The keto grinder salad is taking the internet by storm, and for good reason. It's a refreshing and exciting twist on salads that your whole family will love. With its vibrant colors and delicious contrast in flavors and textures, this salad is as much of a delight for the eyes as it is for the taste buds. Every forkful offers a combination of finely sliced lettuce, savory Italian meats, and cheese. The best part is, it’s so filling that it can be served as a light dinner, lunch entrée, or as a hearty side salad.
What is a Grinder Salad?
A grinder sandwich is a hearty, meat-and-cheese-filled sandwich. The ingredients are either chopped into really small pieces or thinly sliced, giving them the appearance that they have been "grinded" up. Whether you see it referred to as an Italian grinder or an American grinder, they are both basically prepared the same way. This keto grinder salad has all the ingredients and flavors of a classic Italian sub without the bread and carbs!
Italian Grinder vs. American Grinder
An Italian grinder typically includes a combination of cured Italian meats like salami, capicola, mortadella, and prosciutto. It also includes Italian cheeses such as provolone or mozzarella. Toppings like roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and Italian herbs with a tangy vinaigrette or Italian dressing also set it apart from the American version.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is incredibly easy to make! Chopping the salad ingredients and mixing up the dressing is all this recipe requires. It is super easy, which is always a selling factor on a recipe. This Italian grinder salad is jam-packed with flavorful ingredients. It’s like the best sub sandwich sans the hoagie roll!
Key Ingredients
- Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is a fabulous base to this salad! Romaine lettuce would be the next best lettuce to use here besides iceberg. It still has that crunch and crisp vital to a chopped salad! Wash, dry, and thinly shred your romaine lettuce. I like to use my salad spinner for washing and drying the lettuce.
- Deli Meat: Sliced deli meats just like you’d find on an Italian sub sandwich! Turkey and pepperoni, but adding salami is always a good choice too! Feel free to use other deli meats too like capicola or ham. Cold cuts are the primary ingredient in this recipe! Any and all of your favorites could work. Meat options: roast beef, or a combination of Italian cold cuts (like capicola, mortadella, and pepperoni).
- Cheese: Havarti and Colby Jack! If you can get some freshly sliced cheese from the deli along with the meat, then that’s even better! Provolone and parmesan cheese are two delicious, strong Italian cheeses that add incredible umami, salty flavor to this sub salad recipe. You’ll chop the provolone and grate the parmesan! Any cheese would work fabulously in this salad in place of the provolone. Use whatever is your favorite! Swiss cheese, Colby jack cheese, cheddar cheese, or American cheese.
- Veggies: Diced tomato, red onion, and sliced banana peppers. The jarred kind work well in this salad. The peppers only add a little bit of mild spice. You can omit them if you don’t like it. Tomatoes are essential to this salad as well! Red onions are an essential part of any Italian grinder sandwich in my opinion. So they are essential to this salad as well! I just love the strong, slightly spicy flavor. Banana peppers add a wonderful tangy, slightly sweet flavor here. It is absolutely delicious! Additional vegetables: cucumbers, pickles or banana peppers.
- Olives: Pepperoncini peppers with the brine, but if you want even more briny flavor you can add in some kalamata olives.
- Capers: Another great idea!
- Red pepper flakes: Love a kick of heat?
- Mayonnaise: Mayo serves as the base of this creamy grinder salad dressing.
- Garlic: Lots of good garlic flavor in Italian dressing so grating some garlic cloves, or pasting them is recommended.
- Parmesan: Lots of grated Parmesan is a great addition to Italian dressing!
- Seasoning: Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds depth, complexity, and a beautiful tang.
- Banana Pepper Juice: A bit of the juice from the jar of those banana peppers adds extra tang too.
Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing
The homemade creamy Italian dressing really makes this salad!
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- Mayonnaise
- Garlic
- Parmesan
- Salt
- Pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
How to Make Keto Grinder Salad
- Prepare the dressing: You can prepare the dressing the night before and keep it in an airtight jar with a lid. Mix all of the dressing ingredients, put them into a small mixing bowl, and whisk them together until well combined!
- Pre-slice the veggies: Slicing the veggies into thin ribbons is the only time-consuming part of making this salad. Do that the night before and you’ll have most of the work done.
- Prepare: If you’re using a head of iceberg lettuce remove the outer leaves and cut the into quarters. Remove the core and then slice the lettuce into thin strips.
- Tomato & Onion: Next you will dice the tomato and then cut the onion in half and slice it into thin strips.
- Meat & Cheese: If you are using slices of deli meat and cheese you can make things simple by stacking them all and then dicing them into small pieces with a sharp knife! Add the diced turkey, pepperoni, and salami with the diced cheese to the bowl with the other salad ingredients.
