Name: Olive Garden Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 9 ounce bag romaine lettuce hearts; 2 Roma tomatoes (sliced ¼ inch thick); ½ small red onion (sliced thin); 8 ounces whole black olives (drained); 8-10 ounces whole pepperoncini; 2 cups garlic croutons; 1 cup finely grated fresh parmesan; ¾ cup olive oil; ¼ cup avocado oil; ½ cup white vinegar; 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise; 1 pack Italian Dressing packet; 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice; Salt and pepper to taste

By: Jill Mills Updated: Jun 26, 2025

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With romaine lettuce hearts, pepperoncini, olives, and more tossed in a creamy Italian dressing, this Olive Garden Salad recipe is exactly like the restaurant version. Fresh and flavorful, it takes just 10 minutes to prepare!

I won’t lie – sometimes I go to Olive Garden just so I can eat the salad! As much as I love the breadsticks and chicken gnocchi soup, it’s usually the salad I can’t stop thinking about. It’s so fresh and though the ingredients are simple, it’s wildly flavorful. And the creamy homemade Olive Garden dressing! Yum! I love to whip this up as a side or starter for pasta dishes, whether it’s another copycat recipe, classic spaghetti and meatballs, or chicken alfredo bake.

What Makes This Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe So Good

If you love the restaurant salad as much as I do, I probably don’t have to convince you of anything. But here are a few reasons why I love this copycat recipe.

Just like Olive Garden. This recipe is a true copycat, right now to the dressing! The salad is made with simple ingredients, like tomatoes, olives, and pepperoncini, and topped with that addicting creamy Italian dressing.
The dressing! One of the things that makes Olive Garden salad so good is their creamy Italian dressing. I worked hard to figure out the exact combination of ingredients to get that same flavor and slightly creamy texture. (Hint – a small amount of mayo is one of the secret ingredients!)
Fresh, fast, and flavorful. It takes less than 10 minutes to assemble this dressing and the salad is piled with fresh veggies. The dressing can be stored for up to 2 weeks, making it even easier to whip this up anytime the craving strikes. (Which, if you’re anything like me, will be frequently!)

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make Olive Garden salad recipe

What You’ll Need

Both the dressing and the salad are made with just a handful of ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Ingredients for the salad:

Lettuce – Romaine lettuce hearts are what Olive Garden uses, so that’s what I’m using here.
Veggies – Roma tomatoes, red onion, whole black olives, and whole pepperoncini peppers.
Garlic croutons – Grab a bag at the store or make your own with day-old bread.
Parmesan – Finely grated fresh parmesan cheese is key here!

Ingredients for dressing:

Oil – I used a combination of olive oil and avocado oil to add more depth to the flavor. Avocado oil is also thinner than olive oil. If you don’t have avocado oil, you can use 1/4 cup of water instead.
White vinegar – Just regular, plain white vinegar!
Mayonnaise – A small amount of mayo adds some creaminess to the dressing.
Italian dressing packet – For the closest flavor, use the Good Seasons Italian Dressing packet. Other brands would work as well, the flavor profile just might not be as exact.
Granulated sugar – A pinch of sugar helps to balance the acidity in the dressing.
Fresh lemon juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the dressing.
Salt & pepper

How To Make Olive Garden Salad

Assembling this salad takes just a few seconds! The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Creamy Italian dressing ingredients in a jar

Lettuce, pepperoncini, olives, onion, Parmesan, croutons, and tomatoes in a bowl

Make Olive Garden salad dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar or measuring cup. Add the lid and shake or whisk vigorously to incorporate. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Assemble the salad. Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to mix.
Add the dressing. Pour 1/2 cup of the dressing on the salad. Toss again.
Enjoy. Serve immediately, with additional dressing on the side.

Tips & Variations

Here are a few tips for making Olive Garden salad at home.

Shake vigorously. Whether you’re shaking the dressing in a mason jar or whisking it in a measuring cup, do so vigorously to ensure the ingredients fully combine. The dressing should thicken a little.
Use an immersion blender. If you have an immersion blender it will help thicken the dressing faster than shaking.
Customize the salad. Feel free to add other veggies to the salad or omit those you don’t love. It won’t be exactly like the official Olive Garden salad recipe but part of the joy of making it at home is being able to customize it.
Wait to add the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving. If you intend to have leftovers, you can skip this step and add the dressing directly to the bowls of salad.

Overhead view of a plate of Olive Garden salad

Serving Suggestions

To make it a true Olive Garden dinner at home, I love to serve this salad with my favorite copycat Olive Garden recipes. Warm Olive Garden breadsticks are a must! For pasta, my go-to is this chicken pasta. I also love a good soup-salad-breadsticks combo with lasagna soup, pasta e fagioli, or Zuppa Toscana soup.

Of course, it also works as a side dish for pretty much any other dinner. Or add some strips of grilled chicken to turn it into a filling meal itself.

How To Store Leftovers

Store the salad. Leftover Olive Garden salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. I recommend not adding the dressing if this is the plan, to avoid the lettuce becoming soggy.
Store the dressing. The dressing can be stored up to two weeks in the refrigerator with an airtight lid. Just give it a good shake/whisk before using it again.

Olive Garden Salad Recipe