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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Grinder Salad (Viral Tiktok Recipe)

    Published: May 21, 2022 by Ayeh Manfre 7 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    This Grinder Salad is a giant sub sandwich filled with protein, cheese, veggies and a creamy salad that drips down your arm with every bite!

    This Tiktok Grinder Salad recipe is going to change the way you have a sandwich! It's a giant sandwich that drips down your arm with every bite, in the best way possible if you know what I mean!

    The messier the food the better right 🙂

    Do you love a good sandwich? Then you must also try my Healthy Tuna Salad and Vegan Sandwich.

    I kept seeing the Grinder sandwich trending all over Tiktok and social media so I knew I had to try it with a vegetarian spin. You can also easily make it vegan too by using dairy free cheese and mayonnaise.

    To be honest, I had no idea what a Grinder salad was when I first saw it but knew I needed it haha. Since trying it, I can now see why its been trending!

    It's basically a thick bread roll, filled with your favourite protein and cheese. What brings it together is an iceberg salad which has a delicious creamy dressing…YUM!

    This grinder sub sandwich is one you definitely must try! You can also adjust the fillings to what you love, there aren't any rules. It's all about the creamy iceberg salad in the middle which is the best part.

    Jump to:
    • What is a Grinder Salad?
    • Ingredients to make this Grinder Sandwich
    • How to make Grinder Salad
    • Tips for the Best Hero Sandwich
    • More Lunch Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What is a Grinder Salad?

    A Grinder is an Italian American sandwich that uses a long crusted bread roll, filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables and salad.  There are many theories on the Grinder name but some say the sandwich got its name because of how hard the bread is to chew. This is why it usually has a creamy dressed salad to help with the tough bread.

    In New England and Pennsylvania, a grinder is normally referred to as a hot submarine sandwich and a cold sandwich is called a sub.

    There are also many names identified for the grinder sandwich from the US , New Jersey and across the world.  Most common names are the submarine sandwich, subs, hoagie, hero, wedge, spukie or the simple Italian sandwich.

    Ingredients to make this Grinder Sandwich

    • Iceberg lettuce is the base of the salad. You can also use romaine or cos lettuce
    • Banana peppers which are also known as pepperoncini peppers are my favourite part of the salad!
      They are full of flavour and make it taste so good!
    • Salad Dressing is made with mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes and S&P. You can also make it vegan by using a vegan mayonnaise
    • A Thick bread roll is essential! I've used a rustic Italian roll but you can even use Focaccia, ciabatta, hoagie roll or cob
    • Protein, I’ve used plant based chicken schnitzel for my grinder sub. Typically they are made with cold cuts, salami, turkey, ham, or even roast beef. You can really use any protein you like
    • Cheese, I’ve used Swiss cheese along with grated parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano). You can even use cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, American cheese or even a vegan cheese to make the grinder sub fully vegan
    • I've also added marinated red peppers and tomatoes. Other toppings you can add are onions, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, cucumbers or any vegetables

    How to make Grinder Salad

    Time needed: 10 minutes.

    1. Cook protein

      Cook the plant based chicken or chosen protein

    2. Make Salad

      Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Then add the iceberg lettuce and banana peppers and mix together until nice and creamySteps to show how to make the grinder salad dressing

    3. Marinate tomatoes

      Add a teaspoon of olive oil along with salt and pepper to the sliced tomatoes to let them marinate

    4. Prepare bread with cheese

      Slice the bread roll in half and if its quite thick, tear out some of the inside
      Add a slice of cheese to each half and place in the oven or grill for a few minutes until the cheese has meltedSteps to show how to prepare the grinder sub sandwich bread with cheese

    5. Assemble

      Assemble the sandwich starting with the marinated red peppers, plant based chicken (or protein), iceberg salad, parmesan cheese and tomatoes. Place on the top, slice in half and enjoy!!Grinder sandwich layers to show the order of how to assemble the sub