- Mix: Pour the creamy Italian dressing over the salad and toss to coat the lettuce, deli meat, and cheese in the dressing. Add some salt and pepper to taste and then serve this salad up.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add salad ingredients.
- Prepare dressing. Next in a small bowl or jar combine the mayo, red wine vinegar, banana pepper juice, garlic powder, oregano, and salt until smooth.
- Dress and combine. Pour the dressing over the lettuce mixture.
Tips for the Perfect Keto Grinder Salad
- A classic grinder sandwich can be prepared with a variety of meats, cheese, and toppings.
- To keep your salad crisp and fresh, always dry your lettuce thoroughly after washing. A salad spinner works great for this!
- Use freshly cracked black pepper and high-quality deli meats and cheeses for an extra burst of flavor!
- Don’t be afraid to customize! This recipe is super versatile, so get creative with your favorite ingredients.
- Chop everything up nice and small! Chopped salads are superior. I highly recommend chopping the veggies, lettuce, different meats, and cheese as small as possible. The only work this recipe requires is chopping, so you might as well spend some time to do it well.
- Spread the lettuce out in an even layer in a large mixing bowl or salad bowl.
- Lettuce, meat, and cheese are always great for Keto or low carb diets, But, when it comes to salads, the main thing you have to be mindful about is the type of dressing you use.
Variations and Substitutions
This chopped grinder salad is absolutely fabulous as is! It is truly scrumptious … think all your favorite sandwich ingredients turned into an incredibly flavorful low carb meal. It is so good that you will not even miss the Italian bread that typically holds these goodies. However, there are always additions, substitutions, and variations you can make for it to meet your personal preferences or tastes.
- Meats: I use turkey, pepperoni, and salami here. But any and all of your favorites could work.
- Cheeses: Any cheese would work fabulously in this salad in place of the provolone. Use whatever is your favorite! Swiss cheese, Colby jack cheese, cheddar cheese, or American cheese. Parmesan is a little trickier to substitute!
- Lettuce: Romaine lettuce would be the next best lettuce to use here besides iceberg. It still has that crunch and crisp vital to a chopped salad! But these two are not the most nutritious.
- No Mayo: Not a fan of mayo? I do not agree with you, but I understand you. And you can still enjoy this salad. I would recommend creating a more oil and vinegar style dressing using olive oil. Here is a simple Italian dressing recipe option!
- Pasta Salad: This grinder chopped salad could easily be turned into a grinder pasta salad. How delicious would that be?
- Add Carbs: This salad is carb-less, which I thoroughly enjoy. I love that it is a low carb, lighter way for me to enjoy the flavors and textures of an Italian sub. However, feel free to add some carbs in. I suggest croutons or some toasted Panko breadcrumbs.
- Different Sub: If the classic Italian grinder sandwich is not your go-to, turn your favorite sub into a salad.
- Swap out mozzarella for provolone, parmesan, or even sharp cheddar for a different flavor profile.
- Feel free to add or substitute a mix of Italian meats or your favorite deli meats, such as roasted chicken, prosciutto, or even crispy bacon, for extra crunch.
- For more color and nutrition, try adding bell peppers, cucumbers, or shredded carrots.
- Use a creamy Caesar dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, or spicy chipotle mayo to change things up.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian grinder salad is delicious on its own. However, you can also serve it as a side for grilled chicken with avocado salsa, grilled ribeye steak, or BBQ New Orleans style shrimp, to add a fresh and tangy protein to your plate.
Meal Prepping and Storage
This salad works wonderfully as meal prep. I mean what screams lunch more than deli meats? I recommend chopping the salad ingredients and preparing the dressing ahead of time. Then store in the refrigerator for the week. You can assemble a salad whenever you get hungry! Or pre-portion the chopped salad into individual containers and add a small container of dressing too.
To store your Italian grinder salad, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For the best texture and flavor, I recommend that you store the dressing separately and toss it with the salad just before serving.
This keto grinder salad will keep much better if it is not mixed up with the dressing! If you think you’ll have leftovers just hold off on adding all the dressing at once. Store the salad and dressing separately for up to a few days covered in the fridge!
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You can store this dressed salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just be careful as the salad will get soggy when stored. I personally don’t mind the slightly soggy leftover dressed salad too much, but if you do I would recommend storing the components separately. Add the chopped and mixed salad to one container and the prepared dressing to another.
Can I make this recipe into mason jar salads?
Yes, this hearty salad can be made into individual mason jar salads for a quick and easy lunch option. Simply layer your ingredients, starting with the dressing on the bottom, followed by your veggies, meats, and cheeses.
How to Store Salad?
Dress this grinder sub salad immediately before serving! This salad will become a bit soggy after it is dressed, so I would not recommend fully preparing it ahead of time.
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