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Copycat Olive Garden Salad is one of my all time favorite restaurant salads, and now you can make it right at home. It’s bright, zesty, and packed with that fresh, irresistible flavor everyone loves.
Turn this into an Olive Garden night at home and add some of my other favorite copycat recipes. Have it with Gnocchi, Pasta e Fagioli, or Alfredo Pasta!
Copycat Olive Garden Salad
Olive Garden has a cult following for a reason. Their hearty pastas, cozy soups, and those buttery, garlic breadsticks are impossible to resist. And then there’s the salad, crisp, fresh, and oddly addictive. It’s crunchy, tangy, a little salty, a little spicy, and somehow perfect. Toss it with that signature dressing, and I could eat it every day.
I love that I can make it at home and it tastes just as good, maybe even better. It’s quick and always a hit with friends and family. Perfect for lunch, brunch, or as a side to almost anything. Try pairing it with my Sausage Manicotti for an easy meal. Now, if I could just remember to chill my salad plates as Olive Garden does, it’d be spot on.
Ingredients Needed
- Garden Salad Mix: Using a mix saves time and is still delicious. Iceberg gives that classic crunch, but you can mix in romaine.
- Pepperoncini: Use sliced instead of whole for the same flavor and easier bites.
- Red Onion : Slice thin and cut into small pieces for easier eating.
- Tomatoes: Halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes work great and are easier to eat.
- Large black olives: Drained
- Croutons: Use store-bought or make, recipe here.
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese: Shred fresh for the best flavor.
- Dressing: You can buy it from the grocery store or make homemade dressing.
Making Olive Garden Copycat Salad
This copycat Olive Garden salad recipe will come together in a snap, and it is so yummy! You’ll want it with every meal! Add some grilled chicken, and you’ve got lunch tomorrow!
- Combine: In a large bowl, combine the salad mix, tomatoes, pepperoncini, red onion slices, black olives, croutons, and Parmesan Cheese.
- Add Dressing: Toss with Olive Garden dressing.
What to serve with Olive Garden Salad
This salad goes with just about anything, from soups and BBQ to casseroles. It’s also perfect with breadsticks and soup for a light meal. The flavors are fresh and balanced, adding just the right touch of texture and color without overpowering your dish.
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Copycat Olive Garden Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (24 ounce) bag Garden Salad Mix 6 cups iceberg lettuce, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 3 medium sized roma tomatoes sliced
- 1 cup pepperoncini
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 1 cup large black olives
- 1 cup croutons
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Olive Garden Salad Dressing Recipe
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the salad mix, tomatoes, pepperoncini, red onion, black olives, croutons and Parmesan Cheese.
- Toss with Olive Garden salad dressing recipe.
Video
Notes
- Prep: Add all ingredients except dressing, pepperoncini, and croutons to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.
- Assemble: Just before serving, toss with dressing, pepperoncini, and croutons. Serve immediately.
- Storing: Best served fresh. To avoid soggy croutons, add them just before serving or keep them on the side. Store leftovers up to 1 day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Copycat Recipes to Love
Making restaurant favorites at home is the best. It is cheaper, tastes even better from scratch, and you can customize it exactly how you like. There is something so satisfying about recreating your favorites and even more fun eating them.
Alyssa, can’t wait to make this! I’m using the Olive Garden Italian Dressing ( to save time). How many ounces do you suggest I use of the dressing to not over-do it? I can always have guests add more.
If you already have the bottle, you could just toss the salad together without dressing, and let your guests add their own.
How many people do you think this would serve as a side dish with pizza? (Having a get together with approximately 15 adults and few little kids)
If it were me, I would triple the recipe for the salad and just double the dressing amount. Should be plenty for your group. I always like to have leftovers instead of not enough.
Had to sub regular Italian Dressing Mix for the Zesty Italian. Left out peppers because I don’t like them. added a pinch of crushed red pepper. It was perfect. Just like Olive Garden! My husband loved it. I will be making this often.
How much in advance can you mix all this together?
With the dressing added, I would say to only store it for up to 24 hours.
How much dressing?
However much you prefer on your salad! I leave that up to you so that you can adjust the taste accordingly.
I love Olive Garden but sadly we don’t have any here in Canada, so I’m always looking for copycat recipes. This soup was so perfect and so delicious…..I’d say tasted better than Olive Garden! Thank you, now we don’t need to drive almost 2 hours to have some.
Where do you live? I am also Canadian and everywhere I have lived there has been at least one Olive Garden. Still, it is nice to have these copy cats so we can indulge whenever.
They are opening 3 Olive Garden restaurants in the Mississauga, Toronto & Vaungh area this year.
My 93-year-old dad loves Olive Garden. Made this for his birthday celebration and he loved it!!