Description
A vibrant and refreshing Olive Garden-inspired salad featuring chopped lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, onions, black olives, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, croutons, and Parmesan cheese, tossed with a zesty homemade Italian dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 8 cups chopped Lettuce
- ¼ cup red cabbage, shredded
- ¼ cup Carrots, julienne
- ¼ cup Red onion
- ½ cup black olives
- 2 roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1/3 cup pepperoncinis
- 1 cup croutons
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Dressing
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (0.7 oz) packet Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: Combine the extra virgin olive oil, Zesty Italian Dressing Mix, white vinegar, water, grated Romano cheese, sugar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a mini food processor or a jar with a lid. Blend or shake well until fully emulsified. Cover and refrigerate the dressing.
- Prepare Salad Ingredients: Slice the roma tomatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture, helping to keep the salad crisp and fresh. Chop the lettuce, shred the red cabbage, julienne the carrots, thinly slice the red onion, and measure black olives and pepperoncinis.
- Assemble Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, shredded red cabbage, julienned carrots, sliced red onion, black olives, sliced tomatoes, and pepperoncinis. Gently toss the vegetables together to mix.
- Add Dressing and Serve: Drizzle the salad with your desired amount of the prepared Italian dressing and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Sprinkle the salad with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese just before serving for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use a combination of iceberg and romaine lettuces for the best texture and flavor.
- Roma tomatoes are ideal, but cocktail tomatoes can be used as an alternative for a slightly different size and sweetness.
- Pepperoncini peppers are jarred and can be found near pickles and olives in most grocery stores.
- Freshly grate Parmesan and Romano cheeses from wedges for superior taste.
- The dressing makes about 1 ½ cups; any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and works great as a marinade.
- If the dressing solidifies when cold, let it come to room temperature and shake before using.
- Always mix the salad just before serving to ensure maximum freshness and crispness.
- For a complete meal experience, try pairing this salad with Olive Garden-style Alfredo or other Italian dishes.
