When it comes to fresh and flavorful salads, the Olive Garden Salad Recipe takes the cake. This popular dish from the renowned Olive Garden restaurant chain has won the hearts of salad enthusiasts all over the world. With its vibrant mix of crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, tangy olives, and zesty dressing, it's no wonder this salad has become a favorite among diners.
In this article, we will dive deep into the Olive Garden Salad Recipe, uncovering its secrets, and exploring the art of recreating this delightful dish in the comfort of your own home. From the choice of ingredients to the preparation techniques, we will guide you step by step to ensure that your Olive Garden Salad is as close to perfection as possible. So, put on your apron and let's get started!
Olive Garden Salad Recipe: A Burst of Flavors
There's something truly magical about the Olive Garden Salad Recipe. The combination of ingredients creates a symphony of flavors that tantalize your taste buds. Let's take a closer look at the key components that make this salad so exceptional:
- Crisp Lettuce: The foundation of any good salad is fresh and crisp lettuce. The Olive Garden Salad uses a mix of romaine and iceberg lettuce, providing a satisfying crunch and a mild, refreshing taste.
- Ripe Tomatoes: Bursting with juiciness and sweetness, ripe tomatoes add a burst of flavor to the salad. Be sure to choose tomatoes that are firm yet ripe for the best results.
- Savory Olives: Olives are a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, and they play a crucial role in the Olive Garden Salad. Their briny and slightly tangy flavor complements the other ingredients perfectly.
- Red Onions: Red onions provide a mild yet distinctive taste to the salad. They add a touch of sharpness without overpowering the other flavors.
- Pepperoncini: These small, vibrant peppers are a delightful addition to the Olive Garden Salad. They bring a subtle heat and tanginess that balances the overall taste.
- Croutons: Croutons provide a satisfying crunch and an extra layer of texture to the salad. They absorb the dressing and add a wonderful depth of flavor.
- Signature Dressing: The Olive Garden Salad dressing is what truly sets this dish apart. Its creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet flavor ties everything together and elevates the salad to new heights.
The Recipe: Recreating the Olive Garden Salad
Now that we've covered the essential components of the Olive Garden Salad, let's dive into the recipe itself. Follow these simple steps, and you'll be enjoying a restaurant-quality salad in no time:
Olive Garden Salad Dressing Recipe:
- 1/2 C. mayonnaise
- 1/3 C. white vinegar
- 1 tsp. vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
- 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp. Romano cheese
- 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
One of the best things about the Olive Garden is their never-ending salad bowl. They sell the house dressing right there at the restaurant, but I thought it would be easier (and more frugal) to try and duplicate the Olive Garden salad dressing at home. A quick internet search turned up dozens of recipes, most of which were exactly like the one above.
What's nice about the Olive Garden salad dressing recipe is that the ingredients are readily available. In fact, you may already have them in your refrigerator/pantry. Toss with fresh tomatoes, Vidalia onions, black olives, croutons, pickled pepperoncini and freshly grated Parmesan cheese to give you a true Olive Garden restaurant experience.
Check out our other Olive Garden copycat recipes:
- Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
- Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
- Olive Garden Braised Beef & Tortelloni
- Pasta e Fagioli at Olive Garden
Like our recipes? For more frugal recipes and copycat dishes, visit our recipe blog Frugalbites.com+ Follow us on Pinterest
Sources: Food.com, Group Recipes and Copykat.com
how long does this last in the fridge for?
fyi… Olive Garden does not use Mayonaise in their salad dressing. I have a severe allergy to mayonaise, and can eat the Olive Garden dressing… even double checked ingredients on their jar… although I had checked this years ago when I first started eating their dressing. So, sorry, this recipe may taste like the OG dressing…. which I do not know, but it certainly is not their recipe.
FYI – It’s a ‘copycat recipe’. Don’t let this comment discourage any from trying the recipe- it’s a tasty imitation of a delicious dressing.
Are you allergic to eggs? Mayo is eggs, oil and vinegar. If you can eat regular Italian dressing and eggs, I would find it hard to believe you’re allergic to mayo.
