Fresh, crisp and tangy, this Italian grinder salad is the ultimate summer salad recipe. Inspired by the viral grinder sandwich, this salad is loaded with fresh vegetables, salty meat, and tangy dill pickles, then finished with a creamy vinaigrette dressing that is so yummy!
Italian grinder salad, chopped deli salad, whatever you want to call it. This salad has taken my number one spot and is hands down my favorite salad recipe I have ever made. And that is saying a lot because my honey hot chicken salad took the internet by storm, and it is mouthwateringly delicious.
Jump to:
Looking for more healthy salad recipes? We've got a bunch! This honey hot chicken salad has won the hearts of over 200,000 people. Broccoli crunch salad is the perfect salad for a summer potluck, and this strawberry goat cheese salad is just all around the most wonderful summer salad!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This salad is loaded with deliciousness and topped with an equally delicious homemade creamy vinaigrette.
- It will be ready and on the table in under 20 minutes!
- Ginder salad tastes exactly like the best deli sandwich you've ever eaten, just minus the bread and carbs!
Summarize and Save This Recipe Using:
Grinder Salad Ingredients
- Iceberg Lettuce - Spinach, romaine, or green leaf lettuce can be substituted. Iceberg lettuce gives the salad a nice crunch, which is why I prefer to use it.
- Creamy Vinaigrette - Any salad dressing can be used for this salad. Although this creamy vinaigrette is very tart, it complements the salad perfectly.
- Cold Cuts - I prefer to use a blend of mortadella, sweet capocollo, and prosciutto cotto. Other cold cuts that can be used are black forest ham, honey ham, prosciutto, salami, or pepperoni!
- Vegetables - Feel free to add whichever fresh veggies you like! It is delicious with all sorts of things, like mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and shredded carrots.
A full ingredient list with the exact quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Salad Modifications
- Turn it into a Sandwich - Turn this salad into a grinder sandwich or try my clubhouse sandwich recipe! Prepare as directed and pile between some toasted crusty bread or put it in a delicious homemade flour tortilla.
- Add Some Spice - Make this salad spicy by adding some pickled jalapeno, banana peppers or pepperoncinis!
- Add Shrimp - Serve this salad with a grilled shrimp skewer to elevate it even further.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
How to Make an Italian Grinder Salad
Make The Creamy Vinaigrette
To make the creamy vinaigrette, in a small bowl or jar, combine the mayonnaise, extra virgin olive oil, pickle juice, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake until the dressing is smooth and completely combined.
Make The Salad
In a large mixing bowl, add the iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, pickles, cucumber, parmesan cheese, and cold cuts.
Pour On The Dressing
Pour the creamy vinaigrette overtop of the salad.
Mix It Up
Using a pair of tongs or salad spoons, mix the salad to evenly distribute all of the ingredients and the dressing. Serve immediately.
Expert Tip
This is completely optional, but I prefer to heat my cold cuts in a frying pan for a few minutes before chopping and adding them to the grinder salad. To do this, add the pieces of meat into a non-stick frying pan and heat over medium heat for 1 minute on each side. Transfer the heated cold cuts to a cutting board and chop them up.
Doing this kills any potential bacteria like Listeria. Heating the meat past 165°F will deactivate any potentially harmful bacteria. See here for documentation.
How To Store
This Italian grinder salad does not store well. To make this salad ahead of time, keep the lettuce, toppings and dressing in three separate containers and assemble when you are ready to eat!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely! Use whichever deli meats you like. Some ideas are salami, prosciutto, spicy pepperoni, turkey, honey ham, and even crumbled bacon is delicious in this salad.
Shredded roasted chicken or leftover turkey makes a great substitute for deli meat in this salad.
Yes, I recommend using a crispy tofu recipe to replace the deli meat in this salad. Replacing the deli meat with tofu makes this salad vegetarian.
Yes! Using this salad as a sandwich filling is a grinder sandwich, which inspired this whole recipe from the start. To use as a sandwich filling, prepare as instructed and pile in a flour tortilla wrap, on toasted crusty bread or hoagie roll.
More Easy Lunch Ideas
Looking for more quick and easy lunch ideas? Here are some of our fav's:
If you made this Italian grinder salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating, a 💬 comment and share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Italian Grinder Salad (Chopped Deli Salad)
↑ click the stars to rate this recipe ↑
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 6 cups Iceburg Lettuce shredded
- 200 grams Cold Cuts chopped (I use a mix of sweet capocollo, mortadella, and prosciutto cotto)
- 1 cup Cucumber diced
- ½ cup Cherry Tomatoes diced
- 2-3 Dill Pickles diced
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
Creamy Vinaigrette Dressing
- ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Pickle Juice
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Creamy Vinaigrette Dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, extra virgin olive oil, pickle juice, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Making The Salad
- In a large mixing bowl, add the iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, pickles, cucumber, parmesan cheese, and cold cuts (see notes below on heating cold cuts). Pour the prepared creamy vinaigrette dressing over the top and, using a pair of tongs, mix the salad to evenly distribute all of the ingredients and the dressing. Serve immediatley.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Use any combination of deli meats that you like. Some ideas are spicy pepperoni, salami, and honey ham. Roasted chicken or shredded turkey also makes great meat toppings for this salad.
- Turn this salad into a sandwich or a wrap. Prepare as instructed and stuff a flour tortilla or hoagie roll with the salad for a grinder sandwich!
- Make it spicy by adding pickled jalapeno, banana peppers or pepperoncini to the salad.
- Prepared grinder salad does not store well. To make the salad ahead of time, store the lettuce, toppings and dressing in 3 separate containers until you are ready to eat.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Jessica says
This is my favourite salad in the world! I eat it weekly and have become obsessed!