How Much Dressing for Salad Do You Need? [+ Instructions]

how much dressing for salad do you need
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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?

If the salad is your main dish, use 3 tablespoons of dressing per person. If it is a side dish, then use 2 tablespoons of dressing per person. So, for deciding how much dressing for your salad you will need, you should note several things: the type of salad and the consumer’s taste. Moreover, it depends on the number of people and the type of dressing.

I have come across valuable information in my quest for salad dressing perfection, and I will share it with you. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how much dressing you need, how to use salad dressing, when to add it, how to mix it, and what to avoid doing. 

How Much Dressing Do You Put in a Salad?

The short answer would be 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 the salad is a side dish, then 2 tbsp dressing per person. 

However, keep in mind 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, or goat cheese salad or alike, you might want to use lesser amounts of dressing because the salad will taste richer as it is. 

How Much Salad Dressing per Person to Buy? 

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. 

Nobody wants to run out on salad dressing, especially when you have people over for a little get-together, but overwhelming the salad is just as bad, if not worse. So there are some general rules and measurements you should adhere to so that you can offer your guests the best possible salad flavor. 

The standard amount of salad dressing per person is 3 tbsp for salads as a main dish and 2 tbsp for side salads. However, as simple as this may seem, the math can become complex when we have more people coming, as adding more and more dressing can result in an overwhelmed salad. Moreover, 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. 

Usually, as the number of people increases, so does the amount of dressing, which is natural. Still, if 2 tbsp are needed for one person, 4 tbsp for two, and 6 tbsp for three people, increasing the dressing amount proportionally to the number of people would result in a disaster. 

However, the above only applies when making a single batch salad; if you make individual portions, the dressing amount remains as per the standard measurements.

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.

Type of dressing/number of people1251015203050100
Vinaigrette (batch) 1 ½ tbsp. 

22.5 grams
3 tbsp. 

45 grams
4 tbsp.

60 grams
7 tbsp.

105grams 
10 tbsp.

150 grams
15 tbsp. 

225 grams
22-23 tbsp.

330-345 grams
40-42 tbsp.

600-630 grams
90-92 tbsp.

1.350-1380  grams
Vinaigrette (Individual portions)1 ½ tbsp.
22.5 grams
3 tbsp. 

45 grams
6 tbsp.

90 grams
15 tbsp.
225 grams
22 ½ tbsp.
337.5 grams
30 tbsp.
450 grams
45 tbsp.
675 grams
75 tbsp.
1125 grams
150 tbsp.
2.250 grams
Creamy dressing /Cooked dressing (batch)2 tbsp.


30 grams
4 tbsp.


60 grams
8 tbsp.


120 grams 
15 tbsp.


225 grams
20 -22 tbsp.

300-330 grams
25-27 tbsp.

375-405 grams
40-42 tbsp.

600-630 grams
70-75 tbsp.

1.050-1.125 grams
95-100 tbsp.

1.425-1.500 grams
Creamy dressing /Cooked dressing (individual portions)2 tbsp.


30 grams
4 tbsp.


60 grams
10 tbsp.


150 grams
20 tbsp.


300 grams
30 tbsp.


450 grams
40 tbsp.


600 grams
60 tbsp.


900 grams
100 tbsp.


1500 grams
200 tbsp.

3.000 grams

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

Type of dressing/number of people1251015203050100
Vinaigrette(bulk) 2 tbsp.


30 grams
4 tbsp.


60 grams
8 tbsp.


120 grams 
15 tbsp.

225 grams
20 -22 tbsp.
300-330 grams
25-27 tbsp.
375-405 grams
40-42 tbsp.
600-630 grams
70-75 tbsp.
750-1.125 grams
95-100 tbsp.
1.425-1500 grams
Individual portions 2 tbsp.


30 grams
4 tbsp.


60 grams 
10 tbsp.

150 grams
20 tbsp.

300 grams
30 tbsp.

450 grams
40 tbsp.

600 grams
60 tbsp.

900 grams
100 tbsp.

1.500 grams
200 tbsp.

3.000 grams
Creamy dressing /Cooked dressing 
(bulk)
3 tbsp.





45 grams 
6 tbsp.





90 grams
10 tbsp. 




150 grams
20 tbsp.




300 grams
25 tbsp.




375 grams
30-32 tbsp.



450-480 grams
50-52 tbsp.



750-780 grams
90-95 tbsp.


1.350-1.425 grams
250 tbsp.



3.750 grams
Creamy dressing /Cooked dressing 
(individual portions)
3 tbsp.



45 grams
6 tbsp.

90 grams
15 tbsp.

225 grams
30 tbsp.

450 grams
45 tbsp.

675 grams
60 tbsp.


900 grams
90 tbsp.


1.350 grams
150 tbsp.


2.250 grams
300 tbsp.


4.500 grams

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, as you will be left 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 decide to dress the salad and serve it, be very careful to mix it. You need to take care 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.

What 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.

What Are the Best Salad Dressings?

Food and flavor are highly subjective, and therefore to name salad dressings as best wouldn’t be accurate, as what is tasty for some might not work for others.

However, the most popular salad dressings, loved by many, are Cesar dressing, Ranch dressing, and Buttermilk dressing. These three dressings are widely used and are quite good. Cesar dressing falls in the vinaigrette group, and Ranch dressing and Buttermilk dressing are creamy.

These three salad dressings are so popular because they are unrestrictive in their use, meaning that they fit excellently in fresh salads, salads containing meat, or pasta salads. Cesar Dressing goes perfectly in salads containing chicken or tuna, Ranch dressing goes great in fresh salads, and Buttermilk dressing shines best when used in pasta salads.

how much dressing for salad do you need

What Are Some Other Good Salad Toppings?

There are countless options for how to enrich your salad in addition to dressing. Depending on your diet and taste preferences, you can top your salad with ingredients from all food groups.

You can add protein toppings such as cheese, meat, heavy cream, crème fraiche, yogurt or sour cream. You can add healthy fats to your salad by topping it with pumpkin seed, nuts, sunflower seeds, cream cheese, walnuts, or almonds.

Quinoa, rice, tortilla, sweet potato, or croutons are a great carb salad topping, and if you like the taste of herbs, you can add cilantro, basil, and mint for some extra character.