Italian Sub Salad has been one of my favorite go-to lunches for years. It’s filling, tasty, easy to make (re: NO cooking necessary), and budget-friendly. One of the best things about this salad is how flexible it is. You can use whatever you have on hand. I’ve made it with salami, different turkey and ham varieties, pepperoni, leftover cheeses, vegetables that needed to be used up, and pantry staples like chickpeas or black olives.
Think about your favorite sub from your go-to sandwich shop. What’s on it? Use that as inspiration and recreate it as a salad.
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Italian Sub Salad Recipe:
This is the perfect meal-prep lunch thanks to how quick and simple it is to make, and the best part is there’s no cooking involved. 🎉
Just thinly slice your lettuce (I usually use romaine or iceberg), chop or slice your veggies, roll and slice the lunch meat, then add your toppings and shake up the dressing. That’s it. Easy and done.
Optional Sub Salad Add-ins:
Italian Sub Salad is basically the charcuterie board of salads. You can add whatever you want, and it will look and taste great.
- Genoa Salami, capicola, mortadella, pepperoni, ham, prosciutto, turkey, roast beef
- Olives, such as black olives, green olives, or pitted Kalamata
- Pepperoncini, jalapenos, or other pickled, spicy goods
- Deli cheeses like American, provolone, mozzarella, Swiss, Colby jack, pepper jack, muenster, etc.
- Red onion
- Roasted red peppers
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Red onions, or pickled onions
- Chickpeas
- Croutons. Try my Gluten Free Croutons.
What type of dressing do I put on Italian Sub Salad?
I always make my homemade sub vinaigrette. It’s made mostly with pantry staples and gives the salad that authentic “sub” flavor.
The sub vinaigrette includes:
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Oregano, or Italian seasonings
- Parmesan
- Garlic
- Honey
- Lemon
- Salt & pepper
Short on time? Grab your favorite Italian dressing from the store—I usually go for Ken’s Simply Marinades/Dressings. You can also pick up an Italian vinaigrette specifically made for subs.
Equipment
You don't need anything special to make this Italian Sub Salad. I recommend:
- A crinkle cutter knife for the cucumbers
- Meal prep containers if prepping for work lunches
- A salad spinner for perfectly crisp lettuce.
- A lemon squeezer
How to Store Italian Sub Salad:
For meal prepping this salad, you’ll need one container for the salad ingredients and a separate container for the dressing.
Any particularly wet ingredients—like tomatoes, olives, or pickles—should go in their own compartments or small sandwich bags to keep the lettuce from getting soggy.
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Italian Sub Salad with Cold Cuts
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Equipment
- crinkle cutter knife optional
- meal prep containers optional
Ingredients
For the Sub Salad:
- 3 romaine hearts or whole iceberg lettuce
- 2 red bell peppers sliced thinly
- 1 cucumber sliced thinly
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup banana peppers added to your liking
- 16 oz. fresh mozzarella cut into cubes
- 1 ½ lbs turkey lunch meat I always buy honey turkey
- 1 lb salami or pepperoni or both
- croutons optional
For the Sub Vinaigrette:
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 clove minced garlic (1 teaspoon jarred)
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp. honey
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Homemade Italian Dressing:
- Add all ingredients to a glass mason jar and shake until emulsified.¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic (1 teaspoon jarred), 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp. honey, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
For the Sub Salad:
- Prep: Wash all vegetables. Dry the lettuce using a salad spinner or by wrapping it in paper towels. Chop the lettuce, and thinly slice the cucumber and bell peppers.
- Roll up lunch meats. Slice or cube mozzarella.1 ½ lbs turkey lunch meat, 1 lb salami, 16 oz. fresh mozzarella
- To assemble: Lay a bed of romaine on a large salad plate or in meal prep containers. Pile all ingredients on top in sections: rolled salami and turkey, mozzarella, sliced cucumbers and bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, banana pepper rings, and any other add-ins. Drizzle over dressing.3 romaine hearts, 2 red bell peppers, 1 cucumber, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup banana peppers
- Enjoy!
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