better than olive garden’s salad & dressing
This morning started with a tea party over at my friends’ Sheri and Dave’s place. I offered to bring the tea sandwiches. So, as soon as I got up, I walked up to the market to get ingredients for my classic cucumber tea sandwiches and for carrot cheddar curry tea sandwiches. This time I made the cucumber sammys with fresh basil leaves and you should have heard the rave reviews! 🙂 We enjoyed a lovely few hours of conversation and tea. Loved Sheri’s pierogis and apple cake and Dave’s Pu erh! Thanks again, friends!
Here’s the recipe you’ve all been waiting for…. the simple, delicious adaptation of Olive Garden’s salad and dressing. SO yummy and easy to put together! We always ask for extra toppings on our salad when we visit this popular Italian restaurant, so I decided to model my recipe closer to our version with the extras. Enjoy!
for the salad:
(serves 8)
family size bag of Dole “American Blend” salad mix
1 14 oz. can black olives, drained well
several pepperoncini peppers
big garlic croutons (store bought or homemade)
2 to 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced
3 or 4 slices thinly sliced purple onion
freshly grated Romano cheese
“better than olive garden’s salad dressing” (see below)
Place all ingredients in a large, chilled salad bowl. Top with the dressing and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated. Place in chilled, single serving glass salad bowls. Top with extra grated Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
for the dressing:
In the bowl of a blender, combine…
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon dry Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Zip all in blender until well combined. Decant into a canning jar or cruet. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator until ready to use. This dressing will keep in your refrigerator for 7 days.
XO,
~Melissa
Thanks for this, we don’t live close to an Olive Garden any more
and how I miss it. After trying this salad once it’s now a staple. Thanks so much!!!
Also, I printed and keep handy the list of salad dressin recipes. Tonight I’m trying the Lowell Inn Tomato.
Love your blog!
Hello there Sweetie! thanks for the sweet compliment 🙂 I am SO pleased that you enjoy my blog, recipes and ramblings. I think you’re going to LOVE that salad! The Lowell Inn dressings are pretty darn yummy too! I make their “house” dressing all the time. It’s awesome with the creamy blue cheese. XO
Trying it with fresh picked garden greens and subbing out the corn syrup for honey. I think it’ll be yummy!
Hi Heidi! enjoy! 🙂
1/4 cup corn syrup or honey? Sounds like a lot, to me! Where do I find the recipe for the Lowell Inns dressing? I LOVE blue cheese!
Hi Bonner! Nope…1/4 cup is correct. here’s the Lowell Inn Salad Dressing post. enjoy… 🙂
http://chindeep.com/2011/07/04/some-recipes-from-stillwaters-lowell-inn/
and here’s the Blue cheese…
http://chindeep.com/2013/06/03/creamy-blue-cheese-dressing/
As always, thank you, sweetie, for your wonderful recipes!
Always a pleasure, honey girl! xoxo 🙂
Excellent!!!!
Thanks, Deloris! Enjoy 🙂
Can I substitue honey for the corn syrup? Sounds yummy, I’ve never been to an Olive Garden, cause the closest one is 7 hours away, but I see their commercials all the time and it sure looks good!
You sure can, Charlene! enjoy 🙂
looks so yummy! will definitely try the dressing with my greens
Thanks for visiting, Sophia 🙂 Enjoy!
I didn’t have honey or corn syrup so I used sugar with some water and it tastes good! Thank you for sharing
My pleasure, Stasi! thanks for letting me and my readers know that sugar works in this 🙂 xo
Looks perfect. Will be making this, sharing, and pinning.
Hi Dan! So pleased you like the recipe! thanks for commenting, and for spreading the word! Much appreciated! 🙂
Hi Melissa! I can’t wait to try this! Do you have any idea what the calories per serving this dressing is?
Hi Lori! Sorry, I have no idea what the calorie content would be. It’s probably close to what most, premium dressings would be. Definitely not low fat. Thanks for visiting, and enjoy 🙂
Thanks anyway Melissa!
🙂
Had this pinned from your site then couldn’t find it. I guess I have too many things on my want to make list. However, the salad went over so well. Everyone liked it so much and there was so little left. We were at a picnic for Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs volunteer picnic. I think your dressing sounds so good, I’m going to put it in the cookbook for Izaak Walton League, Mountaineer Chapter, of course with proper credit to your site.
Thanks for the good recipe. I’m glad you have reposted it.
Hi Ruth! 🙂
I’m so glad you like the recipes! Thanks for the kind mention in your cookbook! Much appreciated! XOXO ~M
Good morning. Love Olive Garden and that’s my BF first request when going out to dinner or lunch. Would love to make this at home but we don’t own a blender or processor. Can this be shaken up in a mason jar and stored in it? Thanks. Love your site.