Chopped Italian Grinder Salad
This chopped Italian grinder salad is the viral chopped salad you need to try! Inspired by the classic grinder sandwich, this cold salad is loaded with crisp lettuce, Italian meats, cheese, and a delicious Parmesan dressing. It tastes just like an authentic Italian sub — minus the bread!
If you love this hearty dinner salad, make sure to check out this chopped buffalo chicken salad and the “famous” La Scala chopped salad that Kim Kardashian made viral!
Recipe Ingredients: Chopped Italian Grinder Salad
For the dressing:
For the salad:
Ingredient Notes, Substitutions & Additions
Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is classic, but romaine (or a mix of both iceberg and romaine) also work.
Deli meat: Feel free to mix and match the deli meats however you like! Some options are: ham, turkey, salami, capicola, pepperoni…use your favorites!
Cheese: Provolone is my absolute favorite cheese for this salad–it really gives it that authentic sub sandwich taste. But like with the deli meat, mix and match the cheese and use your favorites.
Add pasta: This grinder salad works as a pasta salad, too! You can either replace the lettuce with pasta OR just toss some pasta right into the salad for some extra carbs!
Expert Tips
- Storage: Iceberg lettuce doesn’t hold up very well once it’s cut and mixed with the other ingredients. However, you can keep the undressed salad in the fridge for a day or so. Store in an airtight container.
- Dress right before serving: Dress the salad and toss right before you are ready to serve it. You don’t want it to get soggy!
- Red onion: Soak the red onion in some cold water for a few minutes if you want to avoid a harsh onion taste.
- Clean the fridge! This salad is a great way to use up deli meat and veggies from the fridge!
- Ditch exact amounts: The salad ingredient amounts are simply a guide. Add more or less of whatever you like or don’t like! That’s the beauty of cooking at home!
- Make it a sandwich: You can find this salad in sandwich form here!
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Thank you! ~ Casey
Chopped Italian Grinder Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp pepperoncini juice juice from the jar
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
For the salad
- 1 large head of iceberg lettuce, chopped or sliced
- 1/2-1 cup pepperoncini (sliced) or banana pepper rings1
- cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced or sliced
- 4-6 slices Provolone cheese, chopped
- 10-12 slices salami, chopped about 1/2 cup to 1 cup (See Note 1)
- 6 slices ham/turkey/assorted deli meat about 1/2 cup to 1 cup (See Note 1)
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl.
- Finish: Drizzle on the dressing and toss well. Add lots of freshly ground black pepper to finish. Note: Dress the salad right before you are ready to serve. Otherwise, it will get soggy.
This might be my favorite salad of all time!! I hope you love it as much as I do! XO~ Casey