    Tips for the Best Hero Sandwich

    1. Make sure to use a thick bread roll as the base so the sandwich doesn't go soggy from the dressing
    2. Pull some of the insides of the bread out to fit in more fillings. I like to do this before adding the toppings
    3. Don't slice the iceberg lettuce too thin as it will lose its shape and become soggy
    4. Whisk the salad dressing well before adding the lettuce and peppers. It might seem really thick to start, but it will loosen up once the ingredients are tossed in
    5. Marinate the tomatoes with olive oil and S&P, it will make the biggest difference!
    6. Finely grate the Parmesan cheese which makes it taste so much better

    More Lunch Recipes

    • Quinoa Salad
    • Vegan Summer Rolls
    • Healthy Tuna Salad
    • Peanut Noodles
    • Vegetarian Quesadillas

    I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to tag @cookingwithayeh and share your Grinder Salad photo on Instagram so I can share the love.

    Recipe

    Grinder sandwich being held up showing the inside layers
    4.02 from 69 votes

    Grinder Salad (Viral Tiktok Recipe)

    This Grinder Salad is a giant sub sandwich filled with protein, cheese, veggies and a creamy salad that drips down your arm with every bite
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: lunch, main, sandwich
    Cuisine: American, english, Italian
    Keyword: grinder, hero sandwich, hoagie, sub sandwich, submarine
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 445kcal
    Author: Ayeh
    Pin Print Rate

    Ingredients

    • ⅙ Iceberg lettuce sliced thinly
    • 2-3 Banana peppers / pepperoncino sliced

    Dressing

    • 2 tablespoon whole egg mayonnaise (or vegan mayo)
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1 garlic clove minced or grated
    • Red pepper flakes (as little or as much as you like)
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Grinder Sandwich

    • 1 Large thick bread roll , I’ve used a rustic italian bread roll
    • 2 slices cheese of choice
    • ¼ cup marinated red peppers
    • 1 tomato sliced
    • Plant based chicken schnitzel/veggie patty or protein of choice
    • 15 grams grated parmesan cheese
    • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions

    • Cook the plant based chicken or chosen protein
    • Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Then add the iceberg lettuce and banana peppers and mix together until nice and creamy
    • Add a teaspoon of olive oil along with salt and pepper to the sliced tomatoes to let them marinate
    • Slice the bread roll in half and if its quite thick, tear out some of the inside
      Add a slice of cheese to each half and place in the oven or grill for a few minutes until the cheese has melted
    • Assemble the sandwich starting with the marinated red peppers, plant based chicken (or protein), iceberg salad, parmesan cheese and tomatoes. Place on the top, slice in half and enjoy!!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 1047mg | Potassium: 318mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1115IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 279mg | Iron: 6mg

    More Mains

    • Cauliflower Steaks
    • Chopped Asian Salad
    • Kotlet (Persian Patties)
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    1. Sandee

      May 25, 2022 at 11:20 am

      5 stars
      Really great sandwich! I eyeballed everything to taste and added a pinch of vegan ranch to the mix, it was *chefs kiss*. We used morning star Buffalo patties and added extra pepperoncinos and the spice was perfect! Thanks for the great video and recipe

      Reply
      • Ayeh

        May 25, 2022 at 4:37 pm

        Oh yum love the sound of this!!! So happy you liked it dear xxx

        Reply
      • Betty

        June 18, 2022 at 12:12 am

        5 stars
        I can't wait to try this sandwich but wanted to inform you that banana peppers and pepporcini peppers are not the same thing.

        Reply
    2. Elizabeth Schmidt

      July 13, 2022 at 4:34 am

      5 stars
      Looks amazing! What brand is your vegetarian chicken pattie? I've never seen plant based chicken schnitzel before!

      Reply
      • Ayeh

        July 17, 2022 at 4:37 am

        Hi lovely, this was one from Woolworths in Australia. Where are you from? Hopefully you can find a plant based chicken alternative from your local supermarket or even try a health food store, they normally sell a bigger range too 🙂

        Reply
    3. Daniella

      January 06, 2023 at 7:39 am

      5 stars
      So good. I made the dressing with the iceberg lettuce only without the peppers. My favourite salad at the moment.

      Reply
      • Ayeh Manfre

        January 06, 2023 at 8:02 pm

        Its so good just as a salad 🙂

        Reply

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