People are strongly opinionated when it comes to Olive Garden, but one thing that most can agree on - their signature salad is really, really good.
So, I present to you a homemade version of this classic dish that tastes just like the real thing! And it's easy to make it vegan if you so desire!
PS - Meal prep this at the beginning of the week and you have a ready to go salad dressing all week long! It will go with pretty much any salad toppings you have on hand.
Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
Salad - (I don't give exact amounts for your salad ingredients. Use what you have on hand/add more or less to meet your preferences)
2 (9-ounce) bags salad mix of choice, or 2 heads of chopped lettuce
Tomatoes, halved
Pepperoncinis
Sliced black olives
Thinly sliced red onion
Shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese (can use vegan alternative if desired)
Croutons of choice
Dressing -
4 Tbsp EVOO
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp sour cream (can also use plain Greek yogurt or veganaisse)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp honey (can sub sugar or maple syrup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. You can also use an emersion blender if you have one.
In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.
Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and toss gently to combine.
We have served this with just about everything, but here are a few ideas:
This Maryland Crab Cake recipe and tons of breadsticks (just like Olive Garden!)
Some simple grilled chicken