Make Your Own Salad Bar Recipes

SALAD BAR IDEAS

Steps:

• Make the hard boiled eggs, according to the Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs or Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs methods.
• Wash and chop the vegetables; place them in serving bowls.
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas or beans, if using.
• Make the salad dressing. Serve!

MAKE-YOUR-OWN-SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, Parmesan, mustard, pepper, anchovies and garlic to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Chop the parsley, dill and basil finely, add to the blender and pulse to combine. Pour into a mason jar until ready to use.
• For the salad: Arrange the spinach, green leaf lettuce, iceberg, croutons, Cheddar, tomatoes, bacon bits, eggs, carrots, cucumber and red onion however you like in a bowl, pour over dressing to taste and serve.

MAKE-YOUR-OWN-TACO-SALAD BAR

Steps:

• Dump lettuce in a large serving bowl (or the lid of Tupperware Serving Center).
• Dump chips in another serving bowl (or the lid of the Serving Center if you didn't put the lettuce in it).
• Mix sour cream and green onion slices; place in center compartment of serving center.
• Place each of remaining ingredients (except chips) into one compartment of the serving center--being artistic in your arrangement so the colors look "nice."
• BRIGHT IDEA #1: Heat up a can of refried beans, slather some on a burrito skin, and use to wrap around a hard-taco shell, then fill shell with fav ingredients--it won't crack!
• BRIGHT IDEA #2: Mix everything up in a bowl, drizzle with Western Salad Dressing, and call it Western Taco Salad.

MAKE-YOUR-OWN SALAD BAR

Steps:

• Toss greens with tomatoes in large bowl.
• Top with eggs, cheese and turkey.
• Drizzle with dressing.

ULTIMATE SALAD BAR

Steps:

• Use this more as a guide for creating the ultimate salad bar at home. You don't have to follow this completely as written.
• First the base. I like to have three different lettuces to choose from. In three separate large bowls, place the chopped romaine, spring lettuce mix and baby spinach and set aside.
• Next up is the protein. Use help from the store for this. Go to the deli counter and get roasted chicken and just slice or shred at home. Cooked ham that you dice up can be a quick fix as well! If you want to cook the tofu yourself, drain extra-firm tofu very well and pat dry. Then cube up and sauté in a pan with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook the bacon strips in the oven on a baking sheet for a quick and easy no-mess way of cooking. Lastly, hard boil some eggs for a quick protein rich alternative to meat!
• No salad bar is complete without veggie toppings, and you'll want lots of them. In small bowls, lay out the different sliced and chopped vegetables. This can be whatever you like, have on hand or find at the grocery store in season. I used avocado, carrots, peas, cucumber, corn, tomatoes, and red onion. Canned beans like chickpeas or black beans add a nice hearty bite to salads as well.
• Now let's talk cheese. Sure we're trying to be healthy but a small amount of cheese never hurt anyone. Set out some of your favorite cheeses. I like crumbled feta for a nice salty bite, or grated parmesan. Simple shredded cheddar or cubed mozzarella would be great as well.
• Finish things off with some crunchy and/or chewy toppings. Nuts or seeds are always a good idea. Sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts or dried fruit are all good options. Take advantage of what the store has to offer. You can't forget the croutons either. I don't think I can have a salad without croutons.
• For dressings: You can buy some or you can make one or both of these super easy dressings. For the Dijon Vinaigrette, place all of the ingredients into a mason jar and secure tightly with the lid. Then shake until fully combined. It's that simple! For the creamy Dijon dressing, whisk together the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Transfer to serving dishes and place near the end of your salad bar.
• Then just have your guests go through and create their own salads!