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    Home » Soups/Salads » High Protein Italian Sub Salad

    High Protein Italian Sub Salad

    Published: Jan 12, 2023 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    2 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Italian sub salad is a delicious, high protein main dish salad. Filled with yummy cold cuts, cheese and tangy peppers, you will love making this salad for meal prep, an easy and light main course, or to serve a crowd.

    Italian sub salad with homemade croutons served on 2 white plates

    A hearty salad that reminds me of traditional Italian subs? Yes, please! We are big fans of a good Italian sub sandwich around here, and this salad has all the same flavors of your favorite sammy, minus the carbs. Ideal for those watching their carb count or following a KETO diet, or for anyone who just wants something a little lighter. I’ve made this salad for book club, Christmas Day dinner, to go alongside Italian food, and just for a light dinner. It’s so easy and the perfect blend of crunchy, tangy and salty, especially when using homemade croutons.

    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love this delicious salad
    • Salad Ingredients
    • Preparing your sub salad
    • Recipe tips
    • High Protein Italian Sub Salad

    Why you’ll love this delicious salad

    • All the flavors you love in an Italian sandwich. Crunchy, sweet, spicy and salty, this salad has a delicious variety of flavors and textures.
    • No cooking involved, so perfect for an easy dinner or hot day!
    • Low carb and easily made gluten-free by just using gf croutons
    • Can be prepped in advance. Since this salad does require a decent amount of chopping, you can easily prep all the ingredients in advance, and just toss right before serving the next day.
    • Perfect for a crowd or for a light dinner!
    ingredients for Italian sub salad in small white bowls

    Salad Ingredients

    • Iceberg lettuce – 1 whole head of lettuce sliced and chopped up. You can also use romaine lettuce, but I prefer the super crunch of iceberg.
    • Deli meats – deli ham and salami are what I use, but feel free to use another type of cured Italian meats. I have used large pepperoni in a pinch, if I didn’t have salami on hand.
    • Cheese – I used 2 types; fresh mozzarella pearls and fontina cheese. Provolone cheese would make a nice addition and perfect for this type of antipasto salad.
    • Red onion and tomatoes – added veggies for more flavor and nutrition.
    • Peppers for tang – I used peppadew peppers, but banana peppers would also be great, especially if you can’t find peppadews. I like these 2 options because they lend a sweeter flavor. If you want to stick with a spicy flavor, you can use pepperoncini peppers instead.
    • Black olives or kalamata olives.
    • Red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and dried oregano for the salad dressing ingredients
    • Croutons – store bought is fine, but I highly recommend using homemade! My air fried croutons are so easy to make and have the perfect flavor and texture.

    Preparing your sub salad

    This is a pretty simple salad to make, it just requires some chopping. Begin by prepping all the salad ingredients. Cut deli meats into thin strips, chop up tomatoes, onions, fontina cheese and peppers. And of course rinse and chop up lettuce.

    sliced red onions, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce on a black platter
    start by adding onions and tomatoes to lettuce
    peppers, tomatoes and black olives on a cold cut salad
    add deli meats, peppers and black olives

    Add all ingredients, beginning with the lettuce, into a large bowl. Toss ingredients well, then top with croutons. Right before serving, drizzle olive oil and vinegar and sprinkle oregano all over salad, then toss one more time.

    layered ingredients for a subway salad on a black platter
    add cheese
    Italian sub salad topped with homemade croutons
    top with croutons and dress salad when ready to eat

    Recipe tips

    • Do not add salad dressing until you’re ready to serve. Or better yet, combine salad dressing ingredients in a container, and allow guests to add dressing as they serve themselves. That way the lettuce doesn’t wilt if you have leftovers to store.
    • Use a pizza cutter to quickly slice up deli meats.
    • Check the day old bread cart for deals on delicious bakery bread, which makes the perfect croutons. See my air fryer (or oven baked) crouton recipe here.
    • Adjust ingredient amounts to suit your personal taste preference.
    Italian sub salad on a big black platter

    I hope you love this delicious, high protein salad as much as we do! If you give it a try and enjoy it, please consider leaving a recipe comment and rating below.

    italian cold cut salad on round white plates
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    Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or rating, letting me know how you enjoyed it! Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest, and never miss a post by signing up for my weekly newsletter!

    italian cold cut salad on round white plates

    High Protein Italian Sub Salad

    This Italian sub salad is a delicious, high protein main dish salad. Filled with yummy cold cuts, cheese and tangy peppers, you will love making this salad for meal prep, an easy and light main course, or to serve a crowd.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 8 people
    Author:Andrea

    Ingredients

    • 1 head iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
    • 4 ounces deli ham sliced
    • 4 ounces salami sliced
    • 4 ounces fontina cheese cubed or sliced
    • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese small pearls or a block cut into cubes
    • ½ small red onion thinly sliced
    • 2 tomatoes cut into small chunks
    • ¼ cup sliced black olives
    • 2 tsp dried oregano
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
    • 8 ounces croutons adjust amount to your personal preference
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add all fresh ingredients except for croutons, oil and vinegar and oregano to a serving bowl or platter and toss well.
      1 head iceberg lettuce, 4 ounces deli ham, 4 ounces salami, 4 ounces fontina cheese, 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, ½ small red onion, 2 tomatoes, ¼ cup sliced black olives
    • When ready to serve, drizzle with oil and vinegar and sprinkle with oregano. Toss well and top with croutons. Serve immediately.
      2 tsp dried oregano, 3 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp red wine vinegar, 8 ounces croutons

    Notes

    Adjust the amounts of added ingredients by personal taste preference. If you love olives for example, add more. 
    Use a pizza cutter to quickly slice up deli meats.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 845IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Howe.We.Live or tag #HoweWeLiveRecipes!
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    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is the recipe developer and photographer of Howe We Live. She is also a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, for her family of 5. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the food industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

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    Welcome to Howe We Live. I’m Andrea, a passionate home cook and mother of 3. I’ve been cooking and writing about healthy eating for almost a decade, and my number one goal here is to help you develop the tools needed to throw together a great meal at home that is both delicious, and healthy-ish. All eaters are welcome here! Read More

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