Looking for at-home salad bar ideas? Have a big family or having friends over? Here are a few set-ups that will make your gathering a lot easier and more fun!

Have you ever thought it was funny how blog posts nowadays seem like they are written by a computer? Well, it’s because they probably are! This is really me though, Cortney, the author of this blog since 2011. 😀 But lately bloggers are using AI to write their blogs because it can create perfectly formulaic posts that grab the search engine’s attention.

Anyways, enough of that. I just though it was interesting (and scary?) to share. Since this is the first brand new blog post I’ve written in a while, it’s just what is on my mind while I am writing. Algorithms and AI is also why you may see the key word “salad bar ideas” all over this post. The more I say it, the more Google picks up on this post and bumps it up in the search results! Did you learn something other than salad bar ideas? HAHA, mentioned it again. 😉

I think ya’ll will find this blog post (on salad bar ideas😁)  so helpful. Having a family salad bar night is truly an excellent way to make everyone happy and meet everyone’s different dietary needs and preferences.

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Salad Bar Ideas for the Whole Family

For all of these recipes I use my food processor to chop all of my vegetables which makes the salad bar process so much faster! I cook and prepare three meals a day for a family of 8, so this is essential and majorly cuts down on time!

As always on this blog, I recommend organic, wild-caught or healthy-raised ingredients, but do your best and give God the rest. 😁 Misfits Market is my favorite way to order affordable organic produce shipped to your door with FREE shipping on orders over $100. I’ve used them for over 5 years! You can check them out HERE.

For displaying my salad bar, I lay out all of my ingredients on a stainless steel baking tray covered in parchment paper like these.

The display is part of the fun, so don’t skip a pretty display, but you don’t need all of the clean-up from using different bowls for each ingredient!

Let’s dig into these salad bar ideas for families.

#1 Anti-Cancer Salad Bar

• chopped kale
• broccoli sprouts
• sunflower sprouts
• chopped green or purple cabbage
• sliced peppers
• sliced onion or leeks
• chopped broccoli
• chopped cauliflower
• blueberries
• chopped strawberries
• pumpkin seeds
• chopped walnuts
• sprouted mung beans
• sprouted lentils
• cooked and seasoned black beans
• nutritional yeast
• (For an animal protein) Alaskan sockeye salmon
  

  Dressing: Anti-Cancer Vinaigrette

Add to a jar with lid and shake:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I use Costco’s organic brand)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• dash of Pink Himalayan sea salt
• nutritional yeast
• Optional: 3 drops of liquid stevia

(Inspired by @Chris Beat Cancer’s “Beat Cancer Kitchen” vinaigrette!)

#2 Cobb Salad Bar

• romaine lettuce
• diced tomato
• chopped boiled eggs
• sliced onion
• diced avocado
• feta cheese
• chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• cheddar cheese
• healthy-raised, non-nitrate pork bacon or turkey bacon
• chopped deli turkey
• candied pecan slivers

Dressing: Ranch

For this one, I prefer a plant-based Ranch dressing like Annie’s or Tessemae’s or you can try making your own with a recipe like this one.

#3 Asian-Thai Salad Bar

• • mixed greens or chopped romaine
  • shredded purple cabbage
  • sliced mushrooms
  • roasted cashews
  • water chestnuts
  • sliced red pepper
  • sliced onion
  • chopped green apple
  • snow peas
  • sliced carrots
  • shredded chicken (easy rotisserie or instant pot)
  • chopped peanuts
  • less-processed vegan protein options
    

    Dressing: Thai-Peanut

    Add to a jar with lid and shake:

  • 4 Tbsp natural peanut butter
  • 4 Tbsp tamari
  • 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
  • 2 minced cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup or 5 drops liquid stevia

#4 BBQ Chicken Salad Bar

• chopped romaine or mixed greens
• chopped parsley
• corn kernels
• black beans, drained and washed
• halved cherry tomatoes
• chopped cucumbers
• chopped onions
• sunflower seeds
• candied walnuts
• cheddar jack cheese
• chopped bacon or turkey bacon
• BBQ chicken (I put frozen chicken breasts + 1 cup water in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes, open it up, drain the water and shred it. Then add some organic BBQ sauce. Our favorite sauce is Kinder’s organic!

Dressing: BBQ Sauce or Ranch

Top with BBQ sauce or a Ranch dressing (see Cobb salad dressing above)

#5 Summer Strawberry Salad Bar

• chopped spinach
• chopped strawberries
• chopped peaches
• blueberries
• cranberries
• chopped onion
• chopped green cabbage
• chopped cucumbers
• mandarins (fresh or from a jar, drained)
• feta cheese
• cooked quinoa
• cut-up chicken nuggets (my kids love this)
• sliced chicken
• sliced turkey
• sunflower seeds

Dressing: Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Blend everything except poppy seeds in a blender until smooth. Add poppy seeds in and pulse a few times. Serve!

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup or 15-20 drops liquid stevia
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds

#6 Mexican Salad Bar

• arugula
• chopped onion
• salsa
• avocado, diced
• chopped cilantro
• diced tomato
• crunched tortilla chips
• sliced and sauted peppers and onion
• corn kernels
• black beans, washed and rinsed
• slivered almonds
• shredded mexican cheese
• ground turkey or grass-fed beef
• grilled chicken

Dressing: Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

Add all ingredients into blender and blend. Enjoy!

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 5-10 drops liquid stevia or a teaspoon sugar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup water

What about you? Any ideas I can add to this post? Let me know and I’ll update it and add your ideas and give you a shout out! 😁

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