Description
A crisp, colorful, and satisfying copycat of Olive Garden’s house salad, featuring fresh vegetables, pepperoncini, olives, croutons, and a creamy Italian-style dressing made from scratch.
Ingredients
- 1 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 6–8 Pepperoncini peppers
- 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 cup Pitted black olives
- 1/4 Red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup Seasoned croutons
- 1/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese
- Dressing:
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup White wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Water
- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Layer half the lettuce, olives, red onion, tomatoes, and croutons in a large serving bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining lettuce, olives, onion, tomatoes, and croutons.
- Arrange the pepperoncini peppers on top.
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and set the salad aside.
- Make the dressing: whisk or shake olive oil, vinegar, water, mayo, sugar, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently.
Notes
- Wait to add croutons and dressing until just before serving to maintain crunch.
- Dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Customize with protein additions like grilled chicken or shrimp for a heartier meal.
- Use plant-based mayo and parmesan for a vegan option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 to 1½ cups
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
