I love to serve salad with dinner. It is the side dish/vegetable that we eat the most. And I love to make homemade salad dressing to go with our salad.
When I eat or serve salad though I like to toss it all together. All the ingredients in one large bowl and tossed with dressing to be sure everything is coated and mixed well.
My family on the other hand likes their salad served all separate so that they can pick and choose what goes into it and they can control the amount of salad dressing. This means that I usually just serve it all separate for them and I simply toss my salad together for myself.
I am curious though how you like your salad. Do you like your salad tossed together with all the ingredients or with the dressing served on the side?
Kim Roberts Marino
This keeps making post from me with out me doing anything. How do i stop it??
Lynn
I am not sure what you mean? Do you mean you are getting updates from my site?
Catherine
I am definitely a dressing-on-the-side girl. I always order it that way in restaurants, too. When we have salad with dinner at home, usually I pull all the veggies out of the fridge & everyone puts their own salad together while the table is being set and dinner is finishing up.
Jennie
I’m also an “on the side” girl. I hate doused soggy salads.
Tiffany @ DontWastetheCrumbs
I like my salad to be tossed. I like how everything is evenly coated with dressing, rather than it falling onto the ONE piece of lettuce, then having to drag that lettuce around to all the other veggies in my bowl, lol.
Harriet Dodson
I like my dressing on the side too.
Lyn
we make ours separately since we all like different things on it (including dressing) – usually I put lettuce and chopped tomato in four bowls and we each add our own dressing as we all like different ones. sometimes my daughter and husband add shredded cheese
Marleena
On the side for me too. I don’t like a lot of dressing and in restaurants the dressing is really thick and hard to control getting just a little bit so I get it on the side and mix in some water from my water glass, stir and drizzle a little on.
sarah k. @ the pajama chef
at restaurants, on the side, because restaurants put too much on. at home i drizzle it on each salad individually–usually. my husband doesn’t like as many veggies as i do so i have to add veggies to my salad bowl individually anyway!
Sue
Dressing on the side. I stick my fork in the dressing and then take a bite of salad. That way, I get the taste of the dressing without adding a zillion calories and fat. A whole salad only takes one or two teaspoons of dressing. Lately, I have put a spoonful of cottage cheese on my salad and that is my dressing.
Keri
Sorry Lynn, gotta side with your family on this one. I like my dressing on the side so I can control how much (or how little) I use. Plus, I feel like it ‘drowns’ my salad if I put the dressing on while mixing the salad ingredients.
Christie
I’m voting for “on the side” as well. I often actually eat my salad without dressing. I prefer having control over how much goes on when I do choose to use it. Fortunately, my family prefers to add their own as well!
AmyK
Definitely on the side for me. My husband is a pre-dresser, but he likes twice as much dressing as I do, so, to me, his salad is inedible!
Mama Owl
Because we all like different things in our salads and different dressings, I put everything out separately. I toss all the different kinds of lettuce together. Sometimes I might toss the red cabbage and/or shredded carrots with the lettuce, but usually, everything is separate. It’s just easier that way. It has nothing to do with “controlling” the amount of dressing… we ALL like LOTS! LOL!
Laura
I’m with you, I like mine all mixed together:) At restaurants though I will order it on the side because they do put too much but @ home I want it all mixed up really well. I try really hard @ only using the two tablespoon serving size and if you just pour that on you get maybe 3-4 bites with dressing and the rest is plain.
Maureen
I don’t think that anyone in my family likes the same ingredients, so yep, we keep things separate. Two don’t like dressing, two don’t like tomatoes. One eats salad ingredients, but won’t eat an actual mixed together salad. It’s a challenge to cook for them, since everyone eats so differently!
Debbie Fitch
Love a tossed salad!!
Lisa
I definitely like it tossed. I do dressing on the side because I usually have leftovers and want to store them – but I like it at parties and get togethers when people have it already tossed with yummy dressing.
Crystal Nichols
I put all the veggies together in a bowl but I don’t put the dressing on. I don’t like salad dressing on my salad (yes, I know that I am strange), my husband loves a ton of dressing and my kids just like a tiny bit. It is just easier to let everyone put it on at the table.
Paula Cameranesi
Dressing on the side at home usually and definately at restaurants. I want to control it!
Brenda @ Meal Planning Magic
Definitely on the side. Whenever we make salad at home we just pull out the dressings we have on hand (I like to make a few different kinds from scratch sometimes too). Everyone has their own preferences and if it means my kids will eat more veggies then they for sure get to choose their dressing. My mom used to always put the dressing on the salad before serving. Worked for her but they like Italian dressing and that’s not my favorite so it took us a few years recently to convince her to let everyone add their own when we get together!
Good Food Good Friends
Depends. If I make the salad I like the dressing tossed in. If I’m out to dinner I like it on the side.
marisa
Oh no tossed over here! We use oil and vinegar and the longer it’s sitting with the salad the better 🙂 Some of our kids like Ranch and I think that sitting in a bowl would be gross so they get theirs on the side lol
Emily
I agree! My latest favorite is to mix white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in the bottom of a big bowl, add the lettuce, toss and let it sit for awhile before dinner! It soaks up the dressing and is perfect! And I think doing it this way, you can control the amount very easily because a little goes a long way. So people aren’t dousing their salads with a bunch of dressing.
dv
Tossed and mixed well by cutting up my salad along with all the seasonings for a wonderfully flavored salad.
Rita Ann Williamson
I love my salad and dressing and all in one bowl but like you because of the family everything has to be separated.
Mona
Definitely on the side!
Kristy
If it’s just me, I usually put my salad in a container I can top with a lid & shake up my dressing & salad. If I have a party, I serve everything separately in little bowls (buffet style) with dressings on the side so people can make it to their preference & I can easily store any leftovers.