Italian Grinder Salad (Chopped Sub Salad)

by Kayla Berman on September 8, 2023 37 comments

This Italian Grinder Salad is a low carb version of the TikTok viral grinder sandwich! Made with crunchy lettuce, savory deli meats, provolone and parmesan cheese, and a creamy, tangy dressing … this fresh and colorful salad is full of different textures and flavors that make it absolutely irresistible.

So ditch the carbs and give this super chopped easy salad a try! If you are looking for even more lovely low carb meals, I suggest trying out my Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad, Pizza Cottage Cheese Bowl, and Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats too.

What is Grinder Salad?

If you have been on TikTok, or any social media in general, over the past couple of years I am sure you have seen some variation (or a bajillion variations) of the grinder salad sandwich on your feed. It has been an extremely viral recipe for good reason!

The social media sensation is like any classic grinder. My version is loaded with deli meats, sliced cheese, and broiled in the oven. Which results in melty delicious provolone and crispy cured meats. But what makes it special is that the sandwich is topped with a creamy, tangy, and zesty salad! It is similar to a coleslaw made from shredded crunchy lettuce, jarred banana peppers, and sliced red onion.

Now this grinder salad recipe is not just a slaw though! It takes the all the viral sandwich elements -meat, cheese, slaw, and all – ditches the bread, and creates one big, flavorful, fresh, and crunchy chopped salad.

If you want to check out more TikTok trending recipes, I suggest my Smash Burger Big Mac Tacos, Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Chickpea Salad, or Marry Me Chicken Pasta. Then Strawberry Yogurt Clusters for dessert!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Besides being a fun and fresh deconstructed version of the popular Italian grinder sandwich this recipe is also:

Customizable: I think possibly my favorite thing about this salad is how customizable it is! You can add any cheese, meat, veggie, or seasoning you like. It is pretty much guaranteed to come out tasty as heck!
Flavorful: I’m not kidding, this is one of the most flavorful salads I’ve ever had. With the salty meats, savory cheeses, fresh vegetables, and most importantly the creamy, tangy dressing you get all the tastes and flavors needed in a satisfying meal.
Easy To Make: Chopping the salad ingredients and mixing the dressing is all this recipe requires. It is super easy, which is always a selling factor on a recipe for me! If you want to make things even easier, you could check out this viral veggie chopper.
Lovably Low Carb: It is not often that I eat a low carb meal and don’t miss the carbs at least a little bit. But I truly do not with this salad! It is a wonderful way to satisfy your sandwich craving if maybe you’re on a weight loss diet or live gluten free.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This Italian grinder salad is jam packed with flavorful ingredients! Salty deli meats, crisp shredded lettuce, sharp cheese, tangy banana peppers, and a delicious creamy dressing create a fantastic salad that will have everyone coming back for more.

It’s like the best sub sandwich sans the hoagie roll! Now let’s get into the details:

Salad Ingredients

Pepperoni & Salami: The classic Italian meats duo, salami and pepperoni, adds fabulous peppery, smoky, and salty flavor to this salad.
Turkey: Turkey adds some extra lean protein!
Provolone & Parmesan Cheese: Provolone and parmesan cheese are two delicious, strong Italian cheeses that add incredible umami, salty flavor to this sub salad recipe. You’ll chop the provolone and grate the parmesan! I love how the grated cheese provides cheesy flavor in every bite of this hearty salad.
Iceberg Lettuce: Iceberg is a fabulous base to this salad! The crunchy lettuce adds such freshness and crispness.
Tomatoes: While typical grinder sandwiches feature tomato slices, this salad form calls for grape tomatoes. Or cherry tomatoes! The perfect red, juicy, poppable bites.
Red Onion: Red onions are an essential part of any Italian grinder sandwich in my opinion. So they are essential to this salad as well! I just love the strong, slightly spicy flavor. Pro Tip: Soak the chopped raw red onions in water for 10-15 minutes before adding to the salad to dull the spice and make the flavor a bit more palatable.
Banana Peppers: Banana peppers add a wonderful tangy, slightly sweet flavor here. It is absolutely delicious! You could use pepperoncini peppers instead, although the two are not exactly the same, they are quite interchangeable.

chopped turkey, salami, pepperoni, and provolone cheese on a bowl

shredded lettuce, tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion

Salad Dressing Ingredients

Mayonnaise: Mayo serves as the base of this creamy grinder salad dressing. I use light mayo to keep things a bit healthier!
Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds depth, complexity, and a beautiful tang. I recommend adding it to taste.
Banana Pepper Juice: A bit of the juice from the jar of those banana peppers adds extra tang too.
Seasonings: The seasonings in this creamy mayo dressing are quite simple – just garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. You don’t need much more to make this salad taste delectably delicious!

