How to Make the Best Salad Bar: 80+ Mix-and-Match Ideas

Linda explores food facts, folklore, and fabulous recipes, one ingredient at a time.

Lettuce Entertain You

French cuisine is known for fine wines, perfect pastries, and the culinary genius of Auguste Escoffier. Italian foods are distinctly regionalized with the highest-quality locally sourced ingredients.

And then, there's American gastronomy—a true melting pot, a blending of cultures and contributions from around the world. American cuisine can be bland or spicy, casual or formal, simplicity or fusion. But often, it is excessive and the quintessential example of that excess is the restaurant salad bar.

Of course, events of the past year have all but completely eliminated this American tradition of gluttony from our landscape. But, that doesn't mean that you can't create a salad bar in your own home.

Why Should I Build a Salad Bar?

There are so many benefits of making a salad bar meal, such as:

• All of the components can be prepared ahead of time.
• It's a great way to entertain a large gathering.
• With an emphasis on fresh produce, it can be an inexpensive meal.
• There is something for every dietary need and preference—vegan, vegetarian, meat-lover, dairy-free, gluten-free, Keto, etc.

Do you need some inspiration?

Start With a Foundation of Greens

When I was growing up there was one lettuce, and only one in our house—iceberg lettuce, the nutritional equivalent of a glass of water. There are so many other, better, healthier, tastier choices. Try to have at least two of these for your salad:

Then Add Some More

There are some lettuces and "greens" that are amazing in a salad but pack so much flavor that they're simply too assertive to stand on their own. However, they provide essential nutrients and vitamins, texture, and pops of color. If you can, please consider one or two of these as well:

Next, Add Some Protein

You can easily find meat and/or vegetarian options in your pantry or the local delicatessen. Everything can be prepared ahead of time.

Cheese Please

Set out some of your favorite cheeses. I like crumbled feta for a nice salty bite or grated Parmesan.

More Veggies

Vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals; they offer a variety of colors, flavors, and textures; they have plenty of fiber to fill you up (and keep you going); they are low-calorie, low-fat, and gluten- and dairy-free; vegetables are low in sodium and cholesterol. Add these nutritional powerhouses to your salad to boost your daily number of servings (we all need to do that).

Sweet or Punchy Pops of Flavor

Crunchy Things

Finish off your masterpiece with some crunch; give your salad some interest with some crispy/chewy texture on top. (My husband says it isn't a salad if there are no croutons).

Dressings

My dearly beloved insists on creamy French dressing for his salad, and it doesn't matter what type of salad he is eating. (The emoji eye-roll is starting to get weary.) Some people swear by creamy ranch, blue cheese, or mayonnaise-based dressings. Have one of these available, but may I also suggest a light vinaigrette?

What are you really tasting when you place a heavy, assertive dressing on this salad you have so carefully orchestrated? To my provincial way of thinking (and you are free to disagree), it's like dousing French fries with ketchup, covering everything on your breakfast with maple syrup, or insisting on salt-and-peppering your plate before taking a bite.

Do you want to taste the seasonings, or do you want to taste the food?

Rather than "cover-up" the subtle flavors of your perfect salad greens, I'm suggesting that you add a gentle dressing that will enhance and elevate, not blanket and deflate, your perfect salad.

And this is why God created the vinaigrette.

Ingredients for the Perfect Dressing

You don't need a recipe for the perfect vinaigrette. Just remember 3:1. Three parts of oil to 1 part of acid. It's that simple folks. But, there's still room for a bit of fun and inventiveness here.

The Oil

Anything labeled "salad oil" could work. This is the place for a neutral-tasting oil. (Save the sesame, walnut, or avocado oils for another time and place).

The Acid

Here's where we can be creative. I wouldn't recommend white vinegar. If there is nothing else, apple cider could work in a pinch. But consider one of these, and the subtle flavors their origins provide:

• balsamic
• sherry
• rice wine
• raspberry

Part of the acid could be replaced with citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime). Note that not all kinds of vinegar have the same intensity. Some have more "sour power" than others. Experiment to find exactly what proportion of oil plus acid works for you.

Seasonings

Salt and pepper are a natural choice. Want to liven it up a bit? I won't mind if you introduce some finely minced garlic or chives. A drop of honey might be the perfect high note to counterbalance a bold vinegar.

Mixing That Vinaigrette

You've no doubt heard the expression "oil and water don't mix" and when you are creating a vinaigrette, that is exactly what you are doing—mixing oil and water. But it can be done, with a process called emulsion.

