Crispy lettuce, fresh vegetables and a homemade creamy Italian dressing will make this copycat Olive garden salad recipe your new favorite salad to make at home.
Jump to RecipeTable of Contents
- Olive Garden Salad Ingredients
- Substitutions And Additions
- How To Make Olive Garden Salad
- How To Serve
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- JUMP TO RECIPE
- Even More Recipes You’ll Love
This copycat Olive Garden salad recipe tastes just like the incredible restaurant version that you love. The delicious salad is full of crisp fresh veggies, topped with crunchy croutons, and drenched in a tangy dressing for a combination that is full of addictive flavor.
Olive Garden Salad Ingredients
You’ll need:
For The Salad:
- 6 cups of chopped iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup of whole pitted black olives, drained
- 1 cup of thinly sliced red onions
- 4 medium firm Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup of seasoned croutons
- 6 whole pepperoncini peppers
- ¼ cup of fresh parmesan cheese
For The Dressing:
- ⅔ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup of white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons of fresh minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Substitutions And Additions
DRESSING: If you can’t find the official Olive Garden dressing at the grocery store, you can substitute it for the homemade dressing.
You can also substitute a 0.7-ounce packet of Italian dressing mix for the homemade dressing.
LETTUCE: Any variety of lettuce, or bagged salad, can be used for this Olive Garden house salad recipe.
A bagged salad mix will save you time to whip up this easy recipe in a flash.
MIX-INS: You can add chopped bacon, cubed ham, or even shredded cooked or grilled chicken.
CROUTONS: You can use store-bought or homemade croutons in this recipe.
TOMATOES: Halved grape or cherry tomatoes would also work just as well as the Roma tomatoes in this Olive Garden Italian salad recipe.
How To Make Olive Garden Salad
STEP ONE: Using a large bowl, layer 3 cups of the chopped lettuce, ½ cup of the black olives, ½ cup of the sliced red onion, ½ of the sliced tomatoes, and ½ cup of the croutons.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
Make sure your red onions are sliced nice and thin. A mandoline would work well to slice them.
STEP TWO: Layer the remaining lettuce, black olives, red onion slices, tomato slices, and croutons.
STEP THREE: Lay the pepperoncini peppers on top of the salad.
STEP FOUR: Evenly sprinkle the grated parmesan on top of the salad. Set the salad aside.
STEP FIVE: Using either a small mixing bowl and a whisk, or a quart-sized mason jar with a lid, combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, water, mayonnaise, sugar, fresh minced garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
If using the bowl and whisk, whisk until the dressing is well combined. If using the mason jar, tightly screw on the lid and shake until the ingredients are completely incorporated,
PRO TIP:
Small mason jars are just the right size to make salad dressing and to store any dressing leftovers in the fridge.
STEP SIX: Immediately pour the dressing over the top of the salad. Serve immediately.
PRO TIP:
This salad is best served right away, otherwise, the croutons will start to soften in the dressing.
How To Serve
Serve this Italian salad as a side dish alongside our creamy Olive Garden chicken pasta.
Add a tasty bowl of minestrone soup and garlic bread, and you will feel like you are sitting at the beloved restaurant chain.
A wonderful salad is always a great addition to a delicious meal. Our cucumber salad and broccoli salad are both favorites to add a bit of greenery to your table.
MORE SALAD RECIPES
Side Dishes
Dill Pickle Salad with Pasta
Side Dishes
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers from this amazing salad in an airtight container, or a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, for up to two days.
If you anticipate having leftovers, we would recommend adding croutons to individual servings as they will get soggy if left in the dressing for any amount of time.
IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend trying to freeze any components of this salad recipe.
This copycat recipe is a great way to bring your favorite restaurant home. Our homemade version of the Olive Garden salad recipe features all the fresh ingredients from the original and is topped with a tangy copycat dressing that you will love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I save the leftovers of this salad?
Our Olive Garden copycat salad will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Leave off the croutons as they will get soggy when stored.
Can I store leftover dressing?
The leftover dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to five days. Seal it tightly in a mason jar or airtight container.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
You can make this Olive Garden green salad up to a couple days in advance. Just wait to add the dressing and croutons until you are ready to serve it.
What cheese does Olive Garden use?
The Olive Garden uses a tangy parmesan romano cheese in their garden salad recipe.
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Olive Garden Salad Recipe
5 from 6 votes
Crispy lettuce, fresh vegetables and a homemade creamy Italian dressing will make this copycat Olive garden salad recipe your new favorite salad to make at home.
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 20 minutes minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup whole pitted black olives, drained
- 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 medium firm Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup seasoned croutons
- 6 whole pepperoncini peppers
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, fresh grated
Dressing
- ⅔ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic, fresh minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Using a large serving bowl, layer 3 cups of the chopped lettuce, ½ cup of the black olives, ½ cup of the sliced red onion, ½ of the sliced tomatoes, and ½ cup of the croutons.
Layer the remaining lettuce, black olives, sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, and croutons.
Lay the pepperoncini peppers on top of the salad.
Evenly sprinkle the grated parmesan on top of the salad. Set the salad aside.
Using either a small mixing bowl and a whisk, or a quart-sized mason jar with a lid, combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, water, mayonnaise, sugar, fresh minced garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. If using the bowl and whisk, whisk until the dressing is well combined. If using the mason jar, tightly screw on the lid and shake until the ingredients are completely incorporated,
Immediately pour the dressing over the top of the salad. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure your red onions are sliced nice and thin. A mandoline would work well to slice them.
- Small mason jars are just the right size to make salad dressing and to store any dressing leftovers in the fridge.
- This salad is best served right away, otherwise, the croutons will start to soften in the dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 651IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg
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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!
Stephanie KeepingPublisher
Layne KangasMarketing
Rhadonda SedgwickCreative Director
Lexus MonroeEditorial Assistant
Teresia ShrumRecipe Developer
