Olive Garden Salad (Printable)
Crisp romaine salad with tangy Italian dressing, crunchy veggies, and Parmesan toppings.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
02 - 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
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 large 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 garlic clove, 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, combine the chopped romaine lettuce, sliced red onions, Roma tomatoes, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, and cucumber slices.
02 - In a separate bowl or mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, minced garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the vegetables evenly.
04 - Top with garlic croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately for the best crunch and flavor.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing tastes like the real thing, maybe even better because you control the balance of tang and richness.
- It comes together in fifteen minutes flat with zero cooking required, which makes it a weeknight hero.
02 -
- If you dress the salad and let it sit for more than ten minutes the lettuce will weep and the croutons turn into sad little sponges.
- Adding the mayonnaise to the dressing before the oil helps the whole thing emulsify and stay together instead of separating into an oily mess.
03 -
- Soak the sliced red onion in ice water for ten minutes if you find raw onion too sharp, and it will mellow out beautifully without losing its crunch.
- Let the dressing sit for at least five minutes before pouring so the dried herbs have time to rehydrate and release their flavor.