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The Grinder Salad is made with chopped up romaine lettuce and topped with a collection of sliced pepperoni, salami, ham, provolone, tomato, and red onion. Drizzle the salad with the homemade creamy and tangy red wine Italian dressing.
This Grinder Salad is a low-carb, deconstructed version of a Grinder sub sandwich. Lettuce, veggies, meat, and cheese all drizzled with a creamy, savory, and tangy dressing. This is the perfect chopped salad featuring bold flavors, a bit of heat, and the tangy dressing. Serve it as a lunch, light dinner, or side dish.
If you’re a fan of salads make sure you check out our Fall Apple Salad, Mexican Salad, and our Classic Wedge Salad.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Lettuce: Use a romaine lettuce or green lettuce for this salad.
- Meats: Use a combination of pepperoni, salami, and ham. You could also swap with some sliced turkey breast.
- Sugar: Use this in the salad dressing, swap with your favorite sweetener or use honey if you need to substitute.
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
How to Make a Grinder Salad
- Fill a small bowl with cold water and ice. Add the thinly sliced red onion and let soak during prep work, this helps reduce the sharp bite of the raw onion.
- Prepare the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil together in a small bowl or jar. Stir to combine and create a smooth, creamy base. Add in the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, sugar, and garlic paste. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Prepare the salad in a large serving bowl by layering the lettuce, sliced meats, cheese, pepperoncini, tomato and red onion.
- Drizzle with the salad dressing, toss to coat the salad.
Storage
If preparing the salad ahead of time store the ingredients separately and keep the Grinder Salad Dressing in a sealed container. Toss the salad just before serving.
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Grinder Salad
Ingredients
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 heads romaine lettuce shredded
- ½ beefsteak tomato thinly sliced then quartered
- ⅓ cup pepperoncini sliced
- 10 slices pepperoni sliced matchstick style
- 6 slices salami sliced (matchstick)
- 1 slice deli ham sliced (matchstick)
- 2 slices provolone cheese sliced (matchstick)
Instructions
- Fill a small bowl with cold water and ice. Add the thinly sliced red onion and let soak during prep work, this helps reduce the sharp bite of the raw onion.
- Prepare the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil together in a small bowl or jar. Stir to combine and create a smooth, creamy base.
- Add in the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, sugar, and garlic paste. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Prepare the salad in a large serving bowl by layering the lettuce, sliced meats, cheese, pepperoncini, tomato and red onion.
- Drizzle with the salad dressing, toss to coat the salad.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
Looks terrific! Unfortunately, I can’t print for my recipe book.
Each week I plan a menu w a client and we use our book, make notes and decide to use again or toss. I think this could be a keeper!
How can I print so I can use this one?
There is a print button on all the recipe cards at the very top. Just make sure you are on the actual recipe card at the bottom of the post. Where all of the ingredients are listed with full instructions. Once you hit print, then you can select several options on how you want it to print (with nutrition info or without etc..)