Olive Garden Dressingis so creamy, zesty, and tangy…my mouth is watering just thinking about it! This creamy Italian dressing has just enough sweetness and cheesiness, and goes with pretty much every salad under the sun.
Read on to learn how to make my Olive Garden Italian Dressing recipe in less than 5 minutes!
That special blend of Italian spices makes the perfect copycat recipe! This is a must have recipe for any Italian kitchen, and I love making this famous salad dressing right at home.
Once I make this dressing, I’ll add more red onions and parmesan cheese to my salad because I love a crisp tasting salad with lots of flavor.
I’ll then add this dressing – and enjoy every bite!
Be sure that you store the homemade dressing in an airtight jar to keep that natural flavor. Don’t forget to pair with a bread stick or two!
You’ll have the best experience and a delicious serving of food to add to your daily diet with this yummy recipe!
Olive Garden Dressing
This copycat Olive Garden Italian dressing tastes exactly like the original but with fewer ingredients, preservatives, and other weird additives.
I love that there are no artificial flavors with this recipe like there is in the actual product. This is why I prefer making my own dressings at home.
It also just might reduce the calories amount and total fat amount when I’m able to use fresh ingredients and not anything processed!
Another perk of making your own DIY dressings is that you can reduce the sodium amount as needed as well.
All fresh, all-natural, all the time — all you have to do is blend it all up and you’re ready to go!
I absolutely love making my own salad dressings at home. It’s so much easier andsomuch tastier than the bottles of stuff you get from the grocery store.
Some of my other favorites include myButtermilk RanchandGreen Goddesssalad dressings.
In general, I’m no stranger to making pretty much everything homemade, including my Olive Garden® favorites!
Take a look at my othercopycat recipesto bring restaurant-level flavor right to your table.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise– To make this a true copycat Olive Garden salad dressing, use mayonnaise as a super creamy base.
Don’t hesitate to substitute Greek yogurt or a little extra oil to make things thinner or thicker to your liking.
- White Vinegar–This will get you closest to the original Olive Garden Italian Dressing recipe, but you could also use apple cider vinegar if you need to.
You’ll hardly taste the difference!
- Extra Light Olive Oil –Extra light means extra neutral, which is exactly what we want. Extra light isnotthe same as extra virgin, so keep that in mind!
- Lemon Juice –Fresh squeezed is key! It’s fresher and doesn’t have that harsh, lip-puckering effect that concentrate always has.
- Seasonings– It’s all about the seasonings! Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and sugar are all we need for this Olive Garden dressing recipe.
- Cheese– You’ll need double the cheese here: Romano for the dressing, plus Parmesan if you’re making a salad as well.
If you really prefer Parmesan, you could use it in the dressing instead of the Romano
How to Make Olive Garden Dressing and Salad
Step One:Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then transfer your creamy Italian dressing to the refrigerator.
Step Two:Wash and chop the Romaine lettuce — or chop first and run through a salad spinner if you have one. Add the greens to a large salad bowl.
Step Three:Slice the red onion and tomatoes and add to the bowl, then top with pepperoncini, black olives, croutons, and freshly shredded Parmesan.
Step Four:All that’s left to do is add the Olive Garden dressing, toss, and serve!
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Blender– A high-power blender is a must in every kitchen.
- Cheese Grater– Fresh cheese makes this copycat Olive Garden dressing recipe even better! Skip the bagged shreds and buy a block to grate yourself.
- Citrus Juicer– This gets every last drop out, which makes juicing lemons so much easier.
Olive Garden Italian Dressing FAQ
What is Olive Garden Salad Dressing made of?
The original restaurant version includes a bunch of ingredients to get a thick, creamy texture. That includes some extras like xanthan gum, dextrose, annatto color, cheese cultures… even egg!This copycat Olive Garden Italian Dressing recipe, however, is much simpler. Mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Romano cheese, a handful of Italian seasonings, and you’re good to go.Want to get that iconic yellow color? Add a pinch of turmeric! A big thank you to the reader who made that recommendation!
What’s in Olive Garden’s unlimited salad?
A fresh blend of romaine, red onion, Roma tomatoes, pepperoncini, black olives, and croutons make up the popular bottomless restaurant salad.
Serving Suggestions
The uses for Olive Garden Italian dressing don’t end with garden salad, that’s for sure!
Add copycat Olive Garden dressing to a simplerotini pasta saladfor a creamy Italian flavor. You can also use it to marinate chicken and pork, or drizzle it over roasted vegetables.
Personally, I love to brush it over bruschetta with fresh diced tomatoes.
Prep Ahead Instructions
This Olive Garden dressing recipe is absolutely made for being prepped ahead of time. And I usually do!
If you put it in the fridge a couple of hours before serving, all of the flavors meld together and make for an even more delicious condiment than when it’s made fresh.
Olive Garden dressing stays fresh in the fridge for up to a week, so don’t hesitate to make it even a couple of days beforehand.
Just give the bottle a good stir or shake before serving.
How To Store Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Store Olive Garden dressing in an airtight container andalwayskeep refrigerated when not actively serving.
Kept refrigerated, it’ll last you forup to a week— if you don’t use it all before then!
As I said, this creamy Italian dressing just becomes tastier with time, so I absolutely recommend making it the day before for an even yummier result.
Now, Ido not recommend freezingOlive Garden salad dressing. Things get weird with the oils, and the texture is off when it’s thawed.
It’s so easy to whip up a fresh batch, there’s really no need to freeze it anyway!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Olive Garden Italian Dressing (Copycat Salad Recipe)
Donna Elick
With Olive Garden Dressing, it takes just 5 minutes to make every salad a 5 star dish! This creamy Italian dressing is a must-make!
5 stars from 4 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Condiment
Cuisine Italian
Method Blender
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra light tasting olive oil, or other neutral oil
- 2 tablespoon fresh grated Romano cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Olive Garden Salad
- 3 romaine lettuce hearts, washed and chopped
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 4 pickled pepperoncini
- 10 pitted black olives
- 1/2 cup seasoned croutons
- 1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
In the bowl of a blender, combine dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
In a large salad bowl, layer salad ingredients in order beginning with lettuce. Pour salad dressing over salad and toss to combine.
Donna’s Notes
- If you prefer dressing to be yellow in color (like the original) add pinches of turmeric until it reaches the desired shade (thanks to a reader for the tip). I left it out in the photos.
- Nutrition shown is for 2 tablespoons dressing and 1/8 of the salad ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 209cal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 344mg | Sugar: 4g | Fiber: 6g | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 3mg
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Originally published May 2014, updated and republished June 2024
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