Salad Station Menu
Serving a variety of food at a wedding reception gives you and your guests plenty of options to choose from, which helps make everyone feel included. A salad station is a great addition to your wedding menu because it offers a great source of fresh vegetables to help break up the heavier meals and gives those who are on the more health-conscious side a food source they can for sure count on eating if anything at all.
Whenever you offer a salad station, you’ll want to make sure the spread is visually pleasing with a myriad of colors, leafy green options, toppings, and salad dressings. Today, I’m sharing a salad station menu that you should consider for your wedding reception (or any special occasion that you're having to appeal to a larger guest list).
Salad Station Menu
Greens and Vegetables
Every good salad needs a good base. Depending on the kind of salad you would like to make, will determine the types of leafy greens and vegetables you choose. For example, if going for a classic Caesar salad, then iceberg or Romaine lettuce would be your go to. However, if you are wanting a solid that is more fruity and with a vinaigrette, then arugula in your base would be a safe bet.
Having a variety of leafy green options to choose from will help your guests build the salad of their dreams and present them with a number of different ways they can go to make a salad that’s perfect for them and their taste preferences. A salad should be more than just Romaine lettuce and tomatoes, especially when you’re thinking bigger than just garden salad toppings.
Here is a list of vegetables to get your ideas flowing:
Iceburg
Arugula
Spinach
Romaine
Mixed greens
Kale
Carrot (shredded)
Tomato
Anchovies
Cucumber
Onion (purple)
Banana peppers
Snap peas
Protein
The next thing you want to think about when it comes to knowing what to include on your salad bars is to offer a variety of protein options. Protein can come in many forms including tofu, beans, nuts, and seeds for the vegetarians in the mix. For everyone else, having the ability to choose from chicken, bacon, and beef, etc will make all the difference to building a salad to help them feel the feeling of fullness while also eating something that’s good for their bodies.
Here is a list of protein ideas you can include:
Boiled Egg
Deli meat - ham
Bacon
Chicken
Beef
Tofu
Beans
Chickpeas
Sunflower seed (unshelled)
Almonds
Coconut (shredded)
Fruit
Sometimes people make salads to help break up some of the heavier, food options they’ve been eating throughout the day or night. When that’s the case, a lighter salad with maybe just fruit and vegetables will be very much appreciated.
Here are a few go to fruit options that work perfect on salad bars:
Dried Cranberries
Dried apricot
Strawberries
Blueberries
Peaches
Cheese
Can’t forget about the cheese! Cheese is one of those flavors that helps to set a salad off. Here is a few of my favorite:
Cheddar
Brie
Feta
Crumbled blue cheese
Parmesean
Bread
And America, we love a crunch. Crunchy toppings add a textural element to salads that help tie the entire dish together and break up some of the wet, mushy, and chewier bites on the plate. I like the following breaded toppings on a salad station:
Croutons
Corn chips
Pita chips
Dressings
Last, but not least, the dressing. Having the right dressing options is essential. The dressing can make or break what someone is trying to create with their salad.
Here are a few popular dressing options that you would want to include on your salad station:
Ranch
Italian
Thousand Island
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Sesame Ginger
Olive Oil
Caesar Dressing
How To Set Up A Salad Bar At A Wedding
Help make your wedding salads look and taste amazing by learning how to set up perfect salad bars in as easy as 1-2-3.
Step 1. Choose ingredients
Now that you have some idea of a variety of greens, vegetables, protein, cheese, fruit, toppings, etc., to choose from, decide what all you would like to include on your salad bar.
Step 2. Gather your supplies
When you are doing a salad bar, it’s a good idea to make sure you have the proper serving such as serving bowls, utensils, and salad bar serving trays with sneeze guards. You may also consider placing hands sanitizing nearby for your guests.
Step 3. Labels
Help your guest distinguish between what they’re looking at by displaying labels to point out, for example, the type of cheese, the types of protein, and dressings, etc. that are on display.
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