Olive Garden Salad is so amazing you may eat the salad and skip the meal. Now you can make your own salad dressing copycat recipe at home. A crisp salad with a tart, sweet and cheesy dressing will keep you coming back for more!
I could eat at Olive Garden every day. Just keep bringing those big ole' bowls of salad. No bread sticks for me, just that salad. Oh my word I love that salad! That said, it must come as no surprise that I had to create a salad copycat.
I tell you it is even better at home. Perhaps it is because its at home, perhaps its because it is made with better ingredients, who knows. Either way this is my new favorite salad. I have been eating it all week and I can't help myself, it is sooo good.
I prefer the crisp of the romaine hearts over the American salad blend, so I used romaine in the salad. The salad dressing is fabulously tart and sweet with creamy Romaine cheese throughout. It is absolutely amazing. You are going to love it!
Enjoy!
With love from our simple kitchen to yours.
RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM
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Olive Garden Copycat Salad & House Dressing
SERVES 8 | ACTIVE TIME 30 Min | TOTAL TIME 30 Minutes
3 romaine lettuce hearts, washed and chopped
½ red onion, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
4 pickled Pepperoncini
10 large pitted olives
½ cup seasoned croutons
¼ cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
Olive Garden House Dressing Copycat
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons extra light tasting olive oil (or other neutral oil)
2 tablespoon fresh grated Romano cheese
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon sugar
In the bowl of a blender, combine dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
In a large salad bowl, layer salad ingredients in order beginning with lettuce. Pour salad dressing over salad and toss to combine.
Serve and enjoy!
COOK'S NOTE: If you prefer dressing to be yellow in color (like the original) add pinches of turmeric until it reaches the desired shade (thanks to a reader for the tip). I left it out in the above photo.
Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2014 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.
Originally published 05/15/14
Never heard of Romaine cheese.
ReplyDeleteIt's Romano cheese.
DeleteRomano cheese and Romaine lettuce.
DeleteThis is so insane! After a very interesting day today (5 days of school left), my husband treated me (and the little one) to dinner at Olive Garden. I think all we wanted was the salad! Can't wait to try this one!
ReplyDeleteNow I can have their salad with enough olives in it :)
ReplyDeletethank you, thank you , so yummmmmmmyyyy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe...and Cathy you are right about the olives!
ReplyDeleteOlive garden house dressing would not have mayo in it - it is a Italian style oil based dressing not a creamy one.
ReplyDeleteOlive Garden is a chain restaurant, that does
Deletenot have authentic Italian food. They cater to the American palate. Most of their food does not follow traditional cooking methods.
Ovie Garden is more of a oil based dressing
DeleteMy Olive Garden serves a vinaigrette type dressing.
Deleteyou can buy the dressing at Wal-mart, Sam's Club,Winn Dixie and Publix or from Olive Garden
ReplyDeleteOr you can make this version that is created without unnecessary coloring and preservatives. Enjoy!
DeleteI love this version! Clean eating!
DeleteThe dressing sold at Sam's Club tastes nothing like the dressing at the restaurant! A major disappointment and since they only sell two jars packaged together, I had to discard two bottles of it.
DeleteMy whole family looooves the salad at Olive Garden! Can't wait to make this for them!
ReplyDeleteTheir salad is the best! Can't wait to try this at home version.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that if you do want to color it add pinches of turmeric til you get the desired color. Good for you too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by MrsKD! That is my excellent advice.
Delete