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Better Than Olive Garden Salad

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A fresh and zesty copycat of Olive Garden’s classic side salad, made with crisp greens, olives, peppers, and a homemade Italian dressing. Perfect as an appetizer or side dish.

  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 bag Fresh Express Salad Kit (American variety, includes lettuce mix and croutons)

½ cup green olives, sliced (reserve 1 Tbsp olive juice)

½ cup banana pepper rings (reserve 2 Tbsp pepper juice)

1 small red onion, sliced thin

810 pepperoncini peppers, whole or halved

¼ cup powdered Parmesan cheese (plus 2 Tbsp for topping)

1 chunk Parmesan cheese (for shaving over salad)

½ Tbsp dried parsley

1 bottle Wishbone Zesty Robusto Italian Dressing

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp celery seed

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp tomato powder (optional)

Instructions

  1. Empty the salad kit into a large bowl.
  2. Add the sliced red onion, green olives (with 1 Tbsp reserved juice), banana pepper rings (with 2 Tbsp reserved juice), and pepperoncini peppers.
  3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the Italian dressing with the reserved olive and pepper juices.
  4. Whisk in black pepper, celery seed, dried oregano, tomato powder (if using), and ¼ cup powdered Parmesan until well blended.
  5. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat evenly.
  6. Shave the Parmesan chunk over the salad using a vegetable peeler.
  7. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp powdered Parmesan and dried parsley.
  8. Serve immediately as a side or appetizer.

Notes

Chill all ingredients before assembling for extra crispness.

Adjust spice level by increasing or decreasing the amount of pepper juice.

Salad holds well in the fridge for up to 1 hour; toss again before serving.

Add cherry tomatoes or cucumber slices for extra crunch and color.

  • Author: Chloe Mae
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Tossed
  • Cuisine: Italian-American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 220
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Sodium: 720mg
  • Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 4g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 13g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 12g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Cholesterol: 10mg