Olive Garden’s famous creamy, zesty dressing and colorful salad have been a fan-favorite for decades. Fortunately for everyone who adores this vibrant crowd-pleasing appetizer, whipping up copycat Olive Garden salad dressing is virtually effortless.
Chock-full of a gorgeous rainbow of vegetables tossed with crunchy lettuce, Parmesan and croutons, it’s one of those side salad recipes we turn to time and again. And that’s before we get to that iconic Olive Garden salad dressing! This is a fantastic last-minute side dish you can throw together in under 20 minutes. Serve it with cozy weeknight Italian fare or cookout classics. You can even double (or triple) the recipe to feed a crowd at your next potluck party.
Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- Lettuce: Of all the common lettuce varieties, romaine may just be the most juicy and refreshing, and it’s robust enough not to get lost in the other ingredients.
- Vegetables: Red onions are simply a superior salad onion. They have a pungent bite, and tempered and satisfying crunch that brings so much to a salad. A few ripe plum tomatoes and shredded carrots add a lovely sweetness to the salad, and black olives sprinkle in a little briny saltiness.
- Parmesan: This is a bold, hard cheese that elevates all your favorite Italian recipes. Sharp, nutty, savory and salty, the funk of Parmesan helps tie all the salad components together.
- Croutons: Croutons add so much texture to a salad. Use regular or seasoned croutons.
- Pepperoncini: These tangy pickled peppers have a barely-there spiciness to them—they’re dramatically milder than the likes of jalapenos but pack just as much flavor.
Dressing Ingredients
- Olive oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil as a dressing base. You’ll taste the difference.
- Vinegar: While white vinegar is the standard for this copycat Olive Garden dressing, apple cider, champagne, balsamic and red wine vinegar are easy alternatives.
- Mayonnaise: A bit of mayo adds decadence to this dressing, giving it a rich, creamy texture.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard has a spicy, piquant bite that makes it a favorite for all sorts of recipes— including many homemade salad dressings.
- Italian dressing mix: This flavor booster is an herb and spice blend featuring a line-up of Mediterranean herbs like parsley, oregano and basil, mixed with celery salt, onion and garlic powder. There’s usually added sugar in there too.
- Sugar: A 1/2 teaspoon of sugar gives this dressing the perfect hint of sweetness to complement the savory, tangy elements in the salad.
- Seasonings: Salt and fresh cracked black pepper are a welcome addition to any salad, but a little garlic powder takes things to the next level.
Taste of Home
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Just a Pennsylvania Dutch girl raised on simple good food that fills you up. Fussy recipes that leave you still hungry need not apply!
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