I am just curious, the pure form of mayo is egg, salt, oil so you are allergic to one or more of these items? Worked at OG and they used “mayo”.
the olive garden dressing has egg in it , which is why the mayo may be in it.
It’s pretty dang close, I made it today and it’s yummy:) thanks for the recipe!!!
I made this today and it’s pretty close!! My husband and I loved it:) thank you
So delicious 🙂 eating it right now!
Glad you liked it! 🙂
No high fructose corn syrup in yours (like theirs)? AWESOME 🙂
I’ll probably experiment with leaving out the regular corn syrup altogther, but this is very exciting!
What can u use to substitute the corn syrup?
You can probably try agave nectar instead of the corn syrup.
I have tried to share this recipe using share beside the email button. But every time I do so it redirects me to a page saying the page I’m going to has been changed or moved. Can anyone help me figure out why it’s doing this? I would love to be able to email this to my mother & Mamaw.
Copy, paste, and email.
I’m so excited to try this recipe it’s the only Italian dressing I like
This sounds really good, I’ve always loved the Olive Garden salad dressing so I might just try this out. 😀
This was the worst copycat recipe,it didn’t even look like olive garden dressing!!
I should have suspected when there was mayonnaise and only a tsp of oil.I added some sugar
As well and only then could I eat it!
I HATE mayo! What can I substitute for mayo in this recipe? Thanks!!!!
I tried this. It did not taste or look like Olive Garden dressing to me. Olive Garden dressing is colorless. This looked like milk. It did not taste bad. Just not what I was expecting. Not Olive Garden.
Takes just like the Olive Garden’s salad dressing, if not better. My husband and I both loved it. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Cathy!
Sorry meant “tastes”
Actually their dressing isn’t colorless. You can see this very clearly when you buy a bottle of the dressing. I think we may have the impression the dressing is clear because other “Italian” dressing is clear. The dressing really has a milky color.
I just made this and I would suggest using less mayo.
I just made this and it taste fantastic. Can’t wait until dinner tonight. I used olive oil mayo and it turned out fine. Thanks for the recipe!! I’ve always wanted to copy this.
Glad you liked it, Karen! 🙂
Looks delicious. I’ll try to make and let you know how it will turn out. Thanks for the recipe.
i think KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing is so close in taste i use it all the time………….. mayonaise ,,,emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, so what is your severe allergy to Ruth Ann
I love Olive Garden salad and the dressing. I just made this dressing and it looks nothing like it and it definitely does not taste like it. I really dont even like it. Sorry!
I was going to say the same thing as Ruth. The original dressing that I remember didn’t have mayo, it had olive oil, along with vinegar, Parmesan, Italian spices, and garlic. They must have changed it since the last time I visited (which is entirely possible because I gave up on the poor food quality/service at our local restaurants).
NOT even close! what a waiste of all my ingredients “/
Olive Garden uses purple/red onion, not Vidalia onion.
I rarely post but i made this recipe while it did not look like og dressing it did the job and tastes well. What kills me is folks try a copy cat recipe and instantly become offended when they do not have their desire result. Bottom line if you are unhappy with your results then move on or buy the “real” thing. good damn grief
I totally agree, it’s a “copycat”, clearly not the original so stop being so rude and just make something different 🙂
Oh and thanks for taking the time to post the recipe
yummy!!! been craving og salad for awhile now, found this on pinterst, drug my daughter to the grocery store to get the things that i was missing & came home to make it. SUCCESS!!! it definitely hit the spot for this pregnant woman!!
So glad you liked it!
I think it’s great. I’m surprised at the negative reviews and how rude people can be. Thanks for the post. 🙂
Wow sooooooo goood!!!felt like I was at the olive garden
I made this recipe tonight. It was yummy but I also deviated from the recipe. I added a little extra Mayo and mixed cider & white vinegar. Also used EVOO, extra Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. I also didn’t want to use corn syrup so I used Splenda a small amount at a time and tested it as I added! I have bought OG’s dressing before and it is a creamy yellowish color. I would definately make it again! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Looks tasty! How long is this good for, once I make it and stick it in the fridge?
