Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe
User Reviews
5
Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe
Description
The Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe features a vibrant mix of fresh salad greens, sliced Roma tomatoes, red onions, black olives, and pepperoncinis, finished with crumbly croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese. The accompanying dressing blends olive oil, avocado oil, white vinegar, mayonnaise, and a pre-packaged dry Zesty Italian seasoning mix with sugar and lemon juice to create a creamy yet tangy dressing. After whisking the dressing ingredients thoroughly and chilling it for at least 30 minutes, it is drizzled generously over the salad ingredients and tossed to evenly coat. The mixture of oils balances richness and light acidity, while the dry Italian seasoning adds herbaceous notes typical of the original dressing. The salad offers a mix of textures from crisp greens, soft tomatoes, briny olives, and crunchy croutons, delivering a familiar and satisfying American-style salad experience at home.
The salad is typically served as a starter or side dish accompanying a variety of main courses and is best tossed just before serving to maintain crispness. Croutons can be added according to preference for crunch.
The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to two weeks, and it should be shaken before each use to recombine separated oils and vinegar. Using the full amount of dressing on one salad will increase the calorie count, so dividing the dressing between multiple salads is an effective way to reduce per-serving calories.
Ingredients
Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 packget Zesty Italian Dressing Mix use the dry mix, do not prepare according to package directions
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Copycat Olive Garden Salad
- 9 ounce romaine lettuce bag
- 9 ounce salad mix bag
- 2 Roma tomato cut into slices
- 1/2 red onion cut into circular slices
- 8 ounces black olives drained and patted dry
- 8 ounces pepperoncinis drained and patted dry
- 2 cups croutons
- 1 cup parmesan freshly grated
Instructions
Olive Garden Dressing
- In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients for Italian dressing; olive oil, avocado oil, vinegar, mayo, italian dressing packet, sugar, lemon juice and salt and pepper and whisk together vigorously until all the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the dressing into a jar or container with a lid and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the salad. I recommend transferring the dressing to a container with a lid so that you can shake the ingredients together before serving as the ingredients can naturally separate over time.
Olive Garden Salad
- Slice the tomatoes into thin round slices, cut the red onion into circular slices and drain and pat dry the olives and peppers.
- Pour the romaine salad mix into a large serving bowl and add the tomatoes, red onion, black olives, pepperoncinis, croutons and parmesan to the bowl.
- Drizzle on ½ a cup of the Olive Garden Italian dressing then toss all the ingredients together, coating evenly. Add more or less to your liking.
Notes
- The Italian dressing can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
- Shake the dressing before each use to recombine separated ingredients.
- Using all the dressing on one salad will increase calories; spread it over multiple salads to reduce calorie intake per serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 546kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 51g | 78% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 33g | 165% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 13mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 984mg | 41% |
| Potassium | 310mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 4286IU | 86% |
| Vitamin C | 37mg | 41% |
| Calcium | 250mg | 25% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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