Description
A fresh and crunchy Italian-style salad packed with crisp romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, parmesan cheese, and crunchy croutons tossed in a creamy homemade Italian dressing that tastes even better than the restaurant version.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/3 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups croutons
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Chill a large serving bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes for extra freshness.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, white vinegar, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Place chopped romaine lettuce into a large salad bowl.
- Add cherry tomatoes, red onion, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, croutons, and parmesan cheese over the lettuce.
- Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad and gently toss until all ingredients are coated.
- Top with extra parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately while the lettuce stays crisp and the croutons remain crunchy.
Notes
- For extra crunch, keep the croutons separate until serving time.
- Freshly grated parmesan gives the salad the best flavor and texture.
- The dressing can be prepared up to 4 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- For a gluten free version, use gluten free croutons or omit them entirely.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 10mg