Olive Garden Salad and Dressing
This green salad with its 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. I only use two thirds of the dressing, but use more according to your taste. I like to use homemade extra large croutons in this recipe.
This green salad with its 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. I only use two thirds of the dressing, but use more according to your taste. I like to use homemade extra large croutons in this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 2 tablespoons romano cheese
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 1 bag american blend dole salad
- 4 sliced rings purple onion (halved)
- 8 jumbo black olives (pitted)
- 6 banana peppers (pepperoncini)
- 1/2 cup croutons
- 2 roma tomatoes (quartered)
- parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- pepper corns (freshly ground)
- Carbohydrate 46.7353192184595 g
- Cholesterol 17.306 mg
- Fat 17.8680010729104 g
- Fiber 4.9168154557732 g
- Protein 7.50453572653969 g
- Saturated Fat 3.63614115799262 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (293g)
- Sodium 578.108104166625 mg
- Sugar 41.8185037626863 g
- Trans Fat 1.00253412756281 g
- Calories 368 calories
Step-by-step
- 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.
- 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.
Mayonnaise acts as the primary emulsifying agent in this dressing, binding the white vinegar, vegetable oil, and lemon juice into a cohesive liquid rather than allowing them to separate immediately. Standard blenders or small food processors create the necessary high-shear agitation to fully incorporate the garlic clove and hard cheeses into the base without leaving large particulate matter behind. Using a high-speed appliance ensures the corn syrup and sugar, if added, dissolve completely into the acidic vinegar solution.
Creamy vinaigrettes containing dairy solids and mayonnaise require careful refrigeration management. Store the blended dressing in an airtight glass jar for up to seven days at 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing is not recommended because the emulsion will break upon thawing, resulting in an oily, separated liquid that cannot be successfully re-blended at home. Dress only the portion of greens intended for immediate service to prevent the crisp lettuce and onions from going limp in storage.
Common preparation errors involve failing to mince the garlic adequately before blending or dumping all the dressing onto the leaves at once, which drowns the vegetables. Adding the dressing gradually in stages allows the sturdy bag greens and croutons to absorb flavor evenly without losing structural crunch. Freshly cracking whole peppercorns directly over individual plates releases volatile aromatic compounds that pre-ground black pepper simply cannot match.
Budget-conscious meal planning benefits from utilizing pantry staples like corn syrup and bottled vinegar which remain shelf-stable for months. Purchasing bulk Romano and Parmesan cheeses and grating them fresh yields superior melting and coating properties compared to pre-shredded supermarket varieties coated in cellulose anti-caking agents. Layering the remaining un-dressed salad components in a separate sealed container keeps moisture levels stable until the next meal service.