A blender can certainly do the job. A food processor could handle the task as well. But I think the simplest method is to simply place your room-temperature oil, acid(s), and seasonings in a jar with a good sealing lid. And then shake-shake-shake. Let it sit for a while (an hour or more is ideal), but don't refrigerate.

© 2021 Linda Lum

Comments

Linda Lum (author) from Washington State, USA on May 18, 2021:

Doris, years (and years) ago, I used to go to a cafe near my office where, every Wednesday you could get a spinach salad (yes, the real salad with the bacon fat and wilted greens), and a glass of white wine for $5.00 Oh, what a great memory.

For the sake of my waistline and arteries, I no longer do the bacon-fat spinach salad (although it still sounds sooo good). But I love having salad almost every evening with our dinner Thanks for stopping by.

Doris James MizBejabbers from Beautiful South on May 18, 2021:

Yum, yum, Linda, how I love salad bars! We had two lettuces when I was growing up, iceberg from the store and those little green leaves that made delicious wilted lettuce. I just wish I could equal my mother's great wilted lettuce with vinegar and hot bacon fat. (Nobody worried about cholesterol back then.) Larry said his family didn't put vinegar on their wilted lettuce, and to me, it sounded just like a bowl of greasy greens. My favorite lettuce today is Romaine. I like to mix it with iceberg and add the garden trimmings. I also get on a kick with dressing until I burn myself out for awhile. It was vidalia onion dressing. Right now I'm loving the balsamic, either homemade or store bought, it doesn't matter. Bring it on!

Linda Lum (author) from Washington State, USA on May 18, 2021:

Thank you Flourish. I'm fortunate to live just a few miles away from an amazing produce stand. (I wonder if HP will allow me to give a shout out to Tacoma Boys Produce?) Https://Tacoma boys.com

FlourishAnyway from USA on May 18, 2021:

I am all for building your own salad and you have some excellent choices. I wish I had this right now!

Thelma Alberts from Germany on May 18, 2021:

You are very welcome. Thumbs up is one of the best features on HP that I miss. I eat salad even in cold days. Have a nice week.

Linda Lum (author) from Washington State, USA on May 17, 2021:

Thank you, Thelma. Happy for the "thumbs up" (Hub Pages disabled that means of encouraging years ago). With warmer weather in the forecast, I thought it was time to publish this one.

Thelma Alberts from Germany on May 17, 2021:

OMG! My mouth is watering reading this hub. I love making salad with homemade dressing. Thank you for sharing. Thumbs up!

Linda Lum (author) from Washington State, USA on May 17, 2021:

Shauna, this is yet more proof that you and I are twin sisters separated at birth. I start prepp'ing my salad several hours before dinner. (I also prefer to eat pasta or potato salad shortly after it's made so that it isn't stone cold from the refrigerator.

Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on May 17, 2021:

Linda, I'm with you when it comes to dressing a salad. The lighter, the better. French Dressing?? Oh my, you must cringe each time your hubby has a salad!

I love hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, and olives in my salad (in addition to the usual players). I also add a couple different lettuces and baby spinach. I prefer my salad to be heavy on the greens and light on the accoutrements. I also prefer my salads to be eaten at room temperature. How 'bout you?

Linda Lum (author) from Washington State, USA on May 17, 2021:

Thank you Iqra. Yes, the flavor of lettuce is important--it's the foundation for a great salad. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

Linda Lum (author) from Washington State, USA on May 17, 2021:

Pamela, I'm glad you found some good suggestions for your future salads. Yes, I'm having a great week. Blessings to you.

Iqra from East County on May 17, 2021:

Lettuce enhances the flavor of the salad.

Salad bars can be a great healthy delicious and nutrition-packed salad. Thanks, Linda for sharing this healthy salad.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on May 17, 2021:

I love salads, and they are my lunch almost every day, with a balsamic dressing most of the time. I do not do croutons, but every other thing you mentioned sounded wonderful to me.

I think a salad bar is a very good way to entertain.

Thanks for a number of excellent suggestions, Linda. I trust you are having a good week!

Linda Lum (author) from Washington State, USA on May 17, 2021:

Good morning, Misbah. I'm always to happy to hear from you. I enjoy salads. With these ingredients, one could probably have a different salad every day of the year.

Thank you for your kind words. Blessings to you.

Misbah Sheikh from The World of Poets on May 17, 2021:

Linda, this is a beautiful and well-structured hub. I enjoyed reading details from greens to seasoning. This was amazing. Thanks for sharing

Stay safe and healthy.

Blessings and Love