"olive Garden" Salad and Dressing Recipe

GrillKing's Note:

This salad with it's dressing is wonderfully authentic in taste to the salad served at the "Olive Garden" restaurants. The dressing recipe makes enough dressing to cover a large bowl of salad.

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons romano cheese
• 1 -2 minced fresh garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Salad

• 1 DOLE Italian Salad Variety
• 4 sliced rings purple onions (halved)
• 8 jumbo black olives (pitted)
• 6 banana peppers (peperoncini-I use Merzzetta's Imported Greek Golden)
• 1/2 cup crouton
• 2 roma tomatoes (quartered)
• parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• pepper, corns (freshly ground)

Directions:

1. For the dressing: Mix the first eleven ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little to tart for your own personal taste, add 1 Tablespoon of sugar.
2. For the salad: Pour 1/2 package of the salad blend into a large salad bowl. Top with 1/2 of the onion, olives, banana peppers, croutons and tomatoes. Add dressing to taste and toss well. Add the other 1/2 bag of salad and more dressing to taste. Toss well. Top the salad with the remaining onion, olives, banana peppers, croutons and tomatoes. Pass the grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper mill at the table.

Reviews

[Andi of Longmeadow Farm]

Well, I followed this exactly, adding the correct amount of sugar, and all the rest of the ingredients, and found this to be as darn close to Olive Garden salad dressing as there ever was. It was a cross between a vinaigrette and a nice creamy dressing, perfect! It's even better after it sits for a good time after making. Please try this! Made for "I Recommend" tag game 2012

[icandoit185]

I didn't feel the dressing was authentic at all. It was too vinegary.

[Sydney Mike]

Can't remember the last time I was at an Olive Garden restaurant, so I have know idea about how authentic this recipe might be! However, I can tell you that this recipe does make for a very delicious salad & an outstanding dressing! I'm usually partial to the red salad dressings while my other half enjoys the creamier ones, but both of us thought this was well-worth a 5-star rating! Thanks for sharing it! [Made & reviewed for one of my adopted chefs in this Spring's Pick A Chef event]