Equipment Needed

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How To Make This Recipe

This recipe is incredibly easy to make! The only prep work it requires is chopping and mixing up the dressing. No stove, no oven, … no cooking pretty much!

Step 1: Add salad ingredients. First add the iceberg lettuce, red onion, banana peppers, grape tomatoes, salami, pepperoni, turkey, provolone cheese, and parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Prepare dressing. Next in a small bowl or jar combine the mayo, red wine vinegar, banana pepper juice, garlic powder, oregano, and salt until smooth. Season with black pepper to taste.

Step 3: Dress and combine. Pour the dressing over the lettuce mixture. Toss the salad thoroughly until all salad ingredients are combined.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

This chopped grinder salad is absolutely fabulous as is! It is truly scrumptious … think all your favorite sandwich ingredients turned into an incredibly flavorful low carb meal. It is SO good!

It is so good that you will not even miss the Italian bread that typically holds these goodies.

However, there are always additions, substitutions, and variations you can make for it to meet your personal preferences or tastes. Here are all my tasty ideas:

Meats: Cold cuts are the primary ingredient in this recipe! Which I LOVE because I am a deli meat lover through and through. I use turkey, pepperoni, and salami here. But any and all of your favorites could work. Perhaps roast beef, chicken, or ham.
Cheeses: Any cheese would work fabulously in this salad in place of the provolone. Use whatever is your favorite! Swiss cheese, Colby jack cheese, cheddar cheese, or American cheese. Parmesan is a little trickier to substitute! Pecorino Romano could be used in its place, but not much else.
Lettuce: Romaine lettuce would be the next best lettuce to use here besides iceberg. It still has that crunch and crisp vital to a chopped salad! But these two are not the most nutritious. If you’re looking to get a bit more out of your salad base maybe throw in some spinach, kale, mixed greens, or even shredded Brussels sprouts.
Seasoning: Add some extra spice and flavor to your salad with red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and more.
No Mayo: Not a fan of mayo? I do not agree with you, but I understand you. And you can still enjoy this salad. I would recommend creating a more oil and vinegar style dressing using olive oil. Here is a simple Italian dressing recipe option! If you still want that creamy vibe try swapping in greek yogurt for the mayo.
Pasta Salad: This grinder chopped salad could easily be turned into a grinder pasta salad. How delicious would that be? Just toss in your favorite pasta shape and enjoy.
Add Carbs: This salad is carb-less, which I thoroughly enjoy. I love that it is a low carb, lighter way for me to enjoy the flavors and textures of an Italian sub. However, feel free to add some carbs in. I suggest croutons or some toasted Panko breadcrumbs. Or of course the pasta from above!
Different Sub: If the classic Italian grinder sandwich is not your go-to, turn your favorite sub into a salad. Like an American sub.

Expert Tips

Dress this grinder sub salad immediately before serving! This salad will become a bit soggy after it is dressed, so I would not recommend fully preparing it ahead of time. Simply store the dressing and chopped ingredients separately and combine when serving.

Chop everything up nice and small! Chopped salads are superior. You will not be able to convince me otherwise! If you agree you must check out my Mediterranean Chopped Salad. Anyway, I highly recommend chopping the veggies, lettuce, different meats, and cheese as small as possible. The only work this recipe requires is chopping, so you might as well spend some time to do it well. You won’t regret it!

Meal prep it! This salad works wonderfully as meal prep. I mean what screams lunch more than deli meats? Like I mentioned above, I recommend chopping the salad ingredients and preparing the dressing ahead of time. Then store in the refrigerator for the week. You can assemble a salad whenever you get hungry! Or pre-portion the chopped salad into individual containers and add a small container of dressing too. Then you can just grab & go and head out the door to work or school!

How To Store Grinder Slaw Salad

You can store this dressed salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just be careful as the salad will get soggy when stored. It will keep best for only 1-2 days!

I personally don’t mind the slightly soggy leftover dressed salad too much, but if you do I would recommend storing the components separately. Add the chopped and mixed salad to one container and the prepared dressing to another. Then just combine as needed.

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Connect With Me!

If you make this Italian chopped salad recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

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