Ingredients (~6 servings)
Salad Base
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, sliced into wide strips then chopped
- 1 head radicchio, halved, cored, and chopped
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced peperoncini peppers
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup pitted Italian green olives, sliced
- Half a large cucumber, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 6 fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin strips
Meats and Cheeses
- ~5 oz sharp provolone cheese, small-cubed or cut into matchsticks
- ~2.5 oz shaved Pecorino Romano cheese
- ~5 oz Genoa salami, thick dinner-cut, sliced into strips
- ~3 oz pepperoni, small-cubed or cut into short strips
- ~3 oz smoked ham, small-cubed or cut into short strips
Dressing
- 6 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp peperoncini brine
- 1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, pressed
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
Prep the Leafy Greens
Slice the iceberg into wide shreds, then rinse and thoroughly pat dry.
Slice the radicchio in half, remove the inner white core, then chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces; Rinse and pat dry.
The greens need to be completely dry or the dressing won’t stick.
Prep the Cheeses and Meats
Cut the ~5 oz of provolone into small cubes if it’s in block form, or cut into smaller strips if it’s sliced.
Use the large slicing side of a box grater to shave pieces off of a Pecorino Romano wedge if you’re not buying pre-shaved.
Cut the ~5 oz of salami, ~3 oz of pepperoni, and ~3 oz of ham into small cubes or thin strips if they’re in slices.
I like to keep the cuts uniform so everything distributes evenly when you toss the salad.
Prep the Vegetables
Slice the 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup of peperoncini, 1/2 cup of roasted red peppers, 1/2 cup of olives, and half cucumber into bite-sized pieces.
Slice the 1/4 cup of red onion thinly and cut into small pieces.
Slice the 6 basil leaves into thin strips.
Make the Dressing
Add the 6 Tbsp of mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp of peperoncini brine, 1 1/2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar, pressed garlic clove, 1 1/2 tsp of dried oregano, 3/4 tsp of dried basil, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of kosher salt, 1/4 tsp of sugar, and black pepper to a jar or bowl; Whisk well to combine.
Pour in the 1/4 cup of olive oil while whisking until the dressing has a creamy, emulsified texture.
Taste and add more salt, pepper, or olive oil as needed – I usually add another 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil.
Assemble the Salad
Toss the iceberg and radicchio in a large bowl with a small amount of dressing – just enough to very lightly coat the greens.
Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the bowl and lightly drizzle them with another small portion of the dressing before tossing to evenly disperse.
You want to use maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the dressing total for the initial toss.
Serve with Extra Dressing on the Side
Serve the salad alongside the remaining dressing so people can dress individual servings to taste.
The salad holds up pretty well in the fridge for a day but the greens will start to wilt if dressed too heavily.
Loaded Italian Sub Salad
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, sliced into wide strips then chopped
- 1 head radicchio, halved, cored, and chopped
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced peperoncini peppers
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup pitted Italian green olives, sliced
- Half a large cucumber, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 6 fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin strips
Meats and Cheeses
- ~5 oz sharp provolone cheese, small-cubed or cut into matchsticks
- ~2.5 oz shaved Pecorino Romano cheese
- ~5 oz Genoa salami, thick dinner-cut, sliced into strips
- ~3 oz pepperoni, small-cubed or cut into short strips
- ~3 oz smoked ham, small-cubed or cut into short strips
Dressing
- 6 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp peperoncini brine
- 1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, pressed
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
Instructions
- Slice iceberg lettuce into wide strips then chop, rinse and pat completely dry.
- Halve radicchio, remove core, chop into bite-sized pieces, rinse and pat dry.
- Cut provolone into small cubes or matchsticks.
- Shave Pecorino Romano using a box grater or use pre-shaved cheese.
- Cut salami, pepperoni, and ham into small cubes or thin strips.
- Slice cherry tomatoes, peperoncini, roasted red peppers, olives, and cucumber into bite-sized pieces.
- Thinly slice red onion and cut into small pieces.
- Slice basil leaves into thin strips.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, peperoncini brine, red wine vinegar, pressed garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, sugar, and black pepper in a jar or bowl.
- Slowly whisk in olive oil until dressing is creamy and emulsified.
- Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or add more olive oil as needed.
- Toss iceberg and radicchio in a large bowl with a small amount of dressing.
- Add remaining salad ingredients and lightly drizzle with more dressing, then toss to combine.
- Serve with remaining dressing on the side for individual servings.