Salad for a Large Group

Most people can assemble a salad.  But when it comes to a large group, the question is more HOW MUCH than how to make it.  Allow me to help. People like salad more than you might realize.  The amount they eat will depend on whether it is one of your main dishes (think soup and salad) or one of many options on a buffet.

As a Side Dish

Average Salad Serving Size if it’s a Side Dish = 1.5 ounces as a side dish or a component of a buffet.

This means if everyone took some a 2 pound bag of lettuce will serve about 20 people as a side dish or component of a buffet.  That assumes everyone will take some.  In reality, it will easily serve 25 as a side dish because not every one will take this much or any at all.

This is 1.5 ounces of lettuce.

As a Main Dish

Average Salad Serving Size as one of two Main Courses (Soup & Salad) = about 2.5 ounces – IF you have veggie add-ins.

This means a 2 pound bag of lettuce will easily serve 15 people as one of the main dishes.

This is 2.5 ounces of lettuce.

Croutons

You can plan on about 1 ounce of croutons per person – IF everyone takes some.  Typically they won’t.  I’ve found that a large 32 ounce bag of croutons will easily serve 75 – 100 people.  In case you’re wondering, 1 ounce is about this many croutons.

Dressing

Ranch dressing right out of the container is difficult to pour.  More comes out than is often intended.  Your best option is to thin it out a bit with some milk.  It can then be more easily spooned up from a bowl or better dispensed from a plastic squeeze bottle.

A typical serving of dressing is 2 tablespoons which equals 1 ounce.

These two 40 ounce bottles (80 ounces total) thinned with milk will serve about 80 – 100 people.

1 (2 pound) bag lettuce

2 (10.5 ounces) cartons cherry tomatoes (approximate amount)

1 bell pepper – orange, cut in 1/2 inch strips

1 bell pepper – yellow, cut in 1/2 inch strips

1 red onion – sliced thin (soak slices in sugar water if too hot), optional

20 ounces salad dressing

Enjoy!

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