Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (2024)

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This Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe is the perfect make at home recipe of the restaurant version. With crisp lettuce, pepperoncini peppers, onions, tomatoes, black olives, croutons and homemade Olive Garden salad dressing. This hearty salad is perfect as a side dish, or add some grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a meal.

Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (1)

Olive Garden Salad Recipe

You are going to love this homemade Olive Garden Salad Recipe! With all the perfect fresh vegetable ingredients and homemade Olive Garden Salad dressing, this salad will be perfect for dinner!

Making copy cat recipes at home is one of my favorite things to do. I love finding meals I love at restaurants and then figuring out how to make them at home. This copy cat recipe is so easy to make, and a great way to change things up when you are having a salad with dinner.

Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (2)

What is an Olive Garden Salad?

Olive Garden salad is the amazing salad that you get when you are dining in at Olive Garden. A Salad that has lettuce, pepperoncini peppers, onions, tomatoes, black olives and croutons.

Make it a meal!

This Olive Garden Salad Recipe works great for a main dish and also for packing a lunch. You can also add protein like chicken or shrimp to this salad and make the salad a meal in itself. If you love eating at Olive Garden be sure to check out our other Olive Garden Copy Cat recipes!

  • Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
  • Shrimp Alfredo
  • Chicken Gnocchi Soup
  • Olive Garden Chicken
  • Copy Cat Olive Garden Ziti al Forno
Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (3)

Tips for making this salad

Use fresh ingredients. When making any salad the ingredients used will make or break it. You want fresh ingredients including firm tomatoes, crispy lettuce and quality red onions.

Keep it simple. I like to keep things easy and grab a bag of American Salad blend because it has the carrots and cabbage in it already. If you want to use fresh chopped lettuce, then you can. Just add 1/4 cup of sliced red cabbage and 1/4 cup of shredded carrots.

Use grated parmesan cheese. I like to grate a block of parmesan cheese when making this salad, but if you only have the store bought canister you can use that too. If you like more parmesan cheese you can also shred it instead of grating it.

Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (4)

Can I make this in advance?

You sure can! This salad is great for making a head of time and meal planning. I do suggest that you wait to put the dressing on top until you are ready to eat it so the lettuce stays crispy. I like to put the keto olive garden salad in small mason jars and then the dressing in a container and then I just add the dressing when I am going to eat my salad.

If you are wanting to enjoy it for lunches I suggest only making 2-3 days worth at a time. The fresher the better and it is so easy to make that you can quickly toss it together as long as you have the ingredients on hand.

You can make a large batch of olive garden salad dressing to keep in the fridge to use any time you want it and make a fresh salad.

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Olive Garden Salad Ingredients

  • 1 batch Olive Garden Salad Dressing
  • Bagged American Salad blend
  • pepperoncini peppers
  • tomato
  • red onion
  • black olives
  • croutons
  • parmesan cheese

How to Make Olive Garden Salad

Wash and chop the tomatoes, slice the olives and the onions.

In a large bowl place the bag of salad mix, then add the pepperoncini peppers, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced olives, croutons and grated parmesan cheese.

Use a salad spoon to mix everything together, then pour the homemade Olive Garden Salad dressing on top of the salad and toss with salad utensils.

Easy Salad Recipes

  • Chicken Caesar Salad
  • Chicken Taco Salad
  • Beef taco salad
  • BLT Salad
  • Strawberry Spinach Salad
  • Crispy chicken, cranberry and apple salad
  • Big Mac Salad

Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (6)

Olive Garden Salad

Created by Lauren

3.76 from 397 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 minute min

Servings 4

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

This Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe is the perfect make at home recipe of the restaurant version. With crisp lettuce, pepperoncini peppers, onions, tomatoes, black olives, croutons and homemade Olive Garden salad dressing. This hearty salad is perfect as a side dish, or add some grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a meal.

Ingredients

Olive Garden Salad Ingredients

  • 1 batch Olive Garden Salad Dressing
  • 1 10 ounce bag American Salad blend
  • 6 pepperoncini peppers
  • 1 to mato sliced
  • 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
  • 12 black olives
  • 1 cup croutons
  • 1 tablespoon parmesan grated

Olive Garden Salad Dressing Ingredients

Instructions

How to Make Olive Garden Salad Dressing

  • Using a cheese grated, grate the parmesan cheese.

  • Add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic salt and Italian seasoning to the blender.

  • Use the pulse feature or blend option and blend until smooth and everything is well mixed together.

  • Serve immediately, or store in the fridge.

How to Make Olive Garden Salad

  • Wash and chop the tomatoes, slice the olives and the onions.

  • In a large bowl place the bag of salad mix, then add the pepperoncini peppers, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced olives, croutons and grated parmesan cheese.

  • Use a salad spoon to mix everything together, then pour the homemade Olive Garden Salad dressing on top of the salad and toss with salad utensils.

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 645mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 775IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

olive garden salad

Salad, Side Dish

Video

Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (7)

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ABOUT LAUREN

Hey There! I am Lauren, a short mom (4 foot 10 to be exact!) who has a passion for helping others and always has a cup of coffee in hand. With amazing recipes to help the home cook become a home chef, along with fun family travel, fun crafts and More! Grab a cup of coffee and join me! Read more...

