Tossed Green Salad Recipes for a Crowd – Pro Tips!
Finding great Tossed Green Salad Recipes for a Crowd can be a bit of a challenge! It’s tough to find just the right combination of lettuces that impress along with loads of other ingredients that will hold up to a gang of hungry guests! (Make sure to watch the full video of it below!)
But guess what?? You’ve found one of the best tossed green salad recipes for a crowd – courtesy of The Spicy Apron (that’s me…! 😉 ) I’ve been entertaining for years and this one is always a success.
Plus, I learned all of my secret tips and tricks straight from my mom and she’s the QUEEN of salads! Yay, Mom!
Whether you’re having a large dinner party or you were tasked with bringing a green salad to a potluck, there are some tricks to putting together a tossed green salad for a crowd that’s crisp, colorful, and satisfying.
Don’t worry, though… I’ve got your back! Follow my prep instructions and your salad will come together in just a few minutes as the hungry crowd is anxiously awaiting that “dig in” announcement.
(I’d love to have you click here and subscribe to my YouTube Channel if you’re looking for the easiest ways to get the best results in your kitchen!)
Prep Tips to Make Green Salad Recipes for a Crowd
- Wash and chop the lettuce then toss it in a large plastic bag with a very damp paper towel and put it into the refrigerator as soon as you bring it home from the store. This will make it nice and crisp.
- Cut all other ingredients into bite-sized pieces so people don’t have to shove massive pieces of salad into their mouths as they’re trying to converse with other guests.
- After you cut the other ingredients, store them in a zip-top baggie with some water and chill them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to toss the salad for your event.
- Keep the tomatoes at room temperature – they taste better that way!
- Do not put the dressing on the salad ahead of time or it will get soggy. (Here’s a great collection of homemade salad dressings!)
- Cut the red onions into large slivers so people can pick them out if they want.
- Make sure you have a very large bowl for tossing!
This tossed green salad for a crowd does take a fair amount of prep, but it’s well worth it. Not only will you be able to throw it together in a matter of minutes as the dinner party is getting started, you’ll end up with a salad that’s bursting with color and flavor and is sure to impress all of your guests!
What Should I Put In a Tossed Green Salad for a Crowd
Feel free to throw in any ingredients you like, but here’s my standard go-to list. It’s full of cool, crisp, colorful flavor!
- Romain AND Iceberg lettuce – crunchy with lots of texture and a variety of color
- Baby carrots – lots of crunch and last throughout the night
- Diced bell peppers – use your color of choice
- Sliced red onion – adds a pop of flavor and great color
- Sliced red radishes – beautiful red color with a nice peppery finish
- Grape/Cherry tomatoes – bursting with rich red color and deliciously sweet
- Crispy cucumbers – keep em cold so they’re nice and crunchy
- Black olives – great saltiness with a fantastic contrast of color
- Top with a cheese of your choice – I like shaved parmesan
- Other salad ingredients to consider – a can of corn or black beans, chopped zucchini, and celery.
- Also check out these other green salad recipes!
So that’s it, guys! You can prep the ingredients ahead of time and toss it all together with the dressing in a large bowl just before your meal is served. Your guests will love it! (Here’s my original green salad recipe along with a funny story about my mom and dad!)
Equipment Used For This Salad
- Large Salad Bowl (this is the biggest one I could find online)
- Whisk for dressing
Tossed Green Salad Recipes for a Crowd
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 heads Romaine Lettuce, washed, chilled, and chopped
- 1 head Iceberg Lettuce, washed, chilled, and chopped
- 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 English cucumbers, can use regular
- 1 bunch Radishes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 2 cups Baby Carrots, sliced crosswise
- 2 4 ounce cans sliced olives, drained
- 1 cup shaved fresh Parmesan cheese
For the Dressing
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients for the salad (except the dressing ingredients) into individual zip top bags with a little water and put in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Make sure to place a damp paper towel in the bag with the lettuce to prevent the lettuce from getting soggy.
- Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients - Olive Oil, White Wine Vinegar, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, and Dijon Mustard.
- Put lettuce into a large bowl and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt. Top lettuce with remaining salad ingredients, then drizzle with dressing and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan and enjoy!