Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (2024)

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We love making this Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe. It is one of our favorites restaurant salad and I am glad I can make this salad at home.

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (1)

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe:

Olive Garden is one of our places to eat Italian Food. The pasta dishes are always delicious but they always begin with their amazing breadsticks and their salad.

The Olive Garden Salad is always served fresh, crisp and full of flavor. The colors are always so vibrant and it is top with a salad dressing that is delicious.

I love serving this salad even if we are not serving Italian. It is just a really good salad and easy to make with simple ingredients. We love this salad.

What is an Olive Garden Salad?

Even if you are not a salad fan, this Olive Garden Salad is loved by all. We love the simplicity of the salad. It starts with a garden salad, then topped sliced tomatoes, red onions, and black olives.

Pepperoncini Peppers are added and my family always fights over who gets them. Shredded parmesan completes this salad with their amazing salad dressing.

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (2)

What kind of Cheese does Olive Garden use for their salad?

The cheese that Olive Garden uses on their salad is Parmesan Romano Cheese. They also add in olive oil, with an Italian Seasoning blend.

We used Shredded Parmesan Cheese and it still tasted just like Olive Garden’s Recipe.

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (3)

Ingredients:

  • Garden Salad Mix
  • Medium Sized Roma Tomatoes, sliced
  • Pepperoncini Peppers, drained
  • Red Onion, peeled and sliced
  • Large Black Olives, whole
  • Croutons
  • Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • Olive Garden Salad Dressing

How to Make Olive Garden Salad Copycat Recipe:

  • Mix Together Bag Salad and Dressing – In a large bowl, toss together the bag of salad mix and the salad dressing until the lettuce is well coated.
  • Add in the Additional Ingredients – Then gently toss in the sliced tomatoes, Pepperoncini peppers, sliced onions, black olives and croutons. Top with the shredded parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Can I make Olive Garden Salad ahead of time?

This salad is best served immediately. You can easily add in your favorite salad items or remove items based on your preference.

If want to prepare ahead of time, prepare all the ingredients but do no add the pepperoncini, croutons and the salad dressing. This will keep these ingredients fresh and not turn soggy.

Then when you are ready to serve, toss in these ingredients.

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Olive Garden Salad Tips:

  • Salad Options – You can use a bag salad that has iceberg lettuce or you can add in romaine salad greens. We like using iceberg lettuce because of the crisp and fresh leaves and holds up good with the salad dressing.
  • Pepperoncini Variations – We all the whole pepperoncini on the Olive Garden salad, but not every one does. You can use the slice pepperoncini and add them throughout salad for variation.
  • Cut Red Onion – When slicing the red onion, thinly slice them. This makes them easier to eat. It also works perfectly if someone is not a big onion fan.
  • Tomato Options – We used Roma Tomatoes in our salad, but you can use grape or cherry tomatoes. This makes it easy to eat and easier to add to the salad.
  • Spicier Options – If you want a spicier option, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.

Can I make my own Salad Mix?

If you cannot find the Garden Salad Mix you can easily make your own by mixing together 6 cups iceberg lettuce (chopped), 1 cup shredded carrots and 1 cup shredded red cabbage.

What’s the Best Salad Dressing to use?

  • Olive Garden Salad Dressing – You can pick up a jar at the store.
  • Homemade Ranch Dressing RecipeThis dressing is easy to make and we keep it a jar of it on our refrigerator at all times.
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing – This is a light salad dressing that it great mixed with the copycat salad recipe.
  • Italian Dressing – A simple Italian Dress would also be good with this salad recipe.
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What to serve with Olive Garden Salad?

This salad will go with just about anything. We have served it with our grilled burgers to our favorite soups. You can even pair with one of these Copycat Olive Garden Recipes.

  • Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
  • Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe
  • Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe
  • Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Olive Garden Salad is a Crowd Pleaser:

Just one salad and a meal can cost a small fortune at a restaurant. Plus, add other family members and you have already spent a ton. Save money and make this Olive Garden Salad Copycat Recipe at home.

Eating out gets expensive and isn’t always that fast or good. Recipes like this delicious salad save so much money and allow our family to eat really well for less.

We actually prefer making this salad at home because it is just so good and very easy to make.

It is one of those salads, that you will make all the time once you try it. With easy ingredients, it really is very quick and easy to make. It is so delicious.

How to Store Leftovers:

If you prepare your salad completely, it will become soggy if stored in the refrigerator. So we do not recommend storing leftovers.

If you believe that you will have some leftover, you can keep the croutons on the side and then store the rest of the salad in the refrigerator. It will last about a day and then the ingredients will get soggy.

Print Recipe here for Olive Garden Salad:

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (6)

Review

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Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe

5 from 19 votes

We love making this Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe. It is one of our favorites restaurant salad and I am glad I can make it at home.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 6

Cuisine American

Course Salad

Calories 145

Ingredients

  • 1 bag Garden Salad Mix 24 oz
  • 2 Medium Sized Roma Tomatoes sliced
  • 1/2 cup Pepperoncini Peppers drained
  • 1/2 Small Red Onion peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup Large Black Olives whole
  • 1 cup Croutons
  • 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 cup Olive Garden Salad Dressing

Instructions

  • In a large salad bowl, toss together the bag of salad mix and the salad dressing until the lettuce is well coated.

