The Best Copycat Olive Garden Dressing
Simple and delicious, thats the best way to cook! Knowing everything in your dressing is even better. Be prepared to be wowed with this copycat dressing!
- Mix: You can use a simple whisk to mix this or a blender to really emulsify it.
- Let it rest: Let the flavors meld together by letting it sit in the fridge for an hour at least before serving.
- Store it: Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to three weeks. Shake well before each use.
- Fresh: Make sure your Italian dressing mix and olive oil are fresh so the flavors are at their best.
Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana
I love the Olive Garden. There is something about their salad dressing and soups that calls to me. One of my favorites soups at the Olive Garden is their Zuppa Toscana. The light cream broth with spicy sausage and potatoes is so comforting and delicious. I look forward to ordering it whenever we go.
Because we live in the middle of the woods we dont get to eat out as often as we like so I decided to try and duplicate the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe at home and I have to say I think it is pretty close. I leave my spinach whole because I enjoy it that way but other than that , I think the taste is spot on!
What Ingredients Are Included In An Olive Garden Salad
An Olive Garden Salad is generally served as a bed of Romain lettuce topped with red onion, tomato, whole pepperoncinis, and kalamata olives. It can also be commonly served with croutons and in the restaurant they offer freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper to add table side. Please review the following list for the amounts you will need to make your own Olive Garden salad at home.
- 4-6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- half of a small red onion sliced into rings or half slices
- 1 large tomato, halved and sliced
- 8 whole pepperoncinis, drained
- 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup croutons
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- freshly cracked black pepper
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Ingredients For Italian Salad Dressing
With only 5 ingredients, you can whip this up whenever you have an intense craving in no time flat. This Olive Garden dressing is so tasty with a slight zing, you crave it on all your salads.
- Italian dressing mix: Make your own for the best results.
- Olive Oil: A definite must for this luscious dressing.
- White vinegar: This wont add color, just that tangy sour flavor of a good dressing.
- Water: Thins out the dressing to your desired consistency.
- Mayonnaise: Creates a bit of creaminess and mellows the vinegar.
How To Make Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Youll have this recipe memorized in no time which is great for whipping up last minute. It contains ingredients youve already got in your fridge Im sure, then you can use it for so much more than Olive Garden salad.
Heres the fun part! Theres virtually no work involved.
TIP: I like to use the jar with a lid just because its one less thing to clean up. I can just keep the jar in the fridge and pour straight from there!
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Can I Use Fresh Herbs Instead Of Dried
Yes. Fresh herbs are almost always preferablejust not as convenient. If you choose to use fresh herbs, make sure to chop them especially fine so their flavor can blend best with the oils and vinegar. Because dried herbs are more potent, youll need to use approximately 3 times more fresh herbs to substitute in place of the tried. So for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs, use 3 teaspoons fresh which is the equivalent of 1 tablespoon.
Homemade Olive Garden Salad Dressing
There are just those restaurants that you go to for specific reasons, and Olive Garden is one I go to for their endless salad. It is fresh and the perfect combination of flavors that are just divine. But what really makes the salad sing is the dressing. Its zesty, bright, and refreshing! Now you do not have to fight the crowds to enjoy their famous Olive Garden salad dressing with this perfect combination.
Make this Olive Garden salad dressing fresh and within five minutes of sitting down to dinner. Create a healthy, free from additives, preservatives and other things that you just do not need kind of salad with this dressing! Plus when you make it from scratch this olive garden dressing can be customized to your tastes. This copycat dressing is super easy and quick to make and you can have it on your salad in minutes!
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Do I Have To Use Mayonnaise
In order to create the creamy, richness of this dressing, you will need to use mayonnaise. You can omit the mayonnaise and it will still taste good, however, you will want to replace the mayonnaise with olive olive oil or plain greek yogurt. Bear in mind that if you use olive oil it will be more of a classic oil and vinegar dressing.
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How To Store Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Store in an airtight container and always keep refrigerated when not actively serving. Kept refrigerated, itll last you for up to a week if you dont use it all before then!
Like I said, this creamy condiment just becomes tastier with time, so I absolutely recommend making it the day before for an even yummier result.
Now, I do not recommend freezing the salad dressing. Things get weird with the oils, and the texture is off when its thawed. Its so easy to whip up a fresh batch, theres really no need to freeze it anyway!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing
This Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing brings that smooth and zesty flavor home to toss into your favorite green salad. Its simple and quick to make with nearly universal appeal!
This Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing brings that smooth and zesty flavor home to toss into your favorite green salad. Its simple and quick to make with nearly universal appeal!
Who doesnt like the fresh, light salad that Olive Garden is famous for? Its Caesar-Italian flavor is totally guiltless and light. Even so, most of us are too full to eat once our main dish arrives because we filled up on salad and bread sticksit happens to the best of us. Now, you can whip up that same Olive Garden dressing at home.
This copycat dressing calls for ingredients you probably have on hand already. Using mayonnaise for a little bit of creamy richness, this dressing rounds out with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, parmesan and other spices. Remember to serve this up the next time you feel like making an Italian dinner. Everything you need to copy the whole salad can be found in the recipe too. Buon Appetito!
