Copycat Olive Garden Salad
Do you love Olive Garden’s famous house salad? Learn how simple it is to make at home with this Olive Garden salad recipe so you can enjoy your favorite flavors without the cost of eating out!
When my kids were younger, eating out on a budget wasn’t too terribly difficult, even for our family of seven. One of our favorite restaurants has always been the Olive Garden.
To the kids, it was affectionately known to our family as “The Grape Place.” That’s what the kids called it when they were very young based on their familiar logo. Big portions of pasta and endless bowls of salad and baskets of breadsticks make for a hearty meal and went a long way with our large family.
But as time marches on, one by one my kids are starting to graduate from the children’s menu to the regular menu, and we’re finding out that a meal out can put quite a dent in our finances.
And that’s why we’ve started trying to recreate some of our favorite dining out dishes, like this Copycat Olive Garden Salad, at home. A favorite restaurant copycat dish of ours is this recipe for Olive Garden’s salad dressing. Our recipe is creamy and tangy, just like the original!
It’s delicious poured over a big bowl of salad greens, topped with red onion, black olives, Roma tomato, pepperoncini, and your favorite croutons. For homemade croutons, try this recipe for buttery sourdough garlic croutons (croutons are really easy to make and it is a great way to use up leftover bread that has maybe gone slightly stale).
Click HERE to save this recipe for How to Make a Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad to Pinterest!
Olive Garden Salad Ingredients
For the salad itself, you’ll need:
- Your salad blend of choice
- Sliced red onion
- Black olives
- Pepperoncini
- Sliced Roma tomato
- Croutons
- Grated Parmesan
And for the copycat Olive Garden salad dressing, you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise
- White vinegar
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Parmesan Romano cheese blend
- Olive oil
- Seasoning (Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic flakes)
How to Make Olive Garden’s Salad
You’ll first need to make the Olive Garden dressing. Simply blend everything up in a blender or food processor and chill in a fridge for at least two hours before serving.
Then toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl and drizzle with your desired amount of dressing. Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top and enjoy!
Click HERE to save this recipe for How to Make a Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad to Pinterest!
Tips for Making This Olive Garden Salad Recipe
For a real Olive Garden restaurant-style experience, pick up one of these handheld rotary cheese graters and a big chunk of real, fresh Parmesan cheese.
Though fresh Parmesan is a little more pricey than its shelf-stable counterpart, a little of this cheese will go a long way. And fresh Parmesan lasts quite a while when wrapped well and stored in the refrigerator.
When making the dressing, you must let it chill in the fridge before serving it. This gives the flavors time to come together and actually makes a big difference in the flavor of the Olive Garden dressing!
Note that the dressing recipe listed makes enough for about four big bowls of salad. If you have leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the fridge (it’ll last for about a week). You can use it on other salads, or as a marinade for chicken.
More Italian Recipes:
Wondering what you should serve with your copycat Olive Garden salad?
If you’re a fan of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, you may want to try this creamy and rich Italian Sausage and Kale Soup (known as Zuppa Toscana) to serve alongside your Olive Garden Salad.
This Italian Beef Ragu with Pappardelle would also pair nicely with Olive Garden’s famous house salad. The rich meat sauce complements the tangy dressing perfectly!
For an even easier main dish, make this One Skillet Baked Ziti. It comes together in 30 minutes and would go well with this Olive Garden salad.
Add a few slices of this savory rustic homemade bread for a delicious comforting Italian dinner at home for a fraction of the cost of eating out. This bread recipe also makes great garlic bread!
What is your favorite restaurant dish recipe to recreate at home?
Love this recipe for Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad?
Sign up for Good Life Eats email updates and never miss another recipe!
Copycat Olive Garden Salad
Do you love Olive Garden's Salad? Learn how simple it is to make it at home so you can enjoy your favorite flavors without the cost of eating out!
Ingredients
For the Olive Garden Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup white vinegar
- 5 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2/3 cup parmesan romano cheese blend
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
For the Olive Garden Salad:
- 1 bag salad blend of your choice
- sliced red onion
- black olives
- pepperoncini
- sliced Roma tomato
- croutons
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Mix all of the salad dressing ingredients well in a blender or food processor.
- Chill for at least two hours before serving.
- Assemble salad and toppings in a large bowl.
- Pour on desired amount of dressing and toss right before serving.
- Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Note that the dressing recipe listed makes enough for about four big bowls of salad. If you have leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the fridge (it'll last for about a week). You can use it on other salads, or as a marinade for chicken.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Be sure to follow Good Life Eats on Instagram. Tag @goodlifeeats and include the hashtag #goodlifeeatsrecipes so I can see what you’re cooking up in YOUR kitchen!
Click HERE to save this recipe for How to Make a Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad to Pinterest!
Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think of it by leaving a comment below.
This post was written by Tara of Unsophisticook
Favorite Pasta Night Recipes
Roasted Tomato Crostini with Walnut Almond Pesto and Goat Cheese
Take advantage of summer's colorful and delicious produce and make this Roasted Tomato Crostini with Walnut Almond Pesto and Goat Cheese. Crostini is a great summer appetizer to serve while sitting out on the patio in the evening.
Italian Mixed Greens Salad with Prosciutto and Lemon Dijion Vinaigrette
This is the perfect salad to pair with homemade pizza night! A mix of arugula, radicchio and baby kale is tossed with a simple lemon Dijon vinaigrette and topped with crispy prosciutto and fresh shaved parmesan.
Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad and Dressing Recipe
Do you love Olive Garden's Salad? Learn how simple it is to make it at home so you can enjoy your favorite flavors without the cost of eating out!
Best Ever Homemade Classic Marinara Sauce
This Best Ever Homemade Classic Marinara Sauce is the real deal and the only Marinara Sauce you'll want to use from now on! Crushed tomatoes simmer all day with extra-virgin olive oil, oregano, crushed red pepper, plenty of garlic, and a generous helping of Italian red wine for an incredibly rich, but delightfully simple, sauce.
Easy One Skillet Baked Ziti
Easy One Skillet Baked Ziti is the perfect, easy comforting pasta dish - and baking it in a single skillet makes for quick preparation and very minimal clean up. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Chicken Parmesan with Sundried Tomato Sauce
Our very favorite recipe for Chicken Parmesan. Make a double batch of the sauce and freeze some for later!
Pasta Alfredo with Broccoli and Mushrooms
This Alfredo sauce is a tad lightened up but every bit as rich and creamy. We use whatever pasta we have on hand and love serving it with broccoli and mushrooms.
Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet
Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet is a super easy dinner recipe for busy school nights. It features pan seared chicken tenderloins, zucchini and sliced mushrooms in garlicky herbed tomato sauce.
