What do you bring if you are asked to "Bring a salad"?

[MsFogi]

I must admit I am normally the one who jumps in and offers to "bring pudding" however I have been allocated "bring salad" for a dinner this weekend. So....what would you usually make that would work okay with whatever is being served (suspect it will be a bbq catering for both meat eaters and vegetarians) and I am assuming that I will be relied upon to bring enough salad for everyone (so, 10 adults and 10 kids)? I'm happy to do a couple of things - just nothing too overcomplicated please!!

I would bring a green garden salad—lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, some spiraled carrots, and dressing on the side.

I'd do 3 - a green salad, a salad of grated carrot and finely chopped spring onion (which tastes like cheese and onion crisps so children like it) and something a bit more unusual - I like lentils with tomato, olives feta and rocket - which gives those who aren't keen on barbeque food something substantial to eat.

I'd probably buy a ready-made one in Tesco.

I'd do 2 - a green leafy type and one a bit more substantial, a pasta salad or something Middle Eastern - feta, pomegranate etc.

A Greek salad (my version, not particularly Greek). Cubed peeled cucumber (lots), halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, black olives, loads of vinaigrette to dress it with at the table. For such a big do I would probably add quartered hard boiled eggs and boiled new potatoes.

And feta!! How did I forget...

I use a leaf - rocket, spinach, lettuce, or what every I have in
a grain or similar eg cous cous, freekeh, barley etc
a nut, usually walnuts but I also like macadamia's
salad veg - radish, tomato, beetroot, red onions.
a protein- Often halloumi, sometimes boiled egg sliced.
a fruit - diced mango, diced apple , cubed mango or pomegranate
Sometimes I add chickpeas, or black eye beans, butter beans or kidney beans ( or any canned bean really)
I add lemon juice and salt
I top with hummus and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
I keep dressings separate.

This is brilliant, particularly with lamb or halloumi.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/delias-summer-collection/roasted-vegetable-couscous-salad-with-harissa-style-dressing

Tabbouleh? Pasta or rice salad? Lentil, beetroot, walnut & goats cheese & rocket? With salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar drizzled on at last minute

For a barbeque:
Bowl of lettuce, sliced (remove stalk end then cut like thick sliced bread so it goes into strips of leaves with dark on outside and lighter centre). Maybe some diced peppers in it.

Then halved cherry tomatoes with mozzarella pearls and cut avocado slices in the middle but not mixed in. Squeeze lemon over the middle bit to keep the avocado green and add some basil or balsamic, but leave lettuce parts free of the dressing.

Greek salad

I’d go to M&S and buy one, probably a couscous or similar.

I would bring (and have brought) a couple of big bags of M&S leafy salad and possibly a tub or two of potato salad. Cherry tomatoes, unless the children are young enough to choke on them. Possibly another tub of something (coleslaw?)

I'd probably do two. A simple green one (lettuces, cucumber, Tom's, pepper etc) with a couple of dressings separate for people to choose from.

And then another that is more like a tabbouleh with bulgar wheat/cous cous that is a bit more substantial. Or a fattoush if you think that the hosts will already have substantial sides.

Tbh, if I know the hosts well, and know what they like to eat, I'd do a tabbouleh and fatoush and sod the green salad. The latter would only be if people are fussy, but tbh it rarely gets touched if they are.

Hot dogs.

@ShortKipper
I totally agree , that is a great midweek family meal, vegetarian visitor meal or salad for a BBQ.
I tend to make celeriac remoulade when asked to bring a salad or at this time of the year a plain tomato salad.

I would ask if they want a green salad or not. Because I wouldn’t know from the info you’ve given.

Thanks for all the replies so far!!

It depends. If I knew I was the only person tasked with bringing salad, I would do a simple mixed salad (leaves, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, grated carrot, radishes, chopped peppers) and leave it undressed for the fussy. I'd bring another bowl of something a bit more exciting - maybe a mixed quinoa salad with pomegranate seeds, feta, butternut squash and black olives with a lime and ginger dressing.

If I was one of several, I'd only bring the quinoa one, or maybe a tomato, black olive, mozzarella and fresh basil salad - but I'd try and check what everyone else was bringing and make sure mine was different.

Green salad, homemade coleslaw and a tomato, basil salad.

In what world is hot dogs a salad?

Pasta salad. That'll learn 'em 😝

Barbecue I'd probably do loads of different kinds of crudities perhaps with dip. No one wants to eat a fork salad from a paper plate with a burger in a bun. Obviously if your barbecues are sophisticated ignore that!

Goat cheese, beetroot, candied walnuts and rocket with a balsamic glaze. Easy peasy (candied walnuts = walnuts dry toasted in a pan, stir in sugar and salt at the last minute until all coated).

I’d do a “general” salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, croutons, feta, egg etc, and a homemade coleslaw as well.

This is a great
one