Healthier Copycat Olive Garden Salad
A copycat Olive Garden salad recipe made with nutrient-dense leafy greens and a lightened-up Italian dressing that’s just as tasty as the original!
I don’t know about you, but on the rare occasion that I dine at Olive Garden, I can’t get enough of their endless salad bowl. It’s a good thing that it’s endless because I can easily eat at least 2 bowls by myself. I had to find a way to recreate a healthier copycat Olive Garden salad at home.
A Healthier Olive Garden Salad With All The Flavor
You might be thinking, “Hey, it’s a salad, how can it not be healthy?!” Well, salad dressings can be full of unhealthy fats and sugar. These are sneaky calories, y’all. I cleaned up the dressing a bit and added some mushrooms and fresh baby spinach to boost the nutrition.
It also adds a nice pop of color to the salad bowl. I also chose to leave out the croutons to save my starchy carbs for better choices. I don’t eat low-carb, I just prefer whole food sources like brown rice, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, sprouted grain bread, etc.
The next time you whip up an Italian feast, start your meal off right with this delicious garden salad!
More Favorite Salad Recipes
BLT Salad with Creamy Mayo Vinaigrette
Proscuitto Fig Salad with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette
Winter Fruit Salad with Key Lime Poppyseed Dressing
Healthier Copycat Olive Garden Salad
Ingredients
- For the salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce chopped
- 8 oz baby spinach leaves
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms
- 6 pepperoncini peppers
- 6 oz can whole black olives drained
- 1/2 red onion finely sliced
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese not that shaker stuff, ya'll
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- For the dressing
- 1/4 cup Just Mayo or olive oil blend mayo or my recipe for homemade Paleo mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 4 tbsp parmesan romano blend cheese shredded
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the salad
- Start with the lettuce and spinach leaves and layer all ingredients in a large salad bowl.
- For the dressing
- Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour desired amount over salad, toss and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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