Simple Italian Salad

Name: Simple Italian Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped (about 6 cups); 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 cup pitted black olives, whole; 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced; 3-4 pepperoncini; 1 cup croutons; 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated; 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds; 1 cup Italian dressing, homemade or store-bought; salt and pepper (if needed)

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This Simple Italian Salad is fresh, delicious, and flavorful. It is loaded with fresh veggies and lightly tossed in homemade dressing, and ready in just 10 minutes. Serve this Olive Garden copycat with your favorite Italian recipes — and don't forget the Garlic Breadsticks!

Simple Italian Salad is fresh, delicious, and flavorful. This Olive Garden copycat is loaded with fresh veggies and lightly tossed in homemade dressing. | aheadofthyme.com

I think we've all had that moment at Olive Garden when we want to eat the salad more than the pasta! The sharp red onion, briny olives, pepperoncini peppers, and tangy dressing complement the rich flavors in Italian food so well. This made from scratch version can be served as a light main dish on its own, but is also the perfect salad to pair with homemade pasta dishes. It's become our go-to side salad for almost any meal!

Why You'll Love This Simple Italian Salad

Super simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients for this Italian chopped salad recipe can either be stocked in the pantry or kept in the fridge for whenever. This makes it easy to throw together quickly, even on those busy nights. It's a great way to sneak in some extra veggies, too!
Ready in 10 minutes or less. All you need to do is chop the ingredients, toss them in the dressing and serve. It's really that simple to make this easy tossed salad.
Perfect for pizza night. Serve some extra veggies with your Margherita Pizza (Neapolitan Skillet Style) or BBQ Chicken Pizza to make your Friday night favorite a little more nutritious. This simple Italian salad recipe balances the heavier flavors of tomato sauce and molten mozzarella cheese really well.

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious Simple Italian Salad, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

romaine lettuce - roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces. You can also use iceberg lettuce or another crunchy lettuce.
cherry tomatoes - leave them whole or slice in half.
black olives - these are classic, but you can use kalamata olives if you prefer.
red onion - thinly sliced for a little bite.
pepperoncini peppers - these are sold in jars, which are easy to keep in the pantry. You can leave this out if you don’t have it.
croutons - either buy a bag of croutons from the store or make homemade croutons with leftover Small Batch Sourdough Bread.
Parmesan cheese - freshly grated onto the salad before tossing.
sunflower seeds - I recommend toasting these. Toasted pumpkin seeds are great too.
Italian dressing - Homemade Italian dressing is the best, but you can use store-bought as well.
salt and pepper - season as needed.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large bowl, tongs, and serving dishes.

How to Make the Best Simple Italian Salad

Combine. In a large serving bowl, combine the all salad ingredients including lettuce, tomatoes, olives, red onion, pepperoncini, croutons, parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds.
Toss. Drizzle with Italian dressing and toss well to coat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve. Serve immediately.

Recipe Variations

Add protein. Add a can of rinsed and drained garbanzo beans or cannellini beans for plant-based protein or add chopped salami for some meat.
Add cheese. Throw in some chopped mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese. It tastes great, too!
Add more veggies. There are lots of ways to modify this dish. Add some spring greens like baby spinach or kale, chopped green onions, artichoke hearts, English cucumbers, and more.

How to Serve

This Simple Italian Salad is delicious served on its own for a light lunch, or paired with some of my favorite Italian entrees including:

For more recipe ideas, see our 50 Best Italian Recipes.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Dress right before serving. Once tossed in dressing, the fresh greens will begin to soften. If you want to prep this salad for lunches, always store the dressing on the side.
Use your favorite dressing. I like to make my own Italian Dressing, but you can definitely change things up. These flavors are also great with a Balsamic Vinaigrette or even just a little extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Keep it simple!
Homemade is best. When possible, make your own croutons, dressing, etc. They'll have a cleaner, fresher flavor that really brings this classic Italian salad to life! Try our Rice Croutons for another option.

Storing Instructions

Once dressed, the salad should be consumed in one sitting. If you want to save leftovers for later, store it with the dressing on the side.

FAQ

What dressing is best for a simple Italian salad?

Keep it simple and use a homemade Italian salad dressing. You don't need much; my recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. It's that easy, yet it tastes way better than the bottled stuff from the store!

What's in Olive Garden's salad?

In restaurants, you'll usually see this salad made with an iceberg salad mix, tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, olives, croutons, and Parmesan, all tossed in an Italian vinaigrette. This version is very similar, except I like to add sunflower seeds for crunch, and I use cherry or grape tomatoes for a brighter pop of tomato flavor. That's it!

What are the best greens for Italian salads?

I prefer to use mild, crunchy lettuces, like romaine hearts. They have a great texture that adds to the experience. Any crisp lettuce will do, though, like iceberg lettuce, butterhead lettuce, and more. Feel free to incorporate some baby spinach or tender leafy greens for extra flavor, too.

More Salad Recipes

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