Olive Garden Italian Salad (Print Version)
Crisp romaine salad with tangy Italian dressing, crunchy vegetables, and Parmesan toppings. Ready in 15 minutes.
# What You 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 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
# Directions:
01 - Combine the chopped romaine lettuce, sliced red onions, Roma tomatoes, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, and cucumber slices in a large salad bowl.
02 - Whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, dried Italian herbs, minced garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl or sealed jar until the dressing is smooth and fully emulsified.
03 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and gently toss to evenly coat all the vegetables.
04 - Scatter the garlic croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve immediately to preserve the croutons' crunch and the salad's freshness.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing is that perfect balance of tangy, creamy, and herbaceous, and once you make it yourself you will never go back to store bought bottles.
- It comes together faster than delivery and somehow tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
- If you dress the salad and let it sit for more than about ten minutes, the lettuce will weep and the croutons will dissolve into sad little sponges, so always add the dressing at the very last second.
- The mayonnaise in the dressing is the game changer nobody expects, and skipping it will leave you with something that tastes more like a vinaigrette than the creamy copycat version you are after.
03 -
- Rub the dried herbs between your palms directly over the dressing bowl to release their essential oils before they hit the liquid, and you will notice a significantly more fragrant result.
- Grate the Parmesan as finely as you can for the dressing so it melts in smoothly, but leave the topping cheese in larger shreds for texture contrast.