Description
Crispy Olive Garden Salad is a fresh, colorful side dish loaded with crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, olives, red onion, pepperoncini, Parmesan, and golden croutons tossed in creamy Italian dressing. It is an easy recipe for lunch, dinner ideas, holiday sides, quick salad nights, and food ideas when you want something crisp, zesty, and restaurant-style at home.
Ingredients
6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1 cup croutons
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup creamy Italian dressing
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Wash, dry, and chop the romaine and iceberg lettuce, then place them in a large serving bowl.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes, black olives, green olives, red onion, pepperoncini, and cucumber over the lettuce.
3. Sprinkle in half of the Parmesan cheese and drizzle the dressing over the salad.
4. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated without crushing the greens.
5. Top with croutons, the remaining Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
6. Serve immediately while the salad is crisp and the croutons stay crunchy.
Notes
For the best texture, do not add the dressing or croutons until just before serving, or the salad can turn soggy too quickly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 side serving
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Keywords: crispy olive garden salad, olive garden salad copycat, easy salad recipe, restaurant style salad, italian salad, side salad, lunch ideas, dinner ideas, food ideas