Olive Garden Salad Dressing
This homemade copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing tastes just like the restaurant version. Learn how to make this salad at home for your family and friends!
Love Olive Garden Copycat Recipes? Try my Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe next!
I definitely like Olive Garden’s salad more than anyone else on the planet. I really do. Although you can buy their salad dressing online or in stores, it’s easy/inexpensive to make your own!
Be sure to pair your dressing with the classic salad ingredients that Olive Garden uses! ⬇️
Olive Garden Salad Ingredients
- Fresh Iceberg Lettuce
- Vine Ripened Tomatoes
- Large Black olives
- Red onions
- Pepperoncini’s– Jarred and are found in the same section as the pickles/olives
- Croutons-You can actually purchase Olive Garden’s Croutons, OR make my homemade crouton recipe!)
- Parmesan cheese
Pro Tips
- Be sure to use a high quality olive oil that is made for salads and marinades. It should indicate this right on the front label. I use Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (I prefer smooth over robust.)
- Using a mini food processor makes it much easier to emulsify this dressing, which thickens in a bit and ensures it doesn’t separate.
- If your dressing separates, simply shake it prior to serving.
- If your olive oil solidifies during storage: Let it sit at room temperature until it liquifies, then shake to combine and serve. It may also become cloudy but is still safe. This may or may not happen, it depends on the type of olive oil used.
Storing Leftover Salad
- Refrigerate prepared salad as soon as possible in an airtight container, free from as much moisture as possible.
- Refrigerated salad lasts anywhere from 1-3 days, it’s only as good until the least-fresh ingredient in the salad begins to go bad.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Mini Food Processor– My favorite tool to easily combine/emulsify salad dressing.
- Salad Dressing Shaker
- Salad Dressing Serving Container (Cruet)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil– Developed for dressings and marinades.
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Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, high-quality olive oil yields much better results in this recipe
- .7 oz Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
- 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon Romano, grated. (Optional.)
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons mayo, not miracle whip
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, salt
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: pepper, garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor or a jar with a lid and blend/shake thoroughly until combined. Chill until ready to use.
- Be sure to shake before each use.
Notes
- Be sure to use a high quality olive oil that is made for salads and marinades. It should indicate this right on the front label. I use Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (I prefer smooth over robust.)
- Using a mini food processor makes it much easier to emulsify this dressing, which thickens in a bit and ensures it doesn't separate.
- If your dressing separates, simply shake it prior to serving.
- If your olive oil solidifies during storage: Let it sit at room temperature until it liquifies, then shake to combine and serve. It may also become cloudy but is still safe. This may or may not happen, it depends on the type of olive oil used.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per tablespoon there are approximately 22 tablespoons in this recipe.
This dressing is excellent.
Wonderful! I’m so happy that you love it Shelly, thank you!
Hi. With all groceries now, we have schrinkage. The Zesty Italian dressing mix is now .6 which seems to have made the flavor not as zesty. Is there something you can add to boost the dressing? I followed the recipe and this was the only difference.
Hi Dianna! I would add more of an additional packet until you’re desired level of zest is obtained! You can go higher than the recipe outlines if preferred!
Can you reply with the original version of this recipe?? Pre September 8, 2023 update? I prefer that version and I don’t have a copy of that one. Thanks so much!!
Hi Jill! Yes, this is what it was before I made a few tweaks!
.7 oz. Italian Dressing Mix
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil,, high-quality olive oil yields much better results in this recipe
6 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ Tablespoon mayo, not miracle whip
Hi, i tried this recipe yesterday and while delicious (even with ommitting a few ingredients) it seems very runny, is there a way to fix this? I added more mayo but that didnt seem to do the trick
Hi Cathie! Have you ever had Olive Garden Salad dressing? (I pretty much live on it, lol)- It’s not thick 🙂 It has the consistency of your typical Italian Salad Dressing.
Hi Stephanie!
Thanks for another go-to dressing recipe.
I use it often on lettuce wedges, halved grape tomatoes and chopped bacon. My preference then, is to make it a bit thicker. To thicken, I add a small amount of fresh-grated Parmesan cheese and combine it in a mini-food processer — about 2 tablespoons for my desired consistency. The cheese emulsifies better in a food processor, as opposed to using a whisk or shaker. I do the same for added thickness to any dressing and shake the container before use, to reconstitute any separation. You can also use Romano, Asiago or a combo of any. In addition to use as a thickening agent, I find the cheese to add another level of great flavor to your original recipe.
Nice work making tweaks Robert, and thanks for sharing them!💗
Thanks for the recipe Stephanie. I appreciate you.
You’re very welcome Phyllis, I appreciate you! Thanks so much for the great review!😃
Wow recipe
Yayyyy! Thanks so much!❤️
Can you freeze this well
Hi Dee, I haven’t tried freezing this but I think that it would separate and not thaw well from frozen.
I have made this and it is really good! I am curious though, if one were to use Miracle Whip instead of mayo would it ruin it?
Hey! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! I am not exactly sure if it would ruin it to use Miracle Whip but I know the taste would be off!
I ❤ this recipe! It is sooo good, the Italian Seasoning mix IS definitely what makes the difference .
I’m so happy to hear you love this! I’m obsessed with this salad dressing!😋 Olive garden is my guilty pleasure. Thanks so much for the review!
I just made, but used sour cream. I love it. Very tasty.
Happy to hear you loved it Lisa! Thanks so much for the review!😀