Easy Dinner Party Salad
When youre hosting a party and serving a meal, you want to begin with an interesting salad. Here are some dinner party themes where you can serve our green and orange salad recipe.
- This Irish theme dinner party is a good place to start. And the colors match the theme.
- Add it to a served with New Orleans classic dishes.
- Host a soup and salad party and serve it with our cozy soup dinner party menu.
- Celebrate the holidays with this winter salad and a new years eve dinner party.
Spinach And Butter Lettuce Salad With Pecans And Blue Cheese
I found the original recipe for this salad on epicurious.com, one of my favorite go-to recipe sites. This particular recipe, listed in their best of salads recipe section, looked fairly simple. It had been given a 5 star rating: but could a salad really be that good, and that easy?
Oh, yeah. It could. Ive had this salad two nights in a row for dinner, with a simple rotisserie chicken from Costco. But it would go great with MANY types of meats, really.
Serve this at any meal that needs a salad, and youll find your guests coming back for seconds and thirds, like I did.
The Salad To Bring Is All About The Balance Of Flavors
I think its the balance of flavors and the variety of textures that makes it so good. Creaminess, tanginess and saltiness come from the blue cheese. You get crunchiness from the pecans and the crisp salad greens. Theres a touch of spicy heat to the pepper and the shallot in the dressing. Theres acidity in the vinaigrette, as well as a touch of sweetness form the maple syrup in it. And the craisins are sweet and tart and just a bit chewy, all at the same time.
Id be purely grateful if youd share this post with your friends, or pin this ready-made pin on Pinterest!
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Did You Make Any Of These Salad Recipes
Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of easy salad recipes at home. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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- Total Time:5 minutes
But What If I Dont Have Any Craisins
The first night I made it, I didnt have any craisins, so I substituted strawberries. They were good, and lent their own charm, but I found I preferred the more concentrated intense flavor of the craisins.
Edited to Add: Im adding this paragraph to update that I actually PREFER dried cherries, over the craisins called for in the original recipe. I love their tang, and their intensity.
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How Can I Make My Salad More Interesting
When youre serving up your salad for a party, you might want to make it a bit more exciting! Here are 5 easy ways to spice up your salads..
- Toast your nuts! I love the crunch that nuts give to a salad, but toast them to release even more flavor!
- Add a touch of sweetness. Consider a drizzle of honey or even maple syrup!
- Chop your salad, who doesnt love a finely chopped salad? I LIVE by these salad tongs for easy chopped salads.
- Change up your temperatures, not all salads have to be served cold so consider adding a warm dressing, warm protein or even warm roasted vegetables.
- Dont forget texture! You want to have a variety of textures from crunchy to creamy!
So lets sip on a frozen rosé grapefruit cocktail and get to the party salad recipes, shall we?
Avocado and Tomato Salad.basically the party salad of my dreams! FOODIECRUSH RECIPE HERE.
Mexican Grilled Cobb Saladthis salad is just too perfect. All my favorite things wrapped up into one. Delish! HALF BAKED HARVEST RECIPE HERE.
Caprese Salad one of my all-time favorites. This salad is oh so gorgeous and will certainly wow your friends and family! RECIPE HERE.
Salmon Rainbow SaladI absolutely love the trend of food boards so of course a salad food board is genius! WAVES IN THE KITCHEN: RECIPE HERE.
Black and Blue Steak Salad There is nothing like this restaurant fave, a grilled steak salad with blue cheese! RECIPE HERE.
Easy Side Salad Recipes
These quick and easy side salads will complement just about any meal. And bonus, most of them only require 10 minutes to make cant beat that!
- Easy Cucumber Salad: This light, cooling salad is as easy as slicing up some cucumbers and red onions, and tossing them with fresh dill, and a lightly sweetened vinaigrette.
- Massaged Kale Salad: Wonder how to get your kale super soft in a salad? Just massage it with olive oil! Then pair it with some lemon juice, salt, and fresh parmesan for the perfect winter side salad.
- Israeli Salad: Inspired by my travels to Israel, this vibrant, fresh salad is always my go-to for a summer side. Its a mound of fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and loads of fresh herbs. Just how I like it.
- Lentil Salad with Cucumber: This throw-together salad is a combo of fresh veggies and lentils, with hints of sweet dates. A sweet and savory combo!
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Pear Salad With Pecans
Heres a dreamy salad if there ever was one: this brilliant Pear Salad! Its a study in contrasts: fresh, juicy pear against funky gorgonzola cheese bright pomegranate against savory shallot. Throw in some toasted pecans and cover it in tangy poppy seed dressing, and well: its absolutely irresistible.
Orzo Salad Recipe Ingredients
Heres what youll need to make this orzo pasta salad recipe:
- Orzo, of course! I love the way this tiny pasta shape mixes and mingles with the other ingredients.
