Large Salads That Are Easy

Simple ingredients create easy, flavorful salads.

Making a large, simple salad to serve at a lunch or dinner requires minimal ingredients and time to produce over 10 servings. The key to making a simple salad appetizing is using fresh ingredients and flavorful dressing. There are several different large, simple salad recipes to choose from, each with their own flavor to complement any dish.

Caesar Salad

A large Caesar salad requires one head of washed and chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup of croutons and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese for the base. Toss these ingredients together with a pair of large spoons to mix thoroughly. Directly before serving, pour 1/2 cup of Caesar dressing over the top of the salad. As you pour the dressing, stir the salad with a spoon so all of the lettuce and croutons receive a light coating. To change the salad up, make it a chicken Caesar by adding 1 cup of chopped chicken breast.

Green Salad

A large green salad requires 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce, 2 cups of chopped iceberg lettuce, 2 cups of chopped spinach and 2 cups of chopped baby arugula. Mix the greens together in a salad bowl and add 1/2 cup of a light oil-based Italian dressing. If you want to make your own dressing, whisk 3/8 cup of olive oil, 1/8 cup of vinegar and 1 tsp. of lemon juice in a bowl before mixing with the salad. Make the salad easier by purchasing two 1-lb. bags of pre-mixed greens from your local grocer.

Pasta Salad

A large pasta salad requires 4 cups of cooked noodles, 1/2 cup of black olives, 1/2 cup of sliced cucumbers and 1 cup of shredded carrots. Add color and variety to the dish by choosing a bag of mixed pasta instead of a single kind. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a large spoon to combine the salad thoroughly. Top with 1 cup of your favorite bottled dressing and stir to coat all of the ingredients in a thin layer before serving.

Waldorf Salad

A simple Waldorf salad requires five chopped and peeled apples, four diced celery stalks, 2 cups of raisins and 2 cups of chopped walnuts. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl with a large spoon before tossing with salad dressing. Make the salad dressing from 2 cups mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of vinegar, whisked together in a bowl. Serve the salad in individual bowls or plates lined with a leaf of romaine lettuce for presentation.

References

• "Super Salads"; Editors of Reader's Digest; 2009
• "Cooking Light Cook's Essential Recipe Collection: Salad"; Editors of Cooking Light Magazine; 2007
• "Very Salad Dressing"; Teresa H. Burns; 2004