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    Home » Salads » Garden Salad Recipe With Pickles & Pepperoncini

    Garden Salad Recipe With Pickles & Pepperoncini

    Posted on November 12, 2021 · Last Updated on June 16, 2022 · By Srividhya G · 32 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe Card
    garden salad served in wooden bowl with text overlay for pinterest

    A fresh garden salad recipe with iceberg lettuce, onion tomatoes, olives, pickles, pepperoncini tossed with light vinegar-based dressing! A hearty vegan side salad for any meal!

    overhead shot of olive garden style garden salad served in two wooden bowls

    I love crunchy, fresh salads with a light dressing. This easy garden salad is all about that. You can quickly put it together and pair it with pasta or pizza, sandwich or soup for a complete meal. 

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients required
    • Dietary specifications
    • Preparation
    • Recipe Notes
    • More vegetarian salad recipes!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Olive Garden is one of our favorite restaurants, and if we are dining in there or taking to go, salad and minestrone will be there in our order for sure. I love the crunchiness of the Olive Garden salad. Here is my vegan version of garden salad inspired by the Olive Garden salad. It’s not a copy-cat recipe as I went with our favorite dressing, modified the ingredients a bit and also skipped the cheese. 

    Ingredients required

    I add both pepperoncini and sweet pickles to my salad. The sweet pickles are optional in this salad, but it adds a kick and flavor. Ok, let me get straight into the ingredient list.

    Iceberg lettuce – I prefer fresh lettuce heads to the precut-packed ones. But it’s a personal preference. You can use a lettuce salad mix. Also, you can use either romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce. For this recipe, I went with iceberg lettuce. 

    Onion: The Olive Garden fresh salad calls for red onions, and I go with whatever onion I have in hand. I have used both red and yellow. 

    Black olives: You can use pitted whole black olives, or you can chop them in half. 

    Roma tomato: You need a firm tomato, and you can slice them thin or chop them finely as per your preference.

    Pepperoncini peppers: These are mild Italian peppers used in salads, antipasti, pizzas, and sandwiches. Despite the heat, it has a tiny sweetness and adds loads of flavor to all the recipes. I chop them and remove the seeds inside. But you can add them whole as well.

    Pickles: It’s an optional ingredient. But I love adding them. Pickles are fermented cucumbers in acidic solutions, and there are zillion varieties in them depending upon the vinegar used. I usually prefer the sweet ones, and for this salad, I used the sweet dill pickles.

    Croutons: If you want to keep the salad light, skip the croutons or go for herb-flavored or garlic-flavored croutons for an added crunch. 

    Salad dressing

    I went with a light vinegar-based dress for the salad dressing instead of a mayo-based one for this salad. We need good quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper(optional), and that’s it. 

    salad served in two wooden bowls with spatulas inside with pepper shaker on the side

    Dietary specifications

    This garden salad is a vegan, and nut-free recipe. If you are not particular about vegan, add ½ cup of rennet-free grated parmesan cheese. Also, for a gluten-free version, skip the croutons.

    This salad is easy to assemble, so prepare it as required and when needed. Add the dressing before serving. You can prep the veggies beforehand and keep them ready and combine them when needed.

    You can serve this as a side salad, and I paired it with caponata for a complete meal. 

    Preparation

    • Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, if using. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
    • In a large bowl, add all the veggies, except the croutons. Add the salad dressing and toss until evenly coated. Add the croutons and serve immediately.
    close up shot of salad served in round wooden bowl

    Recipe Notes

    • Adjust the veggies proportion according to your preference.
    • Use romaine or iceberg lettuce or opt for a salad mix kit. 
    • Add the dressing just before serving.
    • Add heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for more color. 
    • Pickles are optional, and it’s optional to chop the pepperoncini peppers too. 
    • Store-bought vinaigrette works too. 

    More vegetarian salad recipes!

    • Vegetarian Ceviche Salad | Ceviche Salad with Beans
    • square image of barley salad on a leaf shaped bowl placed on a burlap cloth
      Barley Salad | Indian Kachumber Salad with Barley
    • couscous salad close look
      Couscous Salad | Mediterranean Style Couscous Salad
    • square image of spinach and strawberry salad in a wooden bowl with the dressing on the side
      Strawberry Spinach Salad

    Apart from these salads, if you love simple salad-style chaats, do check out how to make fruit chaat recipe as well.

    Loved this recipe?

    If you try this vegan garden salad recipe, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.

