Name: Italian Sub Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 slices of salami; 3 slices of mortadella; 3 slices of hot cappicola; 3 slices of sandwich pepperoni; 3 slices of provolone cheese; 1 bag of salad mix; 1/2 cup pepperoncini; 3 roma tomatoes (Diced); 1/2 red onion (Sliced thin); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup white wine vinegar; 1 tsp Italian seasoning

This delicious tossed salad is jam packed with all the best Italian sub ingredients and drizzled with a homemade vinaigrette- without the bread!

Italian salad is plated in a white bowl and drizzled with dressing.

Jump to Recipe

Submarine salad

Story time…because ya’ll know I relate food to some distant childhood memory. I know all the best Italian shops in the greater Boston region. My absolute favorite one is Tutto’s in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It’s a quaint shop with little Italian barista tables that cranks out the best Italian sub you have ever had.

My dad would load me up in his van for a fun day of job shadowing while he visited the client’s houses. He is a locksmith, and his van is filled with all sorts of tools that I would rummage through and cause serious mischief. I always looked forward to these kinds of days because it meant two things: I get to spend the day with my favorite human EVER, and we were certainly going out for lunch.

We walked in to Tutto’s and it was something out of a classic Italian movie. The Italian cured meats were hanging in the back in the deli from the ceiling. The small aisles were lined with Italian imported goodies, ranging from specialty pastas and sauce to fine red wines.

My dad swore I needed to try the Italian sub. Life has never been the same. Yes, that’s dramatic, but I’m serious. The bread was so fresh, crispy, and flavorful. The olive oil was unlike any I have ever tasted. The super thinly chopped lettuce was cold and refreshing. After you’ve had an Italian sub from there, you will forever be tainted and continue to compare the rest to Tutto’s. Spoiler alert: they will always fall short.

Now that I live in Pensacola, worlds away from fine Italian cuisine, I must make do… so I present to you a classic Italian sub salad!

This salad is crisp and fresh, with deliciously salted Italian cured meats. The home made vinaigrette is simple and complimentary. The smoked provolone really adds another dimension to this dish!

Italian sub salad ingredients are displayed individually.

What goes in Italian salad

Salad mix
Salami
Hot capicola (hot capi)
Mortadella
Pepperoni
Smoked provolone
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Italian seasoning
Tomatoes
Red onion
Pepperoncini

For the salad dressing

Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Italian seasoning
Salt

Italian meats are diced into small bite sized pieces.

How to assemble and Italian sub salad

Start with the meats

Choose two or three meats to throw in your salad. I went to my local Publix grocery store and bought Boars Head. I asked the deli counter to cut three thick pieces of each meat. Cut each meat into small bite sized pieces and place the the side.

Choose your vegetables

In a traditional Italian sub, you will find three key players- lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion. For this recipe, I used sweet grape tomatoes since they are in season and so juicy! You can add fun fixings like cucumbers, black/green/Spanish stuffed olives, radishes, or bell peppers.

Pick your salad greens

I made this recipe simple by using a store bough salad mix full of baby lettuce and greens. You can make this into a wedge salad with a head of lettuce or support your local farmer and grab a bag of their salad mix at the farmer’s market!

Assemble the salad

Since heavy items love to fall to the bottom of the salad, layer your salad. First, start out by placing the salad mix in a large bowl. Next, add the vegetables, then sprinkle the meats and cheese over the top. At this point, you can add the salad dressing if you’d like, or wait to dress it up in individual bowls.

Salad dressing is drizzled of the Italian salad and plated in a bowl.

How to serve this salad to a crowd

If I’m cooking for a crowd, I always aim to impress! Grab a huge bowl and some pretty salad tongs. Place the dressing in a separate glass jar. The key to a delicious salad is lots of fixings and color! Add as many vegetables as you’d like to vary up the flavors and colors. You can add different kinds of cheeses like parmesan or mozzarella pearls. Toss it together and serve while it’s cold!

How to prevent the salad from going soggy

Have you ever gone to eat a salad the next day and it’s wilted and soggy? There are a few ways to try to mitigate that!

Rip the lettuce, don’t cut it. If you are making the salad mix yourself, try ripping the leaves instead of cutting them with a knife. This helps release less water from the leaves.
Store ingredients separately. If you are making this salad into individual bowls, store ingredients separately in the fridge. The lettuce mix will stay fresh and crispy!
Don’t dress the salad. Add the salad dressing to individual bowls when you are ready to eat it.

What goes with Italian salad?

White wine, parmesan cheese, fresh lemon, and Italian seasoning make the best stuffing for this Italian Stuffed Florida pompano fish! In under 20 minutes, you’ll have the most tender, flaky and delicious fish dinner!
One pan bacon and dijon mustard chicken– juicy seared chicken breasts in a creamy dijon mustard sauce with crispy bacon bits- a delicious meal ready in 30 minutes!
One pot creamy gnocci with kale and white beans– this easy 15 minute vegetarian dish is made is one pot with a pillowy gnocchi. A simple parmesan cream sauce brings together the kale, white beans, and gnocchi with an added pinch of sage.
Creamy sausage and tortellini tomato soup– this sausage tortellini soup has a creamy tomato base, making it hearty and delicious. With Italian seasoning and the fragrant blend of roasted onions, garlic, celery, and carrots, this soup has layers of flavors!
Crispy oven baked eggplant cutlets are the perfect Italian side dish. Sliced eggplant is coated in a breadcrumb and parmesan cheese mixture and crisped to perfection.

More Sea Salt Savorings Classics

Italian salad is plated in a white bowl and drizzled with a vinaigrette.

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