Olive Garden Italian Salad (Printer-friendly)

Crisp romaine salad with tangy Italian dressing, crunchy vegetables and Parmesan toppings. Ready in 15 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
02 - 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
03 - 1 cup sliced Roma tomatoes
04 - ½ cup sliced black olives
05 - 1 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
06 - 1 large cucumber, sliced

→ Toppings

07 - 1 cup garlic croutons
08 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ Dressing

09 - ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - ¼ cup white wine vinegar
11 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend (basil, oregano)
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
17 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
18 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large salad bowl, arrange the chopped romaine lettuce as the base. Add the thinly sliced red onion, Roma tomato slices, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, and cucumber slices on top.
02 - In a separate bowl or mason jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, dried Italian herbs, minced garlic, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper until the mixture is smooth and fully emulsified.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently with tongs to coat all the vegetables evenly without bruising the lettuce.
04 - Scatter the garlic croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve immediately to maintain optimal crunch and flavor.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dressing tastes like the real deal and comes together in a mason jar in under a minute.
  • It works as a side for pasta night or stands alone as a light lunch on a hot afternoon.
  • Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe, and you get to pretend you worked harder than you did.
02 -
  • If you dress the salad too early the croutons turn to mush and the lettuce wilts, so always add the dressing right before eating.
  • The mayonnaise in the dressing is what creates that signature creamy texture without needing to slowly drizzle oil for ten minutes.
03 -
  • Let the dressing sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving because the garlic and herbs need time to bloom and mellow into the oil.
  • Grate the Parmesan as finely as you can so it dissolves into the dressing instead of clumping at the bottom of the jar.

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