of lettuce are in a salad? ›

4 loosely packed cups of leaves.

From iceberg to arugula, kale, escarole, baby spinach, or a variety, four loose cups will fill the bottom of a nice salad bowl.

How to serve salad dressing at a dinner party? ›

It's not inappropriate, but if you want your table to look more formal, don't put the commercially prepared dressing bottle on the table. Instead, pour it into a small pitcher and offer it to your guests because they might not know what's in the little jug unless you tell them.

What are the 5 basic salad types? ›

The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert.

What is the average serving size of a salad? ›

For kids, the recommended serving size for salad greens is one cup. For adults, the recommended serving size is two cups. The amount of fruits and vegetables that each person needs depends on age, gender, and physical activity level.

How much salad does a head of lettuce make? ›

Shredding or chopping an average head of romaine lettuce yields between 5 and 6 cups. The center heart typically yields 2 cups. Both weigh in at approximately 2.5 ounces per cup.

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