How To Use Olive Garden Dressing
This dressing is not just for a green salad, although if that is all you used it for that would be fine. You can enjoy this incredible Olive Garden dressing on so much more. Use the dressing as a marinade for chicken and steak before grilling or air frying. Drizzle it over roasted or grilled vegetables. And lets not forget the pasta! This dressing is a must for some of the best pasta salads ever! Try it on these and just see how it adds to the flavor.
Salads
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Olive Garden Italian Dressing
Olive Garden Italian Dressing is so creamy, zesty, and tangy my mouth is watering just thinking about it! It has just enough sweetness and cheesiness, and goes with pretty much every salad under the sun.
This copycat Olive Garden dressing recipe tastes exactly like the original, but with fewer ingredients, preservatives, and other weird additives. All fresh, all natural, all the time. And all you have to do is blend it all up and youre ready to go.
Its easy to recreate your restaurant favorites right in your own kitchen! I have a special place in my heart for Olive Garden® dishes, so Im always trying to match that rustic flavor at home.
Read on to learn how to make my Olive Garden Italian Dressing recipe in less than 5 minutes!
Olive Garden Italian Dressing Faq
What is Olive Garden Salad Dressing made of?
The original restaurant dressing includes a bunch of ingredients to get a thick, creamy texture. That includes some extras like xanthan gum, dextrose, annatto color, cheese cultures even egg!
This copycat recipe, however, is much simpler. Mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Romano cheese, a handful of Italian seasonings, and youre good to go.
Want to get that iconic yellow color? Add a pinch of turmeric! A big thank you to the reader who made that recommendation!
Whats in Olive Gardens unlimited salad?
A fresh blend of romaine, red onion, Roma tomatoes, pepperoncini, black olives, and croutons make up the popular bottomless restaurant salad.
How can I use Olive Garden Italian Dressing?
It doesnt end with garden salad, thats for sure! Add the copycat Olive Garden dressing to a simple rotini pasta salad for a creamy Italian flavor. You can also use it to marinate chicken or pork, or drizzle it over roasted vegetables.
Personally, I love to brush it over bruschetta with fresh diced tomatoes.
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What Is An Olive Garden Salad
Its a combination of iceberg lettuce, sliced Roma tomatoes, black olives red onions, pepperoncinis, and topped with Parmesan cheese and homemade croutons. Together with the dressing, and a basket of soft garlicky Olive Garden breadsticks, its a light lunch made in heaven!
Of course, if youre looking to complete your meal try a soup! Zuppa Toscana or pasta e fagioli are always a great choice!
Can I Make The Dressing In Advance How Long Does It Last
Yes. You can make the dressing and store it in an airtight container or bottle for up to four weeks in the refrigerator. How long it lasts in the refrigerator depends on the freshness of the ingredients you use to make it.
If you like this dressing, you may also enjoy some of these other salad and salad dressing recipes:
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Whats In This Olive Garden Dressing Recipe
- Italian dressing mix packet This can be found anywhere you pick up your groceries in the same section youd find dips and dressings. If not, check out the seasoning section. Were taking this shortcut so we can get the flavors and essence of Italian dressing without all of its other ingredients.
- Olive oil Extra virgin olive oil is neutral tasting and a popular choice in many salad dressings. Its loaded with good fat and nutritional benefits, so dont skimp on this! If you dont have any on hand, you could opt for avocado oil instead.
- White vinegar Oil and vinegar is a traditional base for all kinds of vinaigrettes. The acidity delivers a zesty lip-smacking punch!
- Sugar The sweetness that counterbalances the above-mentioned punch. You can opt to use non-refined honey.
- Mayo The mayo adds a creamy texture which helps to thicken it up. The added oil and fat give it a richness taking it from a runny dressing to something with a little more substance. takes it from a
Ingredient Notes And Substitutions
- Mayonnaise To make this a true copycat Olive Garden salad dressing, use mayonnaise as a super creamy base. Dont hesitate to substitute Greek yogurt or a little extra oil to make things thinner or thicker as you please.
- White Vinegar As vinegary as it gets! This will get you closest to the original Olive Garden Italian Dressing recipe, but you could also use apple cider vinegar if you need to. Youll hardly taste the difference.
- Extra Light Olive Oil Extra light means extra neutral, which is exactly what we want. Extra light is not the same as extra virgin, so keep that in mind!
- Lemon Juice Fresh squeezed is key! Its fresher and doesnt have that harsh, lip-puckering effect that concentrate always has.
- Seasonings Its all about the seasonings! Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and sugar are all we need.
- Cheese Youll need double the cheese here: Romano for the dressing and Parmesan if youre making a salad as well. If you really prefer Parmesan, you could use it in the dressing instead of the Romano
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Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Blender A high power blender is a must in every kitchen.
- Cheese Grater Fresh cheese makes this recipe even better! Skip the bagged shreds and buy a block to grate yourself.
- Citrus Juicer This gets every last drop out, which makes juicing lemons so much easier.
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Olive Garden Salad Dressing
No need to head to the Olive Garden when you crave their salad and vibrant dressing. Its so easy to make at home and tastes exactly like it!
You cant have one without the other so it was super important to me to come up with the best copycat dressing to pair with my favorite copycat Olive garden salad!
The zesty, tangy, bright, and bold salad dressing stands up to the fresh crispy veggies every time. Were using an Italian dressing mix giving it the traditional flavors of Italian dressing and adding in some vinegar for that vinaigrette tang. The mayo provides the richness and of course, a little sugary sweetness to balance it all out.