Olive Garden Salad (Print Version)
Fresh Italian-American salad with crisp greens, pepperoncini, olives, and creamy dressing.
# Recipe Ingredients:
→ 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
# Directions:
01 - Rinse romaine and iceberg lettuce under cold water. Dry thoroughly using a salad spinner or paper towels. Tear or chop into bite-size pieces and combine in a large salad bowl.
02 - Layer thinly sliced red onion, 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.
04 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, white vinegar, olive oil, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, dry mustard, and sugar until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and 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 Advice:
01 -
- The dressing alone is worth making because it turns even plain greens into something you genuinely look forward to eating.
- It comes together in fifteen minutes with zero cooking, which means you can have a restaurant quality side dish on the table faster than delivery.
02 -
- If you dress the salad too far in advance the croutons will dissolve into nothing and the lettuce will wilt into a sad pile.
- Tasting the dressing before adding salt is critical because the Parmesan and olives already bring significant saltiness to the bowl.
03 -
- A salad spinner is the single best investment you can make for this recipe because bone dry lettuce is the difference between a good salad and a great one.
- Letting the dressing sit in the fridge for thirty minutes before serving allows the dried herbs to rehydrate and the flavors to meld into something noticeably better.