Let’s be honest: The best Italian salad is a hoagie (a.k.a. Italian grinder sandwich, hero, wedge, or other, depending on where you’re from) in salad form. This version tastes suspiciously like a fully loaded sub sandwich, complete with two meats (salami and ham), two cheeses (Fontina and cute pearl mozzarella), and a zesty oregano and red wine vinegar dressing with big deli energy. Iceberg lettuce is nonnegotiable, as it provides much-desired crunch and juiciness (yes, juiciness) even after sitting for a minute.
We sidelined the usual pepperoncini peppers for the sweet bite of Peppadews. But what sets our Italian grinder salad recipe apart is the croutons. Soaked in olive oil and baked until crunchy, they drink up the punchy Italian dressing ingredients, which are simply drizzled over the salad; no need to whisk them together first.
There’s room for interpretation when it comes to substitutions: You could use a slew of different meats (pepperoni, prosciutto, roast beef, or any number of cold cuts) and scores of cheeses (like provolone, Pecorino, or Parmesan cheese). You could add or swap in grape tomatoes, diced cucumbers, or banana peppers—or spread everything on your cutting board and run a knife through it for chopped salad vibes. Want to make it ahead? Pack the croutons and dressing components separately, then shake them with the remaining ingredients in a mason jar or other airtight container for lunch al desko.
What you’ll need
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
$26 At Amazon
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
½
6
2
1
½
1
½
1
10
7
4
3
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. Tear ½ small loaf country-style bread into bite-size pieces (you should have about 5 cups). Toss on a rimmed baking sheet with 3 Tbsp. olive oil; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 14–16 minutes. Let croutons cool.
Step 2
Meanwhile, shave 2 oz. Fontina or provolone cheese with a vegetable peeler or thinly slice into strips. Finely chop 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives and ½ cup drained Peppadew peppers in brine.
Step 3
Toss Fontina cheese, olives, Peppadew peppers, 1 very small head of iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, quartered if large, 10 oz. pearl mozzarella, drained, 7 oz. sliced deli ham, thinly sliced into strips, 4 oz. sliced salami, thinly sliced into strips, and croutons in a large bowl to combine. Drizzle 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar and remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil over, then add 1 tsp. dried oregano and season with salt and black pepper. Toss again to coat. Taste salad and add more oregano if needed.
Step 4
Divide salad among plates and season with more pepper.
Editor’s note: This grinder salad recipe was first printed in our August 2022 issue as ‘Big Italian Sub Salad.’ Head this way for more of our best salad recipes →