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.
Table of Contents
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
- Cook protein
Cook the plant based chicken or chosen protein
- 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 creamy
- Marinate tomatoes
Add a teaspoon of olive oil along with salt and pepper to the sliced tomatoes to let them marinate
- 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 melted - 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!!
Tips for the Best Hero Sandwich
- Make sure to use a thick bread roll as the base so the sandwich doesn't go soggy from the dressing
- Pull some of the insides of the bread out to fit in more fillings. I like to do this before adding the toppings
- Don't slice the iceberg lettuce too thin as it will lose its shape and become soggy
- 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
- Marinate the tomatoes with olive oil and S&P, it will make the biggest difference!
- Finely grate the Parmesan cheese which makes it taste so much better
More Lunch Recipes
- Chickpea Tuna Salad (Tunacado)
- Quinoa Salad
- Healthy Caesar Salad
- Vegan Summer Rolls
- Peanut Noodles
- Vegan Chicken Sandwich
- 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 Salad (Viral Tiktok Recipe)
Ingredients
- â…™ 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 insideAdd 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!!
Sandee
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
Ayeh
Oh yum love the sound of this!!! So happy you liked it dear xxx
Betty
I can't wait to try this sandwich but wanted to inform you that banana peppers and pepporcini peppers are not the same thing.
Elizabeth Schmidt
Looks amazing! What brand is your vegetarian chicken pattie? I've never seen plant based chicken schnitzel before!
Ayeh
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 🙂
Daniella
So good. I made the dressing with the iceberg lettuce only without the peppers. My favourite salad at the moment.
Ayeh Manfre
Its so good just as a salad 🙂