Description
A fresh and vibrant Olive Garden-style salad featuring a crisp medley of lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes, topped with a zesty homemade Italian dressing, croutons, and Parmesan cheese. This salad is perfect as a light appetizer or a side dish to complement various meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 8 cups chopped lettuce (combination of iceberg and romaine)
- ¼ cup red cabbage, shredded
- ¼ cup carrots, julienne
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced
- ½ cup black olives, sliced
- 2 roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1/3 cup pepperoncini peppers, jarred
- 1 cup croutons
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Dressing
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (prefer smooth variety)
- 1 (.7 oz) packet Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese (can substitute Parmesan)
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a mini food processor or a jar with a lid. Blend or shake vigorously to emulsify. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare Salad Ingredients: Rinse and chop the lettuce, shred the red cabbage, julienne the carrots, slice the red onion, black olives, and roma tomatoes. Use a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture from the tomato slices to keep the salad fresh and crisp.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, red onion, black olives, tomatoes, and pepperoncini peppers. Toss gently to mix all ingredients evenly.
- Dress the Salad: Drizzle the salad with the desired amount of the prepared Italian dressing (about half to two-thirds of the dressing). Toss well to coat the salad evenly. You will not need to use all of the dressing at once.
- Add Toppings and Serve: Sprinkle the salad with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately to maintain freshness and crispness.
Notes
- Use a combination of iceberg and romaine lettuce for the best texture and flavor balance.
- Roma tomatoes or cocktail tomatoes work well; make sure to pat them dry to avoid soggy salad.
- Pepperoncini peppers can be found jarred near pickles and olives in most grocery stores.
- Freshly grated Parmesan and Romano cheese provide the best flavor in the salad and dressing, respectively.
- Extra virgin olive oil should be smooth rather than robust to avoid overpowering the dressing.
- Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and makes a great marinade for chicken.
- If the dressing solidifies when refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature until liquified, then shake before using.
- Toss the salad just before serving to keep it crisp and fresh.
- This salad pairs wonderfully with Olive Garden Alfredo or other Italian main dishes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
