Salad dressing is a staple in most households, but it can be hard to choose the right one for a crowd. With so many options on the market, it can be hard to know which one to buy. To make things easier, we’ve put together a handy chart with all of the different types of salad dressing and their corresponding uses. If you’re looking for something specific, like ranch or blue cheese dressing, our chart will help you find it. But if you just want to buy a basic vinaigrette or olive oil and vinegar mix, we have those too. No matter what you choose, make sure to store your salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge so it lasts longer. ..

Whether you are hosting a weekend family dinner or a big reunion with friends a chopped salad is a great side dish – it goes well with burgers for a crowd or a big family gathering roast turkey and stuffing but you might be wondering how much salad dressing per person should you serve. See our per-person salad charts below for the exact amount of ranch dressing, balsamic vinaigrette or your favorite healthy salad dressing to serve for your guests. There is nothing worse than a salad without enough dressing – I just hate that. We have made this salad dressing guide on how much salad dressing to buy for a crowd and also calculated the serving sizes for you for side salads and Main Dish Salads. This proportioning guide and suggested serving sizes give you the correct amount of salad dressing to budget for each guest.

How Much Dressing For Salad

The right amount of salad dressing per person is 2 tbs for a side sized salad and 3 tbs for a main sized salad. For vinaigrette type dressings you can reduce the amount of dressing by 10% – however, my advice is to go with the above figures because1.   nobody wants to run out or light on the dressing – it is a major contributor to the overall taste of your salad.   2.  salad dressing is relatively cheap – so it is not going to cost much to over cater the quantity These amounts are mainly for non-dressed salads – for example, a garden salad, chopped salad, if the salad is dressed like a Ceaser salad with croutons, or your greek salad already has lots sour cream, feta cheese or cherry tomatoes – you may use a little less dressing. You can also see the exact amount of Potato Salad for a crowd here. Serving Salad as the main course you will need 30 tablespoons of Creamy Salad Dressing or 2 Bottles (8oz) for 10 people. Serving Salad as the main course you will need 60 tablespoons of Creamy Salad Dressing or 4 Bottles (8oz) for 20 people. Serving Salad as the main course you will need 150 tablespoons of Creamy Salad Dressing or 9 Bottles (8oz) for 50 people. Serving Salad as the main course you will need 300 tablespoons of Creamy Salad Dressing or 18 Bottles (8oz) for 100 people. As you can see, serving a salad with salad dressings for a crowd does not require a lot of expense. You only need enough, especially if it is only served as a side dish The brand of the salad dressing will also affect your expense, but another option is to make your own. To make your salad more special, add more croutons to the salad mix. It will enhance the flavor with the need to flood the salad greens more dressing. A single bag of croutons goes a long way, I suggest adding one or 2 tablespoons to the salad bowl. Bacon, avocado are also great boosters to add flavor and make your dish go further also, A great way to serve is via a salad bar, this is not too dissimilar to our taco setup. Guests will serve their own salad, just make sure you place it in a large serving bowl with small dressing ladles. Also, make sure not to place all your salad dressings on the table and reserve some for next the batch. You can also place the squeeze bottles to divide your salad dressings according to the recommended serving size. One of the advantages of making your own dressing is over a bought one, if you run out of it, you can simply make your own or follow the recipe we have prepared below.

There are two main types of dressings that are commonly used for dressing greens and traditional salads today: creamy and oil/vinaigrette-based. If you are serving an oil dressing, you will require less dressing than if you intend to serve a creamy dressing with your salad. Oil dressing spreads much faster over any surface it is applied to, which is why it requires less in order to maximize coverage. For a creamier dressing, such as ranch, Thousand Island, and Ceasar, you will require more of the dressing itself for complete coverage.

How Much Salad Dressing Per Person for a Side Salad?

When serving a side salad with an oil or vinaigrette base, you will need approximately 1.5 tablespoons per guest.  When serving a side salad with a creamy base, such as ranch or Caesar, you will need approximately 2 tablespoons of dressing per guest. 