  • Then gently toss in the sliced tomatoes, Pepperoncini peppers, sliced onions, black olives and croutons. Top with the shredded parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This salad is best served immediately. You can easily add in your favorite salad items or remove items based on your preference.

If you cannot find the Garden Salad Mix you can easily make your own by mixing together 6 cups iceberg lettuce (chopped), 1 cup shredded carrots and 1 cup shredded red cabbage.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 145kcal, Carbohydrates 13g, Protein 6g, Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2g, Monounsaturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 6mg, Sodium 571mg, Potassium 319mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 3g, Vitamin A 1612IU, Vitamin C 38mg, Calcium 131mg, Iron 1mg

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Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (7)

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About the Author

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (16)

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Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the olive garden salad dressing made of? ›

Ingredients. Water, Soybean Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Eggs, Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Dehydrated Garlic, Spice, Xanthan Gum, Dextrose, Annatto Color, Calcium Disodium EDTA Added to Protect Flavor, Natural Flavor.

What salad do they give at Olive Garden? ›

Our famous jumbo house salad is topped with olives, onions, pepperoncini and tomatoes. Includes our signature salad dressing, croutons, and parmesan cheese. Includes a dozen breadsticks.

Are Olive Garden salads healthy? ›

House salad (without croutons) with low-fat dressing, and minestrone soup. Olive garden is famous for their house salad and breadsticks. Paired with minestrone soup, it's a healthier meal, although the sodium content is high. Omit the breadstick to reduce the sodium, fat, and calories.

Is bottled Olive Garden dressing same as restaurant? ›

The next time you're dining in, you can add a bottle or two directly onto your order and take home that salty, tangy dressing to spice up your homemade salads. And don't worry — it's exactly the same as what Olive Garden normally serves.

What is the healthiest salad dressing in the world? ›

8 Simple and Healthy Salad Dressings
  1. Sesame ginger. This simple salad dressing doubles as an easy marinade for meat, poultry, or roasted veggies. ...
  2. Balsamic vinaigrette. ...
  3. Avocado lime. ...
  4. Lemon vinaigrette. ...
  5. Honey mustard. ...
  6. Greek yogurt ranch. ...
  7. Apple cider vinaigrette. ...
  8. Ginger turmeric.
Jul 27, 2023

Why do restaurant salads taste better than homemade? ›

Restaurants salt their salads.

"Salt is a big difference between salads at home and salads in a restaurant." This doesn't mean you have to make your salads salty! Just hold back some salt when seasoning your dressing.

Is olive garden salad fresh or bagged? ›

Salads – And Most Other Dishes – Are Made Fresh

Additionally, the online ordering platform allows you to hold the olives, tomatoes, onions, and/or pepperoncini if you're getting a salad for pick-up.

How do restaurants make salads so crisp? ›

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

What kind of croutons does Olive Garden use? ›

Our croutons are made with Romano cheese, seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs and spices, and baked to a delicious golden brown. Try all of Olive Garden's® signature ingredients.

Is Olive Garden's food made from scratch? ›

Our soup and sauce masters create dishes by hand and from scratch, every day. With fresh, whole ingredients like kale, peppers and squash. Because they know cooking that way – the Italian way- everything tastes better. to everything they make.

What is the healthiest salad to eat everyday? ›

Best: Salad Loaded With Veggies

Add a mix of veggies to your salad to get more nutrition and flavor. Top those leafy greens with crunchy produce like carrots, cucumbers, or broccoli. Then add a punch of color from tomatoes, bell peppers, beets, or red onion.

What is considered a serving of Olive Garden salad? ›

One serving is about 5 ounces. The amount of salad served depends on the number of guests in your party. For a party of 1 to 2 guests, about 10 ounces would be served (so ½ of the bowl would be one serving).

What oil does Olive Garden use? ›

We use highly refined canola oil or highly refined soy oil in our fryers. Based on information from our suppliers, these oils are highly refined and do not include any soy protein.

What are the ingredients in Olive Garden light dressing? ›

Water, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Salt, Romano Cheese (Milk, Salt, Cultures, Enzymes), Garlic*, Egg Yolk, Natural Flavor, Modified Corn Starch, Xanthan Gum, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Spice, Potassium Sorbate Added To Maintain Freshness, Red Bell Pepper*, Annatto Extract, Calcium Disodium ...

What are the ingredients in Olive Garden Caesar dressing? ›

Our rich, creamy classic caesar dressing is crafted with parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar, lemon, anchovies, and spices. A delicious Italian classic! and at only 90 calories per serving for a snack the entire family will love.

Is olive oil salad dressings healthy? ›

The good news is that you can easily create a healthy and delicious homemade olive oil salad dressing that's not only better for your body but also enhances the natural flavors of your ingredients. Why Choose Olive Oil? Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Is the salad dressing at Olive Garden vegan? ›

Is Olive Garden dressing vegan? The famous house salad comes with tomatoes, olives, onions, and pepperoncini, though the default dressing from the menu has both eggs and romano cheese. Instead, grab the olive oil and vinegar for your salad.

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