I’m cranking up the nostalgia today with this Copycat Olive Garden Salad recipe! I don’t remember the last time I actually went to Olive Garden, but damn did I love their salad and breadsticks combo. The best part about making this fan favorite at home is that you can add as many olives and pepperoncini peppers as you like! Plus there’s just something about homemade croutons that will always beat the pre-made, bagged stuff.

serve it with:

Homemade Croutons

Crusty bread like sourdough or Italian transforms into gorgeous, golden Homemade Croutons with the help of garlic and thyme infused olive oil.

recipe

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to recreate this Copycat Olive Garden Salad at home:

• Lettuce – Olive Garden salad is made with a base of iceberg lettuce, but you can do a mix of iceberg and romaine if you’d like (or even all romaine like I used).
• Tomatoes – I prefer Roma tomatoes since they give you the most tomato “meat” with the least water inside.
• Red onions – Chop them or slice them however you like! The rings are harder to eat than a finer chop, but they give you a more authentic OG vibe.
• Pepperoncini peppers – These tangy and bright pickled peppers are arguably the star of this salad. I like to get the pre-sliced ones at the store rather than having to cut them up myself.
• Black olives – Co-star to the pepperoncinis, black olives bring a welcome relief to some of the more acidic ingredients in this salad.
• Croutons – I prefer my Homemade Croutons over the bagged store-bought stuff, but there are even Olive Garden branded croutons that you can buy if you’re looking to save time.
• Parmesan cheese – When you make this at home, you never have to tell the waiter “when” and can just keep going if you like. No judgement here 😉
• Dressing – I hit the easy button and just bought the Olive Garden creamy Italian dressing at the store, but I’m sure you can find recipes for homemade on Pinterest if you want to do it yourself.

tips to

Meal Prep this Salad

Add Juicy Air Fryer Chicken to make this a complete meal and follow these tips to keep the salad fresh all week:

• Use dedicated, quality salad prep containers to keep ingredients separated.
• Add a small piece of paper towel under the lettuce to absorb any excess moisture.
• Keep the tomatoes, olives, and pepperoncinis away from the lettuce to avoid sogginess.
• Keep the croutons out of the fridge so they stay crunchy.
• Add the cheese for just before serving.

more salad prep tips

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Recipe

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Olive Garden Salad

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 cups romaine lettuce, sliced, (340 grams)
• ▢ 1 cup Homemade Croutons
• ▢ 1/2 cup Light Olive Garden Italian salad dressing, (4 oz)
• ▢ 1/2 cup red onion, sliced, (73 grams)
• ▢ 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, (27 grams)
• ▢ 24 low sodium pitted black olives, (72 grams)
• ▢ 9 Pepperoncini peppers, sliced, (90 grams)
• ▢ 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped, (124 grams)

Instructions

• Layer salad ingredients in serving dishes or meal prep containers, setting aside croutons, cheese, and dressing until ready to serve.

Tips & Tricks

Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Copycat Olive Garden Salad” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 225kcal (11%), Carbohydrates: 22g (7%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 11g (17%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 10mg (3%), Sodium: 978mg (43%), Potassium: 107mg (3%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 5g (6%)