This easy, flavorful Grinder Salad has been my go-to lunch lately! It’s packed full fresh greens, tender cuts of deli meats, squares of provolone cheese, plus the iconic onion, tomato and pepperoncini combo. When combined with a homemade Italian dressing, this incredible salad is ready in only 10 minutes!
Why You’ll Love Grinder Salad
Easy to Make – Just a little bit of chopping and tossing, then voila! You’ll have a homemade Italian grinder salad in no time.
Customizable – This is a classic grinder salad recipe, but you can add or take out anything to make it your own.
Lunch Saver – When I can’t think of what to make myself or my family for lunch, I love an easy, no-brainer salad like this grinder salad recipe.
Light and Flavorful – I love how flavorful this salad is, especially the grinder salad dressing. Yet, the whole dish is so light, not too filling, and satisfies my cravings every time!
If your go-to order at the deli is the iconic Italian grinder sub, you’re going to LOVE this salad version. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Italian Grinder sandwich version, but sometimes a really good salad for lunch is unbeatable.
Maybe it’s because I like to load it up with all the meats, cheeses, and toppings so after a while it becomes less a salad and more a bowl of delicious toppings, but that’s besides the point. Try this grinder salad recipe and your life will be forever changed!
Ingredient Info
This is a discussion about the ingredients. For the actual recipe with amounts, please see the recipe below.
- Mayonnaise – You can use either regular or low-fat mayo.
- Vinegar – Red wine vinegar is the best vinegar for this dressing in my opinion. For a sweeter dressing, you can use apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
- Garlic – I prefer it fresh, but you can use a jar of pre-minced garlic or even garlic powder.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated is always top-tier, but pre-grated is fine as well.
- Lettuce – I like iceberg lettuce because it’s crisp, but you can use romaine or even a different leafy green like spinach or a spring mix.
- Onion – The flavor of red onion is iconic in this salad, but you can use white or yellow onion.
- Tomato – I just diced up some roma tomatoes, but beefsteak tomatoes, or even sliced grape or cherry tomatoes works great.
- Pepperoncini – This or banana peppers is fine. You could also sub for pickled red peppers, or leave it out all together
- Provolone – I like to dice up a block of this. You can also use mozzarella cheese, or pepperjack for some spice.
- Meat – Salami and Turkey are a classic choice for this salad but you could also use pepperoni, summer sausage, ham, or chicken.
How To Make A Grinder Salad
This is a discussion about the recipe. For the actual recipe with amounts, please see the recipe below.
- Whisk dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add salad ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Advice
Storage – I don’t recommend saving the salad once it’s been tossed in the dressing. Lettuce gets really soggy, really easily. If you want, you can chop all the ingredients, and make the dressing separately then store the salad ingredients and dressing in two separate containers, and just toss & assemble once you’re ready to eat.
Viral Method – I don’t know if you’ve seen the viral grinder salad method where they throw all the ingredients, including the dressing on a cutting board and just start chopping it all together. I say that is the smartest, dish-saving technique to making a salad if I’ve ever seen one.
Equipment
For this recipe you’ll just need a large mixing bowl and tongs or something to toss the salad with.
FAQs
It’s called that because it’s made with the same ingredients used in a grinder sub.
You can serve this with a side of soup, some toasted bread, or garlic knots.
Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed making and eating this grinder salad, I have a few more similar, and just as fabulous recipes you’ll love just as much. Check them out!
- Cucumber Salad
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Curried Chicken Salad
- Easy Rotini Pasta Salad
- Carrot Raisin Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
- Old Fashioned Potato Salad
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Grinder Salad
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/8 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grates)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional )
Salad Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce (chopped)
- 1/4 cup red onion (sliced)
- 1 cup tomato (diced)
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini
- 1/2 cup provolone cheese (diced)
- 1/2 cup salami (chopped)
- 1/2 cup deli turkey meat (chopped)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add mayo, vinegar, garlic, grated parmesan, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes. Whisk well until fully combined.
- Next, add onion, pepperoncini, tomatoes, provolone, salami and turkey. Add the lettuce on top, then use tongs or 2 serving forks to toss the salad well. (Optionally you could place a lid on the mixing bowl and shake)
- Serve immediately after tossing.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
