Olive Garden Salad Recipe: Famous Italian Restaurant Copycat

My first visit to Olive Garden remains etched in my memory—not because of the pasta or breadsticks (though they were delicious), but because of that legendary salad. As our server approached the large chilled bowl, I was immediately drawn to the vibrant colors: deep purple onions, bright green pepperoncini, rich black olives, and the light dusting of aged cheese over crisp lettuce. One bite of that perfectly dressed salad, and I was hooked. For years, I found myself craving that distinctive combination of flavors and textures between restaurant visits until I finally decided to recreate it at home. After some experimentation, I’m thrilled to share this spot-on copycat recipe that brings the magic of Olive Garden’s famous salad right to your dining table.

homemade Olive Garden salad in a wood bowl

This iconic Italian salad is wonderfully fresh, crisp, and topped with signature add-ins that elevate it far beyond an ordinary garden salad. Best of all, it’s surprisingly simple to recreate at home with just a handful of ingredients.

What You’ll Need

Equipment

  • Large salad bowl (glass or ceramic works best)
  • Salad tongs or servers
  • Sharp knife for slicing vegetables

Ingredients

  • Olive Garden salad dressing – The signature tangy, herb-infused Italian dressing that brings all the elements together
  • American salad mix – Provides the fresh, crisp base for the salad, usually containing romaine, iceberg, and red cabbage for varied textures and colors
  • Pitted black olives – Add a distinctive Mediterranean flavor and meaty texture that contrasts beautifully with the crisp lettuce
  • Pepperoncini peppers – Contribute a mild, tangy heat and vinegary brightness that cuts through the richness of the cheese and dressing
  • Red onions – Deliver a sharp, aromatic bite that becomes more mellow when thinly sliced
  • Roma tomatoes – Offer juicy sweetness and beautiful color contrast, plus essential freshness
  • Parmesan or Romano cheese – Adds savory, salty richness and umami depth that ties all the flavors together
  • Croutons – Provide crucial textural contrast with their satisfying crunch and garlicky flavor

The Perfect Lettuce Blend

While the restaurant uses a specific mix, at home you can achieve excellent results with:

  • 70% romaine for structure and crunch
  • 20% iceberg for refreshing crispness
  • 10% red cabbage for color and nutrition
  • Pre-packaged American blend or Italian blend works perfectly

Temperature Matters

  • Chill your salad bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before assembling
  • Use cold ingredients straight from the refrigerator
  • Dress the salad just before serving to maintain crispness

Sizing and Cutting

  • Slice red onions paper-thin for the right intensity without overpowering
  • Halve or quarter larger olives for better distribution
  • Cut tomatoes into quarters or eighths depending on size

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Chill your equipment: Place your salad bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before preparation.
  2. Prepare your ingredients: While the bowl chills, slice your onions very thinly, quarter your tomatoes, and drain the olives and pepperoncini.
  3. Build the base: Remove the chilled bowl from the freezer and add the entire bag of salad mix.
  4. Layer the add-ins: Top the lettuce with sliced red onions, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, and tomatoes.
  5. Add the finishing touches: Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and add a generous handful of croutons.
  6. Dress and serve: Drizzle with Olive Garden salad dressing, toss gently to combine, and serve immediately for maximum freshness.
a bowl of homemade Olive Garden salad
homemade Olive Garden salad in a wood bowl

Copycat Olive Garden Salad

Recreate the famous Olive Garden salad at home with this easy recipe. Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, tangy pepperoncini, purple onions, and black olives tossed with signature Italian dressing and topped with crunchy croutons and Parmesan cheese. This restaurant-quality salad comes together in just 10 minutes.
4.92 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Olive Garden Recipes, Olive Garden Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 24kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces iceberg salad blend
  • ½ red onion thinly sliced
  • 6 pitted black olives
  • 4 pepperoncini or banana peppers
  • ½ cup croutons
  • 1 tomato quartered
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • ½ cup Olive Garden Salad Dressing

Instructions

  • Chill your salad bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
  • Empty the bag of salad into the bowl.
  • Top the salad with sliced onion, olives, pepperoncini, croutons, and tomatoes.
  • Add freshly grated cheese, if desired.
  • Add Olive Garden salad dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 7.9mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

For the Freshest Experience

  • Wash and dry lettuce: Up to 2 days ahead, store wrapped in paper towels in a sealed container
  • Prep vegetables: Slice onions, tomatoes, and drain olives/pepperoncini up to 1 day ahead
  • Assemble strategically: Keep all components separate until just before serving

Storing Leftovers

  • Dressed salad: Will remain crisp for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator
  • Undressed components: Can be stored separately for 2-3 days
  • Reviving wilted salad: Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of ice water, then drain well

The Perfect Olive Garden Salad Dressing

While you can purchase Olive Garden’s dressing at many grocery stores, making it at home allows you to customize the flavor:

Love Olive Garden? Try these copycat recipes!

Favorite Salad Recipes

Check out more of my easy salad recipes and the best Olive Garden recipes here on CopyKat!

Ready to bring the Olive Garden experience home? This salad is the perfect place to start! Pin this recipe for your next Italian dinner night or print it using the recipe card below. If you try it, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

About Stephanie Manley

Stephanie Manley is the creator of CopyKat.com. She has been recreating copycat recipes since 1995. Learn more about Stephanie Manley.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cherrie

    That’s a shame they use iceberg lettuce which has no nutritional value whatsoever. I would probably use romaine like someone suggested.

    • Barbara

      actually they use a mix of iceberg and romaine lettuce, along with roma tomatoes, red onion, black olives, and pepperocinis. I know this as I use to work for them. Then add your croutons. Not sure on all the spelling but you get the idea

  2. Katy, Ca

    Before OG changed their onions to raw red onions, they use to be a bright pink, thinly sliced, marinated onion that complimented the dressing wonderfully …do u have a recipe?
    And before they started cutting large tomatoes, they used cherry tomatoes, tasted better.
    I’m 53, n as a young girl these two items left a lasting impression…onions that were pretty n tasty….n learning how to fork a rolling tomato n trying not to squirt a tomato from my mouth. Lol

  3. Mike Arienti

    Why are people raving about this? It’s frickin’ ICEBURG LETTUCE, some other veggies, old bread and factory-made Italian dressing!

    • Donna

      I love their dressing. We were just there last night and I noticed they also had very tiny slivers of red cabbage. On the dressing, I’d use Agave instead of the Corn Syrup. Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe. YEA!

    • Donna

      5 stars
      Mike Arienti: When I look at a recipe, I will substitute ingredients for a similar one with a higher nutrition content. Anyone can change the lettuce, make their own croutons, but I wanted some idea of what they use in their dressing because I love the taste.

    • Stephanie

      Thank you for sharing that info. I have seen it for sale now. My recipe came out long before they started to sell this in the store. I hope you don’t mind if I keep the recipe up :-P.

  4. pammysue

    I have been making this salad for years. there is no artichokes in this salad. but there is pepperoncini peppers. after purchasing the pepperoncini at different stores, I really prefer them from Gordon’s Food Store. They are not so bitter and taste great live theres. Also the tomato is a roma tomato they serve at Olive Garden

  5. Mary Heath, Augusta, GA

    I asked 2 different people at the Olive Garden what kind of cheese do the use and both said Romano. Just thought you would like to know.

    Thanks for the update! ~Stephanie

  6. Anonymous

    The peppers are supposed to be pepperoncini peppers and roma tomatoes sold at most grocery stores- Wal-mart, Kroger, Mejiers…etc. The dressing is sold at the Olive Garden Restaurant!

4.92 from 12 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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