    📖 Recipe

    garden salad served in wooden bowl
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    5 from 1 vote

    Garden Salad Recipe With Pickles & Pepperoncini

    A fresh garden salad recipe with iceberg lettuce, onion tomatoes, olives, pickles, pepperoncini tossed with light vinegar-based dressing! A hearty vegan side salad for any meal!
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time0 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Salads
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 172kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz iceberg lettuce roughly chopped
    • 4 oz onion sliced thinly.
    • 25 olives pitted and halved
    • 1 Roma tomato chopped
    • 5 pepperoncini chopped
    • 15 pickle slices chopped
    • 10 croutons or as needed

    Salad dressing

    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • ½ tsp salt or to taste
    • ½ tsp ground pepper or to taste

    Instructions

    • Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, if using. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
    • In a large bowl, add all the veggies, except the croutons. Add the salad dressing and toss until evenly coated. Add the croutons and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • Adjust the veggies proportion according to your preference.
    • Use romaine or iceberg lettuce or opt for a salad mix kit. 
    • Add the dressing just before serving.
    • Add heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for more color. 
    • Pickles are optional, and it’s optional to chop the pepperoncini peppers too. 
    • Store-bought vinaigrette works too. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 937mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 604IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Update Notes: Earlier posted in 2016, now updated with new pics and recipe card with nutritional information.

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    Filed Under: Salads Tagged With: Blogging Marathon, garden salad with balsamic vinegar and sweet pickles, garden salad with cucumbers, how to make olive garden style salad, summer salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Srivalli says

      July 18, 2016 at 1:20 am

      That’s an interesting salad!..I am not a salad person, won’t mind digging into this bowl as it looks so refreshing!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 18, 2016 at 8:57 am

        :-) :-) Thanks

        Reply
    2. Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille) says

      April 02, 2016 at 10:57 pm

      looks so colorful and inviting

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 03, 2016 at 4:00 pm

        Thanks a lot. :-)

        Reply
    3. Salma says

      March 31, 2016 at 1:44 pm

      This looks healthy and tasty!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 31, 2016 at 9:45 pm

        Thanks Salma.

        Reply
    4. CHCooks says

      March 29, 2016 at 1:01 am

      Yummm! :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 30, 2016 at 1:12 pm

        :-) Thanks

        Reply
    5. sushma says

      March 28, 2016 at 9:06 am

      Nice and refreshing salad.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 28, 2016 at 9:56 am

        Thanks Sushma

        Reply
    6. Priya Suresh says

      March 28, 2016 at 8:29 am

      Very healthy and catchy salad, loving it.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 28, 2016 at 10:09 am

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    7. Popbiscuit says

      March 27, 2016 at 12:59 pm

      Can finally comment again on your blog, V!! Love love the OG salad. Will try adding pepperoncini to my salad. Not noticed these near the bottled pickles at grocery stores. Will look properly now that i know what to look for

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 27, 2016 at 8:55 pm

        :-) Welcome back P.. As I went self hosted, commenting via WP reader is not possible. How are you doing? I found these pepperoncinis in safeway.. Some times there are in the salad dressing aisle too.

        Reply
    8. Pavani says

      March 26, 2016 at 1:34 pm

      I love Olive garden salad too. I have never added pickles to salads, but will definitely try soon.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 26, 2016 at 6:47 pm

        Thanks, please do try and let me know how you liked it.

        Reply
    9. Archana says

      March 25, 2016 at 6:40 am

      I love salads n this is right up my street.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 25, 2016 at 11:41 am

        Oh is it.. lucky you. :-)

        Reply
    10. Amara says

      March 25, 2016 at 3:15 am

      Absolutely love the Olive Garden salads. Now you really made me hungry with your post:) nice presentation…

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 25, 2016 at 11:42 am

        Thanks a lot Amara. Me too love their salads.

        Reply
    11. Bharani says

      March 24, 2016 at 8:11 pm

      Healthy and refreshing salad….. I love salad’s anytime….super delicious…

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 25, 2016 at 11:43 am

        Thanks Bharani.

        Reply
    12. Nalini says

      March 24, 2016 at 7:15 pm

      Wow!!such a colorful looking salad..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 25, 2016 at 11:43 am

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    13. Sarita says

      March 24, 2016 at 3:48 pm

      Nice refreshing salad..looks great.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 25, 2016 at 11:44 am

        Thanks Sarita.

        Reply
    14. cookingwithsapana says

      March 24, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      That is one delicious and colorful salad with pickles and vegetables.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 25, 2016 at 11:44 am

        Thanks a lot sapana.

        Reply
    15. kushigalu says

      March 24, 2016 at 10:15 am

      healthy, colorful and tasty salad!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 24, 2016 at 10:48 am

        Thanks a lot. :-) I love the colors too.

        Reply
    16. Padma Rekha says

      March 24, 2016 at 9:03 am

      That’s color full and refreshing looking salad

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        March 24, 2016 at 10:48 am

        Thanks a lot Padma.

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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