Yes, yes I do like freshly grated Parmesan on my copycat of the Olive Garden salad mix. I don’t hide it. I’m not ashamed of it. Keep it coming, keep grating and don’t expect me to say ‘stop’ any time soon! Now, I love the rest of the salad too. The crunchy crisp greens. Tomatoes. Croutons. Red onions. And my two favorites: large black olives and pepperoncini. All lightly dressed in Olive Garden’s signature Italian dressing!
This is the easiest way I know to make a fantastic salad in no time. We actually had this as a main dish for dinner. I roasted a few chicken breasts, sliced them, and served them on top of the salad. It made for a great, healthy dinner! Whether served as a side salad or amped up with other toppings, the base recipe for this copycat Olive Garden salad mix is a winner!
Also try my copycat of the Santa Fe chicken salad from Max and Erma’s.
Copycat Olive Garden Salad Mix
Ingredients
- 12 ounces iceberg salad blend, from a bag
- 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 8 large black olives pitted
- 4 whole pepperoncini or, 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 2 large tomato quartered
- Freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese optional
- Olive Garden Seasoned Croutons
- Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Instructions
- Place your salad bowls, plates or whatever you plan on using for serving into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving time.
- Open salad package and empty the contents into a large bowl.
- Add the onion, olives, pepperoncini, croutons, tomato slices and croutons.
- Drizzle with some dressing (don't flood it) and then toss gently to coat everything in the dressing.
- Serve with freshly grated cheese over the top.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.