I made this and it was awful. Not sure what I did wrong. It was as thin as water. Tasted like pure vinegar. Just seemed like too much vinegar. There were a lot of good comments, so I surprised at my results. I tried mixing it longer, refrig overnight thought it might thicken it up, but no luck. Any suggestions?
Does anyone know how they keep their lettuce so cold and crispy fresh? I don’t know of any restraunt that has such good lettuce.
The salad is bagged salad that you can buy at any grocery store. It’s the iceberg, shredded carrot with a wee bit of purple cabbage bagged salad mix. It’ll keep for a couple days after you open the bag, but after than you’ll need to put it in a bowl with some type of drainage (like a lettuce spinner) and put a damp paper towel over the top and seal the container. This will keep it a few days longer with good results. The idea is that the lettuce needs to be in a damp (not wet) environment and have any excess liquid wicked away (the bowl of lettuce spinner).
Toss a few pepperoncini’s, sliced red onion, croutons, and black olives and tomatoes and we’ve got us an OG salad ready for the above dressing. YUM and somewhere on the ‘net I saw a copycat recipe for the breadsticks. Double YUM!!
I agree with previous commenters– too much mayo and nothing like OG dressing. Sorry, but that’s a fact.
Awful!!!
This has become the go-to dressing for my daughter and I. We haven’t used anything else in months! Thanks for sharing. =)
This sounds yummy! I love making salads during the warm weather, so I will have to try this out sometime.
I am surprised to see lemon juice in the ingredients. I am allergic to lemons, but have eaten the OG salad dressing many times without getting sick.
WAY too much vinegar. I am going to try to “doctor it up” so it is edible. Very disappointing.
My sister puts her lettuce in a bowl and covers it with cold water and a cover in the fridge till needed.
Hi! The only good thing about Olive Garden’s salads? The dressing. Iceberg lettuce is awful, and there are few onions, tomatoes, or olives on it. Still, I love the dressing and found it at Sam’s. A little over 6 bucks for 2 large bottles of it. Do you think the homemade version tastes as good???
Is this exactly like the Olive Garden salad dressing? I have no idea. Do I care? Not at all!! Made this tonight and had with the recommended combination of lettuce, onion, croutons, black olives and peppers. Was just a really amazing salad. I didn’t have corn syrup so I used 1 tbsp agave. This was so good. I’m making this again, absolutely!!
My sister,Shirley & I would go to olive garden to have lunch and always loved their salad dressing and I’m definitely trying this. she also taught me how to crisp up iceberg lettuce by removing the core and running under cold tap water for a minute or two , turn it and let the water drain out. Once drained put in a large zip lock bag with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture. It works very well.
NO WAYY! NOT EVEN CLOSE! THE OLIVE GARDEN ONE HAS PECTIN AND EGG IN IT I HAVE A FRIEND THAT WORKED THERE THAT GAVE ME THE RECIPE ONCE ITS NO WHERE NEAR TO IT!
I just looked at the OG website and they actually have some of thier recipes listed ingredients directions and all. Wow, didn’t expect to find that. But no dressing recipe. dang.
Readers: Don’t pay too much attention to the reviews about OG NOT using Mayo in their dressing, true – SORT OF. The ingredients in the OG recipe start with oil, egg (yolk) salt, vinegar – MAYO INGREDIENTS!!! The copycat recipe here just shortcuts it by starting with mayo as opposed to using mayo ingredients. But, TRUE cooks already know this, right? 😀
I just made this recipe for a lunch date with my girlfriends. I love it! Can’t wait to share with them! Who gives a rip what the haters say. Haters gonna hate.
Do you use the grated Parmesan and Romano cheese or fresh grated in the dressing?
I’ve been using this recipe for a while now and love it!
Taste is subjective. I see some of us thinks it tastes like OG and others are a donate it doesn’t… After making it a couple times, I tweaked it to suit MY pallet.
It’s a copycat recipe so not going to taste exact. Regardless of that, it’s still a tasty recipe. I do find it tastes close though.
Only posting because of reading the ppl saying it’s horrible or nothing like the OG one.
To people reading the comments. I say try it out regardless of Internet comments. You might like it! You might not! If you don’t, you have a lot of ingredients left over to try a different one! 🙂
Marilyn