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This Chopped Grinder Salad is a twist on the beloved Italian Grinder sub! A hearty and satisfying mix of crunchy lettuce, savory cold cuts, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, and delicious provolone cheese tossed in a homemade, creamy, and tangy dressing! All the flavors, without the bread!
What is an Italian Grinder?
An Italian Grinder sandwich is simply a sub sandwich or hoagie (depending on where you're from and what you call it!). It is a type of sandwich consisting of a long, crusted bread roll (aka hoagie roll) filled with a variety of ingredients including Italian deli meats, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, peppers, and various condiments such as mayo, mustard, or olive oil and vinegar.
The sandwich is usually served cold, but toasting is a popular option, too. The combination of savory meats, creamy cheese, fresh veggies, and tangy condiments makes it a popular, beloved sandwich all over the US!
The grinder name itself seems to come from New England, and while there are a few different origin stories, the most common is that the term "grinder" comes from the need to "grind" one's teeth into the tough Italian bread that the sandwich is served on. Regardless of where it comes from, the only important thing is that it's absolutely delicious!
What Makes This Grinder Salad Recipe Great
Today, we're switching things up and making an Italian Grinder Salad version of this beloved sub. All of the same tastes, flavors, and ingredients of an Italian sub, without the bread! A gluten-free, hearty salad with a tangy and delicious creamy dressing!
I love this salad because it is such a satisfying, filling, and scrumptious blend of all of your favorite sandwich ingredients in a lower-carb, salad form. It’s easy to whip up for lunch or dinner and makes a great recipe for meal prep.
Ingredient Notes
Salad Ingredients
- iceberg lettuce: You can substitute Romaine lettuce if desired.
- red onion
- chopped pepperoncini peppers or banana peppers
- cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- cucumbers
- salami
- deli turkey: I used Applegate Farms brand.
- deli ham: I used Applegate Farms brand.
- provolone cheese
Grinder Salad Dressing
- mayonnaise: Use regular or vegan mayonnaise, depending on what you have on hand.
- plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- red wine vinegar
- pepperocini juice
- grated parmesan cheese
- garlic powder
- oregano
- salt
- black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Combine the lettuce, onion, pepperoncinis, tomatoes, cucumbers, salami, turkey, ham, and provolone in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2
Add the dressing ingredients to a separate bowl or mason jar with a lid and whisk (or shake) until smooth.
Step 3
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Variations and Substitutions: Feel free to customize this salad the way you would your sub sandwich! Add more veggies (bell peppers), different meats (roast beef, chicken, etc.), or spices (Italian seasoning and/or red pepper flakes work well!), or substitute ingredients you don't prefer.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version, omit the Greek yogurt and use all mayo, and omit the cheese or use vegan cheese instead.
Serving & Storage Tips
Serve as a complete meal for lunch or dinner. Once tossed, the salad should be eaten right away. Stored leftovers can get soggy, but if you want to save them, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
To meal prep, store the undressed salad in individual airtight containers and the dressing portioned into small jars with lids. Toss before serving and enjoy!
More Delicious Recipes
Chopped Italian Grinder Salad Recipe (with Creamy Dressing)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped pepperocinis
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup cucumbers, diced
- 10 slices salami, chopped
- 8 slices deli turkey, chopped – I like Applegate brand
- 8 slices deli ham, chopped – I like Applegate brand
- 4 slices provolone cheese, chopped
Grinder Salad Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayo
- ⅓ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp pepperocini juice
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine the lettuce, onion, pepperoncinis, tomatoes, cucumbers, salami, turkey, ham, and provolone in a bowl.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a separate bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips
- Variations and Substitutions: Feel free to customize this salad the way you would your sub sandwich! Add more veggies (bell peppers), different meats (roast beef, chicken, etc.), or spices (Italian seasoning and/or red pepper flakes work well!), or substitute ingredients you don't prefer.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version, omit the Greek yogurt and use all mayo, and omit the cheese or use vegan cheese instead.
Serving & Storage Tips
Serve as a complete meal for lunch or dinner. Once tossed, the salad should be eaten right away. Stored leftovers can get soggy, but if you want to save them, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. To meal prep, store the undressed salad in individual airtight containers and the dressing portioned into small jars with lids. Toss before serving and enjoy!Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
I just had and loved this! I used dill pickles instead of pepperchinis and all mayo because I just can’t stand greek yogurt!
I made 1/2 the recipe with plenty left for all week!
So yummy! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Thanks Susan!
This salad was delicious! Even my husband who doesn’t usually like salad gave it a 10/10. It’s the perfect meal on these hot, humid days in Maryland. As Mary mentioned in the post, it is so easy to substitute things in the salad. We don’t eat pork so we just used turkey lunch meat and turkey pepperoni. We will make this on a regular basis. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Olivia!
The whole family loved this one! I’ve already made it twice this week by request.
Thanks Mandi!
As a South Jersey girl, I am used to oil and vinegar on my Italian hoagies and was skeptical about the mayo dressing. WOW! This was fantastic and the dressing made the salad! I’ll be making this frequently. Great recipe.
Thank you Cynthia!
This salad gets a chef’s kiss! Super easy to make and a great way to keep the kitchen cool on a hot day. The addition of freshly grated parmesan cheese to the dressing takes it to the next level – you don’t even know there is yogurt in it (which I love, sneaking in protein and cutting some fat!). I served it in a large bowl with dressing on the side incase there were any left overs. (which there was, because we also had grilled chicken wings, so I had them the next day for lunch, tossing it with the leftover dressing…just a delicious as the day before.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you Christine!!
Best salad I’ve ever had
Yay! Thanks!
So so yummy! We’ve made this on repeat !
Thanks Brett!
So, so good when you’re craving an Italian sub sandwich. The flavors are amazing! I had leftovers and ate some today. The iceberg doesn’t hold up, so best to eat right away or leave the dressing off of some to eat later!
Hi Kari! Yes I mention this in the storage section of the post 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!!
My family loved this!
This is the best salad I’ve ever eaten! The dressing is perfection. Thank you!
Thanks Shannon!!