How Much Salad Dressing Per Person for a Main Salad?

Serving a salad as a main dish will typically require more dressing, especially if the salad is much larger than a standard side salad or if the salad contains additional ingredients.  When serving the main salad with an oil or vinaigrette base, you will need approximately 3.75 tablespoons per guest.  When serving the main salad with a creamy base, such as ranch or Caesar, you will need approximately 4.5 tablespoons of dressing per guest. 

How to Calculate Additional Salad Dressing Needs?

If you are serving a salad as a main dish, consider the additional ingredients you intend to use in the salad before calculating and measuring out the salad dressing you require for each of your guests.  When calculating the amount of dressing you will require per guest, it is advisable to always overestimate your needs, rather than underestimate the amount of dressing your guests may use.  While some guests may prefer a simple splash of dressing, others may prefer to lather all of their greens in as much dressing as possible. 

How Much Salad Dressing Per Person for a Salad With Meat or Protein?

If you are adding meat to your salad, such as shredded chicken, bacon, turkey, or ham, you will require additional dressing to help coat and add flavor to the protein in addition to the salad greens you plan to serve.  For every 3 ounces of meat you add to each salad, add an additional 1.5 tablespoons of oil or vinaigrette-based dressing or 2 tablespoons of creamy dressing. If you are serving a small side salad with 3 ounces of meat, you will need 3 tablespoons of oil or vinaigrette-based dressing or 4 tablespoons of creamy dressing per guest. If you are serving the main salad dish with 3 ounces of meat or protein, you will need 5.25 tablespoons of oil/vinaigrette-based dressing or 6.5 tablespoons of creamy dressing per person. 

How Much Salad Dressing Per Person for a Salad With Croutons and Add-Ons?

If you are serving a small side salad with croutons, cheese, nuts, seeds, and other additions, you will need 2 tablespoons of oil or vinaigrette-based dressing or 3 tablespoons of creamy dressing per guest. If you are serving the main salad dish with croutons, cheese, nuts, seeds, and other additions, you will need 4.25 tablespoons of oil/vinaigrette-based dressing or 5.5 tablespoons of creamy dressing per person. 

How to Make Salad Dressings Last Longer?

Making your own salad dressing is a great way to make salad dressing go further and last longer, especially when hosting or catering an event. Creating your own oil/vinaigrette-based dressing or even your own creamy dressing is not only a way to create more dressing, but it can help you to cut down on the cost of premade dressing and additional ingredients.

How to Make Caesar Dressing For A Crowd 

This recipe for a classic creamy Caesar salad dressing and is great for a big group. Serving size: 20 servings Ingredients

4 little garlic cloves, minced2 tsp anchovy paste (found often near the canned tuna tins in the supermarket)4 tpss of freshly squeezed lemon juice, from abot 1lemon2 tsp of Dijon mustard2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce2 cups of mayonnaise, use best quality such as Hellmann’s Real1 cup of rfeshly grated parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese – or of your choice1/2 of teaspoon salt1/2 of teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a large glass mixing bowl, put in and whisk all together the garlic, lemon juice anchovy paste and Dijon. The add the Worcestershire sauce and mix
  2. Add the mayonnaise, grated cheese of your choice, as well as salt and pepper to taste.  
  3. Whisk all the ingredients together and gently until combined. Taste some or a spoonful and adjust the flavor to your liking.
  4. Serve with veggies and fruits. You can refrigerate this for a up to about a week. Make sure it is placed in a sealed container.

What is the best oil to use to make salad dressing?

virgin olive oilcanola Vegetable oilavocado oil

What Are Some Of the Favorite Dressings For Salads And big Groups

Honey Mustard DressingRed Wine DressingBalsamic VinaigretteThousand IslandsItalian Dressing

Other Big Crowd Food Tips