- Cherry tomatoes For sweet, juicy pops of flavor.
- Persian cucumbers They add a cool, refreshing crunch.
- Red onion Slice these guys as thinly as you can. I recommend using a mandoline if you have one!
- Kalamata olives Their salty, briny flavor contrasts with the fresh herbs, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
- Feta cheese Skip the pre-crumbled feta for this recipe. Instead, look for feta that comes in a block, preferably in brine. Its flavor and texture are SO much better. Youll never get the crumbled kind again!
- Chickpeas I love garbanzo beans with Mediterranean ingredients like feta and olives, so I couldnt resist tossing them into this orzo salad. They make it more substantial too.
- Greek salad dressing In this orzo salad, I make the dressing extra-bright by whisking in an additional tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a big squeeze of lemon juice.
- Fresh mint and/or basil Pick just one, or use a mix.
- And sea salt and fresh black pepper To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Cook the orzo, and dice up the veggies, feta, and olives while it cools.
Then, whisk up the dressing and toss it all together. Making this orzo salad recipe is as simple as that!
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What To Serve With Green Salad
This salad looks fancy the way its presented, and its easy to make ahead for dinner. Just cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
PARTY TIP: Heres a tip from my old waitressing days. Plate the salad on the dish you want to serve it on and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to dress it and serve. You can do this with individual plates too. Just wrap each one individually with the saran wrap and you can stack them to save room in the fridge.
This salad is a great accompaniment for pasta and casseroles, for chicken, salmon, or beef. Here are some entree recipes to serve it with.
Epic Dinner Salad Board Recipe
A healthy salad board with plenty of lettuce, veggies, and fresh fruitserve this Epic Dinner Salad Board Recipe. Set it out for a luncheon or side salad.
Friends, lets start 2020 off right with a BANG! A new decade, and a healthy start to the new year. I dont know about you, but were going to be eating more salads! Grab THE BIG BOARD links below!
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Celery Salad With Apples
Heres a surprisingly delicious salad idea that deserves a spot on your plate: celery salad! The name doesnt have quite the ring of say, potato salad. But this unique salad is so refreshing, youll become a convert from the first bite. Crunchy celery pairs perfectly with sweet apple, Parmesan shavings and a tangy vinaigrette. Its bright, its crunchy, its hydrating: it works for summer, and its perfect in the winter too.
Beetroot Salad With Goats Cheese Toasts
A beetroot salad can be spectacular
A beetroot salad can be spectacular if you roast your own beetroot, specifically fresh ones, not vacuum-packed or tinned. They take at least an hour to cook so its a good idea to make them early, even two days in advance. Then, this tasty salad can be assembled in a few minutes. Choose any colour beetroot, but the golden ones make an impression.
Serves: 4 to 6
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
4 medium golden beetroots , trimmed and scrubbed
Salt and pepper
1 small garlic clove, grated
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus more as needed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon chopped thyme
½ teaspoon finely sliced chives
½ teaspoon lemon zest
115g fresh goats cheese, at room temperature
8 to 10 thin slices of baguette
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed
Method:
1. Cook beetroot: place the beetroot in a small roasting dish, add water to a depth of about 2½cm and a generous pinch of salt. Cover tightly and bake at 190C for about 1 hour, until beetroot can be pierced with a fork .
2. Let cool slightly, then slip off skins while the beetroot is still warm. Cut beetroot into wedges and place in a small bowl. Beetroot may be cooked up to 2 days in advance.
3. While the beetroots roast, make the vinaigrette: place shallot and garlic in a small bowl or jar. Cover with vinegar and add a pinch of salt. Whisk in olive oil and add pepper.
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Goat Cheese Salad With Arugula & Apple
Heres a salad idea thats on our new favorite back pocket concept: the Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula and Apples! Its simple and comes together quickly, but my does it deliver on flavor! The crunch of the apples, creamy goat cheese, and fluffy arugula are the ideal pair for the tangy sweet dressing
How Hard Is It To Makethe Salad To Bring
The only real chopping I did was chopping the pecans after I roasted them and the shallot for the vinaigrette . The rest was simply throwing in the proper amount of ingredients and tossing it around with the vinaigrette.
The original recipe on the epicurious.com website called for endive. I didnt have any, and I dont tend to buy it, but I did have a couple of heads of butter lettuce, and a great big bucket of spinach, so thats one way I altered and adapted this recipe.
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Quick And Easy Side Dish Salads
Short on time doesn’t mean short on flavor. A fresh, crisp salad is always a welcome side dish to any meal from a casual lunch to the most formal dinner. But with all the time it takes to prep a meal, the last thing you need is a side dish salad that’s complicated and time-consuming to make. Have we got a solution for you! Here are 15 quick and easy side salad recipes that’ll come in handy, whether for a potluck, holiday, or just another weeknight.
