Olive Garden House Salad (Copycat Recipe)

This Olive Garden house salad is dressed with crisp lettuce greens, thinly sliced red onions, slices of roma tomatoes, pungent pepperoncinis, black olives, crunchy croutons, grated parmesan, and last but not least, drizzled with a tangy Italian house dressing!

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I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Olive Garden’s House Salad and their tangy Italian dressing. It can be bought at the store but is nothing in comparison to this home-made version!

This dressing is something else! It can be made a day or two in advance. That will help cut down on prep time when putting together the salad. Once made, place it in an air-tight container or mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

It’s great for a crowd and even better for a potluck. Assemble the salad in a large enough bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Bring the dressing with you. When you’re there, drizzle the dressing and toss together.

Ingredient Notes

• Lettuce – Crisp and sturdy; the base of the salad.
• Red onion – Thinly sliced for a sharp bite.
• Tomato – Roma tomatoes work best for color and texture.
• Black olives – Canned, sliced, and briny—just like the original.
• Pepperoncini peppers – Mildly spicy and vinegary; a must-have.
• Croutons – Choose seasoned croutons for that Olive Garden crunch.
• Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated or shredded for a salty, nutty finish.

You can buy Olive Garden’s signature Italian dressing at many grocery stores, or make your own copycat version with:

• 1 (1.7 oz) packet Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
• ½ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

If you make this Olive Garden House Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I’d love to hear what you think about it, or better yet, see what you’re cooking! Tag me @fettysfoodblog with your creation.