Olive Garden Salad (Printable)
Crispy greens with tomatoes, olives, and creamy Parmesan dressing in 15 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad
01 - 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
02 - 1 cup iceberg lettuce, chopped
03 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
05 - 1/2 cup black olives, pitted
06 - 6–8 whole pepperoncini peppers
07 - 1/2 cup croutons
08 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
→ Dressing
09 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
10 - 1/3 cup white vinegar
11 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
15 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
17 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Thoroughly wash and dry the romaine and iceberg lettuce. Chop both varieties and combine them in a large salad bowl to create a crisp, textured base.
02 - Arrange the thinly sliced red onions, halved grape tomatoes, pitted black olives, and whole pepperoncini peppers evenly over the mixed greens.
03 - Scatter croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese across the top of the salad for added texture and savory flavor.
04 - In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, white vinegar, olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, dry mustard, and sugar until smooth and fully emulsified. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
05 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently with salad tongs to coat the greens evenly, or serve the dressing on the side for individual portioning.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing alone is worth making this recipe because it strikes a perfect balance between creamy and tangy that store bought Italian dressings never quite achieve.
- It comes together in fifteen minutes flat with zero cooking, making it the easiest way to elevate any weeknight dinner into something that feels special.
02 -
- Do not dress the salad more than ten minutes before serving because the croutons will dissolve into mush and the lettuce will lose the crispness that makes this dish satisfying.
- The dressing tastes significantly better after resting in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes, so consider making it first and letting the flavors marry while you prep the vegetables.
03 -
- If you want the dressing to taste even closer to the restaurant version, add a teaspoon of the brine from the pepperoncini jar directly into the dressing mixture for an extra layer of vinegary depth.
- A salad spinner is the single most worthwhile investment for this recipe because wet lettuce is the number one reason homemade salads disappoint compared to restaurant ones.