“Crisp and sweetly delicious, this salad is a wonderful addition to any summer picnic. May serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to four hours before serving for enhanced flavor,” recipe creator Ginny Maziarka says. A fresh, flavorful blend of delicate flavors that we highly recommend.
Reviewers attest that this salad truly lives up to its name. It fits in just as well at a barbecue as it would at at an upscale restaurant. The classic creaminess and rustic croutons are always reliably delicious.
Some of our home cooks have swapped certain ingredients for others, like strawberries for mandarin oranges and walnuts for almonds. Others make this sweet, tangy salad as it is. Do as you pleasethe poppy seed dressing speaks for itself.
“Very nice salad. We liked it with our Thanksgiving dinner because it was light and tasty,” Julie Burke says. Perfect for adding to a holiday spread when guests are on their way and you’re feeling the all too familiar kitchen fatigue.
Easy White Bean Salad
Heres a salad recipe you can mix up in minutes: White Bean Salad! Its bursting with Mediterranean flavor from simple ingredients: bell pepper brings a crunch, parsley an herbaceous bite, and red wine vinegar brings a zing of acidity. Top with a sprinkle of feta, and its irresistibly tasty with minimal effort.
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Gourmet Salad Recipes To Wow Your Dinner Party Guests
No dinner party is complete without a refreshing, gorgeous salad. Salads are an essential part of every dinner party menu, whether they serve as the introductory first course or as a healthy and refreshing side dish. However, salads are often thrown together last minute without much consideration. While it is possible to create salads quickly, the highest-quality recipes require thought and preparation. Taking the time to prepare a superb salad is well worth the time investment. An elegant, gourmet salad is a beautiful thing. They are filled with bright greens, colorful vegetables, ripe fruits or even flowers, and they create a kind of edible art that will amaze and delight your guests. If you want to truly wow your dinner party guests, try preparing one of these elegant salads that will thrill the taste buds and make a stunning statement as the main entree or a lovely side dish.
About The Pecans I Used In The Salad To Bring:
Lets talk about where to get some extraordinarily delicious pecans. Ive recently begun a partnership with the Millican Pecan Company, the home of the MOTHER Pecan Orchard, in San Saba, TX. They are a 5 generation farm family! Their orchard pioneered the pecan industry in San Saba, back in 1888. I LOVE their pecans, and they dont JUST sell pecans. I heartily endorse their Sweet and Spicy pecans, that go great on a salad, or are delicious as an appetizer. If youd like to order their VERY reasonably priced pecans, or any of their pecan treats from them, please use my coupon code: SUSAW100
Millican Pecans have been featured on Martha Stewart, Food Network, Southern Living, and bon appetit.
To toast the pecans: spread them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350º for about 5 minutes. When you just begin to smell them, youll know theyre done. Unless you have a cold or a stopped up nose or no sense of smell.
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How To Make A Tossed Green Salad For A Crowd: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together ingredients for the simple dressing.
Step 2: Wash your greens . Then add to a large salad bowl.
Step 3: Top the salad with all other ingredients.
Step 4: Right before you are ready to serve, add dressing and toss.
Lentil Salad With Feta
Heres a top-notch lentil salad recipe to add to your arsenal, and man is it tasty. This fresh and healthy lentil salad is Mediterranean-style, mixed with fresh veggies, feta cheese and pistachios. Its a delicious way to add protein to a vegetarian meal as a side dish, or bring to work as a lunch throughout the week. You won’t be able to stop eating it! Or try: French Lentil Salad
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Best Tips For Beet Salad
- Start with a bag of Spring Mix salad greens. Theyre ready to plate and serve!
- Use sliced beets from a can if youre short on time. This is a big time saver and they taste good! Cut them into strips or bite-size pieces to make them easy to eat.
- Buy a small log of goat cheese and cut into crumbles.
- You can use whole or chopped walnuts and slightly toast them. Just cook in the oven at 375 degrees for about 5-7 minutes. This really brings out the flavor and aroma.
- The biggest tip for making this salad easy is to use ready-made dressing. Simple vinaigrettes taste great and there are a variety of flavors to choose from.
PARTY TIP: If you want a party shortcut simply use bottled dressing pour it into a pretty serving cruet for the table.
Green Salad With Oranges
This green salad with oranges, fennel & avocado is ideal for a dinner party and home entertaining. This salad recipe has mixed greens like spinach and arugula, an assortment of citrus, and an easy cherry vinaigrette. Its the perfect appetizer salad to add to any of our dinner party menu ideas.
WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE?
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