Created by Stephanie

With a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in baking and pastry arts, a love for tasty food and amazing photography skills Stephanie brings the amazing recipe ideas we come up with to life. Stephanie loves crafting, all things Disney and traveling whenever possible.

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Anne K says

    Ths was delicious! People thought I bought the salad from Olive Garden! Perfect for an Easter family dinner. Thank you!

    Reply

  2. Kathy says

    This was GREAT! So close to what you get at Olive Garden or their bottled dressing you can buy at the store. Thank you for the recipe!!!

    Reply

  3. Linda says

    I’m also 4′ 10″, I don’t mind my size at all. Yes there are times I have challenges. But I love to cook. I cook a lot for my church. I don’t have a large family to cook for anymore and don’t know how to cook small. I would love to try your recipes.

    Reply

  4. Pamela says

    Hi Lauren,
    Tried this a couple of weeks ago and it is a great recipe! It is now my go to salad recipe. Making it again tonight to go with my chicken cacciatore! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

Copy Cat Olive Garden salad recipe - Better than the original! (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 makes a salad more delicious? ›

Add spices and flavours such as paprika, chilli flakes, curry powder, harissa or parmesan. Add acidity or sourness with vinegar, lemon juice or pomegranate molasses to transform your salad. Discover more salad recipes below, or check out these salad recipes for dinner, or the whole collection of salad recipes.

How to make a salad like a restaurant? ›

Do This to Make Restaurant-Quality Salads at Home
  1. Use the freshest ingredients. Pre-bagged salads may make life easier, but they taste kind of blah. ...
  2. Choose the right lettuce. ...
  3. Add some crunch. ...
  4. Add color. ...
  5. Include protein. ...
  6. Give it some bulk. ...
  7. Mix sweet with savory. ...
  8. Add herbs.
Jun 27, 2023

What olive oil makes best salad dressing? ›

Best for Salad Dressing: 365 Mediterranean Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When it comes to salad dressing, you need an EVOO that can stand up to the potency of vinegar but also complement it in a way that doesn't assault the taste buds.

What is the most requested salad dressing? ›

Ranch Dressing

The ranch is hands down America's most beloved salad dressings. It is made from a number of ingredients such as buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onion, chives, salt, and pepper.

Why do restaurant salads taste better than homemade? ›

Restaurants salt their salads.

This resulted in every bite tasting vibrant and flavorful. "Season your salad just like you would anything else," Simpson said. "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!

Is olive garden salad fresh or bagged? ›

Olive Garden's salads are prepared fresh in-house, and each one will look a little different.

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 can I put in my salad to make it taste better? ›

12 Easy Ways to Make Salad Taste Amazing – Seriously
  1. Make Your Salad a Spectacle. ...
  2. Mix and Match Leaves. ...
  3. Upgrade Your Salad Dressings. ...
  4. Massage Your Salad Greens. ...
  5. Toss in Cooked Veggies. ...
  6. Add Fresh Herbs. ...
  7. Sweeten with Fruit. ...
  8. Heat Your Salad Dressing.
Mar 9, 2022

What to add to a salad to make it better? ›

Add one or more of these protein-rich foods to your salad:
  1. lean meat: chicken or turkey breast, lean steak.
  2. lower-fat cheese: light cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese.
  3. legumes: kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, white or black beans.
  4. eggs: hard boiled.
  5. soy products: cubed tofu, edamame.

What can I add to my salad to make it interesting? ›

You can use roasted vegetables. Toasted or candied nuts and dried fruits like raisins or cranberries add interest. Fresh apples or pears go well in a salad with blue cheese or goat cheese crumbles. There are many kinds of lettuce.

What seasoning to add to salad? ›

5 Unique Spices to Add to Your Salad
  1. Curry Powder. One interesting spice you can add to your salad to make it more flavorful is curry powder. ...
  2. Garlic. ...
  3. Ginger. ...
  4. Mint. ...
  5. Cumin.
Apr 15, 2023

How do restaurants wash salad? ›

Most produce in restaurants (greens included) should be washed upon reception, especially those that will be served raw. When it comes to salad greens, they are typically rinsed in a large container of water (frequently a clean sink), then spun dry in an industrial-size salad spinner.

What do you call someone who makes salads in a restaurant? ›

A salad chef is also called pantry chef, and salad chefs often work in an area of a restaurant known as a garde manger. It is in the garde manger where cold dishes, including salads, are prepared and kept.

What kind of dressing does Olive Garden use? ›

What's in Olive Garden salad dressing? Olive Garden has two versions of its salad dressing: signature Italian and Light Italian. The signature Italian is a vinaigrette, but instead of olive oil and balsamic vinegar as you might expect, it's made with soybean oil and distilled vinegar.

Is Olive Garden dressing Italian or Caesar? ›

Our Famous House Salad served with our signature Italian dressing (served on the side).

Is store bought Olive Garden dressing the same? ›

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.

Is olive garden salad dressing healthy? ›

Olive Garden dressings are sold at most grocery stores, but I do not recommend them as they have a lot of calories. That said, you could certainly work it into your calories. Lettuce - Any lettuce variety, bagged salad can be used for this Olive Garden house salad recipe.

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