This Italian grinder salad is exactly what I want when I’m craving the flavor of a really good deli sandwich, but I want something a little fresher, crunchier and easier to throw on the table. It has all the right pieces- crisp iceberg, salty deli meats, creamy cheese, pepperoncini, red onion, tomatoes and a dressing that pulls everything together.
Why This Recipe Works The Best
- Uniform chopping – Chopping ingredients individually instead of all at once on the same cutting board gives uniform sizes and prevents more fragile ingredients from getting pulverized.
- Well rounded garlic flavor – Grating garlic infuses the juices for a well-rounded garlic flavor instead of large bits.
- No bite, all the flavor – Allowing the dried seasoning and garlic to steep in the vinegar reconstitutes the dried herbs, infuses the olive oil and pickled the garlic to take out the strong pungent bite but leave the flavor.
Ingredients for Grinder Salad
With a homemade dressing, the ingredient list looks long- but I promise it’s well worth the flavor. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Iceberg lettuce – Iceberg is the right choice here because it stays crisp and gives the salad that classic deli-style crunch.
- Grape tomatoes – Tomatoes add sweetness and juiciness without making the salad too watery.
- Red onion – I love the sharpness and bite that red onion adds to this salad.
- Pepperoncini peppers – These peppers are essential for that tangy, slightly briny grinder flavor. You’ll also want to save the juice for the dressing.
- Mini mozzarella balls – Mozzarella softens the sharper deli flavors and adds creamy contrast. I like using the mini balls for the ease of eating with a fork, but you could chop regular mozzarella as well.
- Deli meats – The combination of smoked deli ham, pepperoni and salami makes the salad feel like an Italian sub instead of a generic chopped salad.
- Provolone cheese – Provolone reinforces the grinder-sandwich flavor and adds another savory deli note.
- Dressing ingredients – We use a blend of red wine vinegar, pepperoncini juice, fresh garlic, italian seasoning, kosher salt, mayonnaise, plain greek yogurt, parmesan cheese and black pepper to make the creamiest, dreamiest salad dressing.
How to Make a Grinder Salad (Step-by-Step)
Making this salad is as easy as making the dressing, chopping the ingredients and tossing together!
- Make dressing base. In a medium bowl, stir together the red wine vinegar, pepperoncini juice, garlic, Italian seasoning and coarse Kosher salt. Allow this mixture to sit and steep.
- Add mayo, yogurt, parmesan and pepper. Whisk in the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parmesan cheese and ground black ground pepper. Chill until ready to use.
- Combine salad ingredients. In a very large mixing bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, mozzarella balls, ham, pepperoni, salami and provolone cheese. Toss gently to break apart any pieces that might have stuck.
- Drizzle dressing and toss. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Drizzle the other half and toss again. Use half of the dressing if you like it light.
- Serve immediately while the ingredients are still crisp.
Chef Tips
While this grinder salad isn’t hard to make, I do have some tips to help ensure it turns out perfectly.
- Chop everything separately – Chopping the ingredients one at a time gives you more uniform pieces and keeps fragile items like mozzarella and tomatoes from getting pulverized under heavier ingredients.
- Grate garlic instead of mincing – Grated garlic gives the dressing more even flavor and lets the juices infuse the vinegar. It tastes smoother and more balanced than bigger raw garlic pieces.
- Allow dressing to steep – That short steep gives the dried herbs time to soften and the garlic time to mellow, which makes the dressing taste much more cohesive.
- Toss just before serving – This is a crisp salad, and that crunch is part of what makes it good. Tossing too early softens the lettuce and takes away the grinder-salad texture.
Variations
There are plenty of ways for you to make this grinder salad recipe your own- here are a few suggestions.
- Meats – You can swap the ham (or any of the meats) for deli turkey if you want a lighter deli flavor.
- Peppers – If you don’t have or don’t like pepperoncini’s, you can swap them for banana pepper instead.
- Lettuce – There are a lot of folks that don’t prefer iceberg lettuce. If that’s thee case for you, mix in some romaine to add some substance to salad.
- Cheese – Use cotija or shaved Parmesan as an extra finishing cheese if you want a sharper finish.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: If you know you’ll have leftovers, store the dressing separately and toss only what you plan to eat. Once fully dressed, the salad is best the day it’s made.
Undressed, the chopped salad ingredients can be refrigerated in an airtight container for about one day, though the tomatoes and onion are always freshest closest to serving.
Freezing: Salads aren’t good for freezing. The lettuce and toppings will become extremely soggy upon thawing.
More Crisp Salad Recipes
The weather is getting warmer, and I’m craving all of the cool, crisp salads. Here are some of my favorites.
Italian Grinder Salad Recipe
This Italian grinder salad is loaded with iceberg, deli meats, cheese, pepperoncini & a creamy dressing for a bold salad that eats like a sub.
Servings:
Ingredients
Grinder Salad:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce , chopped or shredded
- 1 cup grape tomatoes , quartered
- 1/2 cup red onion , minced
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers , chopped
- 1/2 cup mini mozzarella balls , halved
- 1/4 pound smoked deli ham , chopped
- 1/4 pound deli style pepperoni , chopped
- 1/4 pound deli style salami , chopped
- 1/4 pound provolone cheese , chopped
Grinder Salad Dressing:
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pepperoncini juice
- 1 clove garlic , grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black ground pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons pepperoncini juice, grated 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt. Allow this mixture to sit and steep for 10-15 minutes.
- Whisk in the 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, finely grated 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon ground black ground pepper. Chill until ready to use.
Grinder Salad Dressing:
Grinder Salad:
- IN a very large mixing bowl, combine a chopped head 1 head iceberg lettuce, quartered 1 cup grape tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/2 cup red onion, chopped 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, halved 1/2 cup mini mozzarella balls, chopped 1/4 pound smoked deli ham, chopped 1/4 pound deli style pepperoni, chopped 1/4 pound deli style salami and chopped 1/4 pound provolone cheese. Toss gently to break apart any pieces that might have stuck.
- Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Drizzle the other half and toss again. Use half of the dressing if you light it light.
- Serve immediately while the ingredients are still crisp.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how you liked it in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Storage: If you know you’ll have leftovers, store the dressing separately and toss only what you plan to eat. Once fully dressed, the salad is best the day it’s made.
Undressed, the chopped salad ingredients can be refrigerated in an airtight container for about one day, though the tomatoes and onion are always freshest closest to serving.
Freezing: Salads aren’t good for freezing. The lettuce and toppings will become extremely soggy upon thawing.
Nutrition
Calories: 492 kcal, Carbohydrates: 8 g, Protein: 24 g, Fat: 41 g, Saturated Fat: 14 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 73 mg, Sodium: 1513 mg, Potassium: 478 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 925 IU, Vitamin C: 17 mg, Calcium: 294 mg, Iron: 1 mg
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