Crunchy greens, juicy tomatoes, and a medley of meats and cheeses are drizzled in a delicious creamy dressing to make this Italian Grinder Salad.
Grinder Salad
Whoa. This salad. It is SO good! As soon as I tasted the Italian Grinder Sandwich that I shared earlier this week, I knew that a salad needed to happen. The tangy slaw mixture topping the sandwiches was my favorite part, so I wanted to make the most of that flavor combination in a loaded salad.
Luckily, I had plenty of extra ingredients on hand, so I was able to make this salad the very next day. The whole family gave it two thumbs up and I’m pretty sure I’ll be making it again soon.
If you don’t need 8 servings all at once, or if you aren’t feeding 3 teenage boys, I suggest prepping all of the grinder salad ingredients and storing them separately in airtight containers, as instructed in How To Eat A Salad Every Day.
Just stash the meats and cheeses in a couple of ziploc bags or containers, and pour the grinder salad dressing into a jar until it is needed. This makes it so much easier to prepare salads consistently and quickly.
When you’re ready to eat a great salad, just combine however much of each ingredient you need in a bowl and toss your individual serving with a bit of dressing. These ingredients should keep well in the fridge for several days.
What is a Grinder Salad?
So, what is a grinder salad, anyway? It’s like the classic Italian sub sandwich, but in a fresh, crisp salad form. Loaded with deli meat and veggies, this quick lunch option is bursting with bold flavors and vibrant textures.
As with all salads, this recipe is quite versatile. You can change the ingredients to suit your preference. Add pepperoni and roast beef, or swap out the pepperoncini peppers for banana peppers. You can even add black olives, though my brother may call me to disagree.
Grinder Salad Recipe
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- shredded crunchy greens
- red onion, grape tomatoes, and pepperoncini peppers
- ham, salami, turkey, and prosciutto
- provolone or cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese
- mayo, red wine vinegar, pepperoncini juice
- fresh garlic
- red pepper flakes
- Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
Italian Grinder Salad
Start by preparing the ingredients for the salad. Slice or shred the lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Then, chop the meats and cheeses and shred the parmesan.
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pepperoncini juice, vinegar, garlic, Parmesan, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Then, taste the dressing and adjust the vinegar, salt, and pepper, as desired.
When ready to serve, add the ingredients to a bowl and pour the dressing over them. Then, toss with tongs to coat. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve immediately.
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Grinder Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 8 cups shredded crunchy greens of your choice Romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, green cabbage, and Brussels sprouts all work well
- ½ medium red onion sliced very thin, about ½ cup
- 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers about 10 peppers worth
- 8 ounces smoked or honey ham chopped bite-size
- 8 ounces smoked or honey roasted turkey chopped bite-size
- 8 ounces hard salami sliced thin and chopped bite-size
- 2-4 ounces prosciutto chopped bite-size
- 8 ounces cheddar or provolone cheese cut into thin 1-inch matchsticks, small cubes, or freshly shredded
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- ¼-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to taste
Dressing Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons juice from the jarred pepperoncini peppers
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar adjust to taste
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pepperoncini, turkey, ham, salami, prosciutto, cheddar or provolone, and Parmesan. Toss with tongs to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pepperoncini juice, vinegar, garlic, Parmesan, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste the dressing and adjust the vinegar for more tanginess, if desired. Adjust the salt and pepper, as desired.
- When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss with tongs to coat. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Carly Wand says
Loved the dressing on this salad. Punchy and vibrant. It made the salad.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Carly!
Sharlana says
Excellent salad and love the dressing! Paired with a pizza for Super Bowl!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad the salad was a hit, Sharlana!