This Olive Garden Salad Recipe couldn't be any easier. It tastes just like the original, and can be used as a side dish or appetizer for pretty much any meal.
Crisp iceberg lettuce mix, sliced fresh tomatoes, red onion rings, whole black olives, a couple of whole pepperoncini peppers, shredded Parmesan cheese, and homemade Olive Garden salad dressing.
For the ultimate Olive Garden experience, serve with my homemade Gluten-Free Breadsticks. (Or regular breadsticks if not dining gluten-free, of course.)
Jump to Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. You can read my full disclosure here. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting Wonders of Cooking so that I can continue to provide you with free gluten-free recipes.
Looking for more Salads?
- Southwest Salad with Chicken and Taco Ranch Dressing
- Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
- Cobb Salad with Easy Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Chick-Fil-A Market Salad Copycat with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Quinoa Salad Italian-Style with Salami & Mozzarella
- Big Mac Salad with Homemade Special Sauce
- Turkey Club Salad with the Most Amazing Homemade Creamy Dressing
- BBQ Chicken Salad | Easy Meal Prep Lunch | Gluten Free
- Chef Salad with Creamy French Dressing - Gluten Free Croutons
What Makes this Olive Garden Salad Recipe so Good?
- Hardly any prep. Practically all you have to do is mix up the salad dressing!
- Tastes just like the original
- Naturally gluten-free
I didn't add croutons to my salad since I was serving it with my Homemade Gluten-Free Breadsticks. If you want to use croutons instead, here is my recipe for Gluten Free Croutons. You can also use store-bought croutons to eliminate prep work.
Also, you can now purchase Olive Garden Dressing from the store, which would eliminate another step. However, I make the dressing homemade because I can control the quality of the ingredients. The store bought Olive Garden Dressing contains ingredients like soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose. Not things I personally like to consume.
Ingredients:
For the Olive Garden Salad:
- Iceberg lettuce mix. I like the kind with the carrot and shredded purple cabbage included.
- Roma tomatoes.
- Small whole black olives
- Pickled pepperoncini peppers. Try saying that five times fast.
- Red onion, thinly sliced into rings
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Croutons, optional if pairing with breadsticks
- Coarse ground black pepper for serving
For the Homemade Olive Garden Dressing:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar
- Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- Italian seasonings
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Minced garlic
- Mayonnaise
- Granulated sugar, or honey
- Salt and pepper
Olive Garden Salad Recipe:
For the Olive Garden Salad Dressing:
- Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Combine on medium-low speed until smooth.
- Refrigerate until ready to use. Store in a glass jar for up to one week.
For the Olive Garden Salad:
- Lay a bed of lettuce into individual bowls or a large salad bowl. Place the remaining ingredients on top in piles. Toss to combine.
- Serve with Olive Garden Dressing. Serve with breadsticks.
Equipment:
To make the homemade Olive Garden Dressing, you will need either a blender or food processor. This is because the dressing contains minced garlic and Parmesan cheese, which cannot be left whole. When blended, the flavors meld into the dressing and it becomes nice and smooth.
Storage:
It's best to make and serve this salad fresh. Therefore, only prepare the amount of salad that you can finish in one sitting. Ingredients like tomatoes, olives, and pepperoncini are too wet to be left on top of lettuce overnight.
Store the homemade dressing in a glass mason jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
What to Serve With:
Some mains that Olive Garden Salad pairs well with are:
- Pasta dishes like fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti, stuffed shells, ravioli, chicken Parmesan, etc.
- Seafood dishes like shrimp, salmon, etc.
- Protein-focused dishes like steak, chicken, or pork chops.
Did You Make This Olive Garden Salad Recipe? Leave a 5-Star Rating Below!
Olive Garden Salad Recipe | Easy Copycat Italian Dressing
Your rating helps support the making of more tested, delicious gluten-free recipes.
Equipment
- blender or
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- iceberg lettuce mix I like the kind with carrots and purple cabbage
- 3-4 Roma tomatoes sliced
- 1 can small whole black olives, pitted (6 oz.)
- ¾ cup pickled pepperoncini peppers
- ½ cup red onion sliced thinly into rings
- ¼ to ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- croutons, optional
- course ground black pepper for serving, optional
For the Homemade Olive Garden Dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoon mayo
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 3 teaspoon granulated sugar, or honey
- 1-2 teaspoon minced garlic depending on preference
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Homemade Olive Garden Dressing:
- Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Combine on medium-low speed until smooth.
- Refrigerate until ready to use. Store in a glass jar for up to one week.
For the Olive Garden Salad:
- Lay a bed of lettuce into individual bowls or a large salad bowl. Place the remaining ingredients on top in piles. Toss to combine. Grind fresh black peppercorns over the top.
- Serve with Olive Garden Dressing. Optional: Serve with breadsticks or croutons.
Notes
- Don't add extra salt to the dressing, as the Parmesan cheese also gives it a saltiness.
Leave a Reply