Homemade Olive Garden Salad with Fresh Veggies and Parmesan Dressing Recipe
This Olive Garden Salad is a refreshing mix of crisp American salad blend, tangy pepperoncini peppers, ripe tomatoes, red onions, black olives, crunchy croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese. The salad is perfectly complemented by a homemade Olive Garden-style dressing made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning. Ideal as a side dish or a light meal, this salad combines fresh, vibrant flavors with a creamy, tangy dressing for an authentic Italian-American dining experience.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 1 (10 ounce) bag American Salad blend
- 6 pepperoncini peppers
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 12 black olives, sliced
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Olive Garden Salad Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Grate Parmesan Cheese: Using a cheese grater, grate the Parmesan cheese needed for the dressing to ensure it blends smoothly.
- Prepare Dressing: Add olive oil, white wine vinegar, grated Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning into a blender.
- Blend Dressing: Blend all dressing ingredients using the pulse feature or blend option until smooth and fully combined.
- Store or Serve Dressing: Serve the dressing immediately or refrigerate it until ready to use.
- Prepare Salad Ingredients: Wash and chop the tomato, slice the black olives, and thinly slice the red onion for the salad.
- Assemble Salad: In a large bowl, place the American salad blend. Add the pepperoncini peppers, chopped tomato, sliced onions, sliced black olives, croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Using salad utensils, mix the ingredients gently. Pour the homemade Olive Garden salad dressing on top and toss until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For best results, refrigerate the salad dressing for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
- The salad is best served fresh; croutons can be added just before serving to maintain their crispness.
- You can adjust the garlic salt and Italian seasoning quantities according to your taste preference.
- This dressing can also be used on other types of salads or as a marinade for vegetables.
Keywords: Olive Garden Salad, Italian Salad, Homemade Salad Dressing, American Salad Blend, Pepperoncini Salad, Parmesan Cheese Salad, No-Cook Salad Recipe
