How Much Dressing for Salad Per Person? (Depending on the Type)

The dressing is an inevitable part of a salad. A salad without dressing or sauce would taste either bland or expressively salty or sour. Salad dressings do not only give salads extra flavor, but they also balance out the flavors originally contained, so how much salad dressing do you need?

How much dressing to put in a salad?

The short answer is that it depends on your taste, but you won’t always be eating salad by yourself. So, there must be some standard rule of thumb, and yes, there is. If the salad is your main dish, you must use 3 tbsp dressing per person, and if it is a side dish, then 2 tbsp dressing per person. 

However, remember that these dressing quantities are recommended for undressed salads, i.e., salads that don’t contain croutons, cheese, sour cream, crème fraiche, or any other additional ingredient that would further enrich their flavor. If you serve salads such as Caesar Salad, Tuna Salad, goat cheese salad, or similar, you might want to use lesser amounts of dressing because the salad will taste richer as it is. 

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Salad dressing servings based on the type of dressing used

There are three main types of salad dressings: vinaigrette, creamy dressings, and cooked dressings. 

Vinaigrette is a salad dressing containing a combination of oil, herbs, spices, vinegar, lemon juice, or another cutting element. This dressing is predominantly used in a rocket or lettuce salad, mixed vegetables salad, salads containing nuts and dried fruits, and parmigiana. Vinaigrette gives the salad a distinctive sour, salty, and spicy flavor, so it works best in salads that don’t have expressive tastes when undressed. 

Creamy dressings have mayonnaise, sour cream, crème fraiche, cream cheese, or buttermilk as their base, and they combine well with green herb spices such as basil, oregano, or rosemary. They work best with salads that contain cheese, croutons, meat, or pasta.

Cooked dressings are very similar to cream dressings, but they also contain egg as a thickener. Typically this dressing is used for salads containing cooked ingredients, such as potato salad or pasta salad. 

The standard amount of salad dressing per person is 3 tbsp for salads as a main dish and 2 tbsp for side salads. More isn’t always better for salad dressing, as excessive amounts would ruin the salad’s texture, making it runny, moist, and gooey. 

As they are similar in taste and texture, cream and cooked dressings do well with measurement. Both cream and cooked dressing are gentle-tasting with expressive creaminess and elegance, so don’t worry, even if you use a slightly larger amount per person. However, vinaigrette is a different story.

Because vinaigrette is the most intense tasting out of the three main types of salad dressing, be very careful how much you use. The standard rule, i.e., 2 tbsp per person for a side salad and 3 tbsp per person for salad as the main dish should be bent for the vinaigrette. It is best to use 1 ½ tbsp per person when the salad is a side dish and 2 tbsp per person when the salad is the main dish. 

Type of dressing/number of people cheatsheet

And since cooking is about fun and enjoyment, not about doing math in your head, the chart below will be your guide. The first table will tell you how much salad dressing you need when serving the salad as a side dish.

And now a table that indicates how much dressing you need for a salad when it is served as a main dish.

The numbers above indicate the number of tbsps. They are also converted in grams. However, in reality, when you make a salad for more than five people, you probably make it in individual portions, whereby nothing will change in the dressing dosage, and the standard rule will apply; 2 tbsp per person for a creamy/cooked dressing in a side salad and 3 tbsp per person in a main dish salad, and 1 ½ tbsp vinaigrette per person in a side salad and 2 tbsp per person for a main dish salad. 

So, if you are making a batch salad, use the tables above as a guide; if you are making individual portions, use the standard rule. In the case of individual portions, multiply the number of tbsps by 5, as 1 tbsp contains 5 grams of content. 

When should you add dressing to a salad?

Timing is crucial when dressing a salad, as dressing too early can ruin the taste. The longer you keep a dressed salad, the more the ingredients will react and alter its taste and structure. These changes are always negative, leaving you with a soggy, runny, and unappealing salad.

What you need to do is dress the salad right before serving. That way, the dressing will do its magic without making any adverse changes to the salad. However, it is best to serve the salad undressed and have each person dress their salad using their dressing.

If you dress and serve the salad, be very careful to mix it. You need to distribute the dressing evenly and not damage the consistency of the salad. Still, some of your guests may want more or less dressing, which brings us to the point that it is best to serve the salad undressed and let your guests dress it for themselves.

Salad dressing mistakes to avoid

As good as the salad might be, the dressing can significantly decrease its quality if not properly made. The biggest dressing mistake is under-seasoning. Chances are your salad will be fresh and contain a significant amount of moisture if you are making a vegetable salad, or it will be dry if you are making a pasta salad.

Underseasoning the dressing will leave your vegetable or pasta salad bland-tasting. The point of the dressing is to add flavor and character to the salad, so don’t be afraid to season it.

Another mistake is dressing the salad too early, as explained in the previous section. Dress the salad right before serving, or have your guests dress their portions.

Adding too much dressing may be the biggest dressing mistake you can make. Pace yourself when dressing the salad; pour the dressing gradually and mix after each pour. This way, you won’t overdress the salad and won’t risk making it runny and soggy.