Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe

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Eating well can seem like an expensive luxury, and it especially adds up when you go out to eat.

I always try to replicate my favorite recipes at home, using ingredients that I know will agree with my blood sugar, and that are easy to find at the grocery store.

One of my favorite salads to make at home now is Olive Garden’s famous starter salad.

We had a family gathering recently, and my lovely mother-in-law made a version of this salad, the inspired me to give it a try at home.

How to make a diabetes-friendly olive garden salad

You need a few ingredients to make Olive Garden’s salad, but assembling is easy. You just prep the following ingredients, and add them straight to your bowl.

This amount of salad ingredients makes two servings.

Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Chopped Romaine hearts
Chopped head butter lettuce
Red onion (sliced in rings)
Mild pepperoncinis, halved,, or whole depending on your preference
Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Tablespoon of Kalamata olive juice
Teaspoon Italian seasoning
Italian dressing
Grated parmisiano reggiano

This salad is truly easy, economical, and delicious. I hope you try it out for one of your next dinners and let me know how it goes!

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Description

An easy, copycat version of the Olive Garden’s famous starter salad.

5–6 chopped Romaine hearts
1/2 chopped head butter lettuce
13 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, sliced in rings
4–5 mild pepperoncini, halved
10 Kalamata olives, sliced and pitted
1 tablespoon of Kalamata olive juice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Italian dressing
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano (to your liking)

First prep and wash all of your produce.
Add Romaine hearts, butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini, kalamata olives and juice, and Italian seasoning to salad bowl. Toss the ingredients together to distribute them evenly in the salad.
Pour dressing over the top, and toss again. serve immediately.

Equipment

Chef’s Knife

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Glass bowls

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Kalamata Olives

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Pepperoncini

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Measuring Cups

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Notes

My favorite Italian dressing has been Newman’s Own. It has the least sugar per serving of a store-bought brand without being a “sugar-free” label. Plus, the profits from the sale of their food goes right back to charities across the world.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Salad
Cuisine: Italian