Simple Tips for Serving Salad During a Dinner Party

When it comes to preparing dinner for guests, one of my go to dishes to include on the menu is a salad. From summer salads to winter salads, there are so many options and fixings that will help you add freshness and beauty to your menu spread. By chopping a few vegetables, dumping the leaves into a bowl, and tossing all of the ingredients together with dressing, a salad is the perfect side dish that your dinner guests will enjoy.

Five Salad Serving Tips:

1.) Use Fresh, Good Ingredients

You’ll want to make sure that your ingredients are fresh and good. If the salad greens are limp and dull, the vegetables are not crisp, the dressing is poorly seasoned, and the croutons aren’t up to par, then your end result will be undesirable. From the cheese to the vegetables to the greens to the dressing, the fresher the better.

2.) Make a Game Plan

To simplify serving a salad, you can make the salad ahead of time. Simply place it in a bowl when it’s ready, cover with a lid of plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator. Right before serving, toss the salad with dressing. You’ll want to save the dressing until just before serving to keep your green crisp.

3.) Transfer to a Different Bowl

Toss the ingredients with the dressing in a large mixing bowl. When you’re ready to take the salad to the table, transfer the salad to a nice, clean bowl so that the presentation isn’t sloppy.

4.) Add Homemade Croutons

I totally understand that buying croutons is super easy. However, if you have stale bread, why not turn it into croutons instead of throwing it away? Here’s a simple recipe for Homemade Rustic Croutons. This recipe will only take minutes to prepare and will add so much flavor to your salad.

5.) Think Outside the Box

Add beans, beets, a variety of cheeses, meats, seeds, fruit, orzo … the possibilities are endless when it comes to salad fixings. Make sure that the salad fixings match the theme of the rest of the menu to help introduce the flavors that will be presented throughout the meal.

Click here for five of my favorite salad recipes.

What’s your favorite kind of salad?