Italian Grinder Salad (Chopped Salad Recipe)
You will love this easy grinder salad recipe! It’s the Italian Grinder Sandwich, in salad form! No hoagie rolls necessary.
This easy salad recipe is based on the classic Italian grinder sandwich, piled high with salty deli meats, fresh veggies, Italian seasoning and tangy dressing. It actually went viral on TikTok lately! Not all viral recipes on social media are as good as they look, but this one definitely is.
I combine iceberg lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, provolone cheese, and a simple Italian dressing for a salad that can definitely be an entire meal! Check the recipe card below to learn how to adjust the dressing ingredients for a delicious creamy dressing.
To prepare the iceberg lettuce, cut it in half through the core. Remove the core, then slice the lettuce into thin strips. Slice the strips crosswise to make bite-sized pieces.
Recipe Substitutions and Additions
When you think about ingredients to add to this recipe, just think of your favorite sandwich ingredients! If you like it on your Italian subs, you’ll love it in this salad. Here are a few suggestions for ingredient swaps and additions:
- Cheese: Provolone is a super creamy cheese, and the best choice for this salad! Swap provolone for mozzarella slices or pearls, fontina, Swiss cheese or mild cheddar cheese.
- Protein: Use sliced salami or ham instead of pepperoni. You can also use any cold cuts you enjoy! Turkey, roast beef, and prosciutto all work.
- Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is an equally crunchy lettuce that can replace iceberg for a slightly sturdier bite. You can also mix in raw shaved brussels sprouts for some of the lettuce. It’s delicious!
- Pepperoncini peppers: Replace with sliced banana peppers
To make this an extra hearty salad, add chickpeas, diced chicken, prosciutto, croutons, white beans or cooked pasta.
For extra veggies, diced cucumbers, roasted red peppers, shredded carrots or halved grape tomatoes are all excellent additions.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian Chopped Salad is equally good as a main course or side dish! Serve it with meatball sliders, fish stew, cheesy broccoli bites, shrimp pasta and garlic toast.
You can also enjoy it by itself for a low carb meal, or even on a hoagie roll!
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. Prep all ingredients and the dressing up to 24 hours in advance. Store everything separately and toss just before serving to keep the lettuce crisp.
Storing Leftover Salad
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. For best texture, store the salad and dressing separately and toss just before eating.
For meal prep, transfer the salad (without dressing) into individual containers or a mason jar.
I hope that you love this easy Italian grinder salad recipe! If you try it, I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below.
Italian Grinder Salad (Chopped Salad Recipe)
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the salad:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 2 pepperoncini peppers, sliced
- 4 ounces provolone cheese, diced or shredded
- 1 ounce pepperoni
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, pepperoncini, provolone, and pepperoni.
- Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently until evenly coated.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately for maximum crunch.
