Olive Garden Salad (Printable version)

Crisp romaine salad with Italian dressing pepperoncini and Parmesan toppings

# What you need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
02 - 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
03 - 1 cup sliced Roma tomatoes
04 - ½ cup sliced black olives
05 - 1 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
06 - 1 large cucumber, sliced

→ Toppings

07 - 1 cup large garlic croutons
08 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ Dressing

09 - ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - ¼ cup white wine vinegar
11 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano)
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 1 teaspoon sugar
17 - ½ teaspoon salt
18 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

# How To:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce, thinly sliced red onions, Roma tomatoes, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, and cucumber slices.
02 - In a separate bowl or mason jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, dried Italian herbs, minced garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat all the ingredients evenly.
04 - Top with garlic croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately for the best crunch and flavor.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dressing stays perfectly emulsified thanks to that sneaky bit of mayo, so every leaf gets coated instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Pepperoncini peppers bring a mild, briny heat that makes people go back for thirds without realizing it.
  • Everything is customizable and you likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now.
02 -
  • If you dress the salad and let it sit, the romaine will collapse and the croutons turn mushy, so always add the dressing right before serving.
  • Tasting the dressing on a lettuce leaf instead of off a spoon gives you a much more accurate sense of how it will read in the finished salad.
03 -
  • Soak the sliced red onions in ice water for ten minutes before adding them to mellow their bite without losing their crunch.
  • Shaking the dressing in a jar rather than whisking it creates a smoother emulsion with almost no effort and fewer dishes to wash.

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