There is a restaurant near us that at one time had a game room downstairs where they served subs at lunchtime. The menu was limited – ham, turkey, roast beef, Italian and veggie – but their Italian sub was the best I’ve ever had. The meats were nice and lean, the sub was served hot so the cheese was perfectly melted, the roll was fresh and crunchy in all of the right places and the dressing had exactly the right amount of oil, vinegar and Italian spices. A co-worker of mine once said a sub is “no good unless the dressing drips down your arms.” By that standard, this sub was really good.
Sadly, while this restaurant still exists, the game room/sub shop is no more. I really miss that sub.
When I heard that the Sunday Supper group was focusing on “skinny” foods today, I decided to try a healthier take on an Italian sub. Converting it into a salad, bulking it up with romaine and replacing the sub roll with croutons significantly reduces the calories and carbs. Take a look at how this salad stacks up against a 6-inch Italian BMT sub from Subway:
| Subway 6-inch Italian BMT | Italian Sub Salad | |
| Calories | 410 | 237 |
| Total Fat | 16 g | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 45 mg | 36 mg |
| Sodium | 1,300 mg | 1,836 mg |
| Total Carbs | 46 g | 17 g |
| Fiber | 5 g | 3 g |
| Sugar | 8 g | 5 g |
| Protein | 20 g | 15 g |
You’ll notice that the salad is “healthier” than the sub in most respects, but it does contain more Sodium. This recipe is easy to throw together, but that convenience isn’t free. Foods that come in jars (giardiniera, peppers) or packages (croutons) and cold cuts contain a lot of Sodium. If you are watching your Sodium intake, here are some ways to modify the recipe:
- Make your own croutons: Cube bread and toss with olive oil. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 400°F, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Replace the giardiniera with fresh, raw cauliflower, carrots, peppers, celery and/or onions. Replace the brine with balsamic vinegar.
- Replace the jarred peppers with fresh, sliced banana peppers.
- Cut back on the amount of meats and cheese or use low-sodium varieties.
This salad isn’t the perfect substitute for that memorable Italian Sub, but it’ll do.
Italian Sub Salad
Adapted from Food Network Magazine
1 (16 ounce) jar giardiniera (pickled vegetables)
1/2 cup jarred sweet and hot salad peppers or Peppadew peppers
2 ounces turkey pepperoni, cut into thin strips
1 ounce Genoa salami, cut into thin strips
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips
2 ounces smoked provolone cheese, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 large head of romaine lettuce, shredded
1 cup fat-free croutons (I like the garlic Caesar ones)
freshly ground black pepper
Drain giardiniera, reserving 2 tablespoons of brine.
In a large bowl, toss together the giardiniera, peppers, pepperoni, salami, prosciutto and provolone. Drizzle with olive oil and giardiniera brine and toss again. Set aside for about 20 minutes to let flavors combine.
Add romaine and croutons to giardiniera mixture and toss. Season with pepper and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 237 calories, 12g fat (4g sat), 36mg cholesterol, 1,836mg sodium, 17g carb, 3g fiber, 5g sugar, 15g protein
Nutritional Analysis: This salad is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Folate. It is also high in Sodium. See tips above for reducing the amount of Sodium in the salad if you are concerned. (Source: nutritiondata.com)
Sizzling Skinny Appetizers & Soups
- Napa Cabbage wrapped Chinese Spring Rolls by Small Wallet Big Appetite
- #DairyFree Cream of Broccoli Soup by Galactosemia in PDX
- Easy Vegan Lentil Soup by NeighborFood
- Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup by Food Lust People Love
- Tomato Basil Soup by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
- Skinny Beef Chili by Webicurean
Healthy Skinny Mains & Sides
- Chicken with Herb Tomatoes and Pan Sauce by Hezzi D’s Books & Cooks
- Kale Salad with Pomegranates, Apples and Walnuts by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Skinny Salad Wraps by MamaMommyMom
- Mashed Cauliflower by Supper for a Steal
- Lamb Florentine Burger with Tzatziki by Country Girl in the Village
- Skinny Avocado Egg Salad Wraps by The Daily Dish Recipes
- Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad by Family Foodie
- Parchment-Poached Salmon by Simply Gourmet
- Maddy’s Arugula Salad by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Cauliflower Pizza by Cravings of a Lunatic
- Light chicken enchiladas by My Cute Bride
- Pear Almond Arugula Salad with Honey Vinaigrette by Vintage Kitchen
- Pasta Primavera by Crazy Foodie Stunts
- Cauliflower Fried Rice by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
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- Scallops Hong Kong Style by Magnolia Days
- Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew by Momma’s Meals
- Roasted Garlic, Chicken & Herb White Pizza by Dinners Dishes and Desserts
- Polynesian Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette by Peanut Butter and Peppers
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- Turkey and Black Bean Taco Burgers by In The Kitchen With K P
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- Swiss Chard and Quinoa Croquettes by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Broccoli Patties with Arugula and Champagne Vinaigrette by Sustainable Dad
- Raw Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Salmon in Orange Dressing by Shockingly Delicious
- Greek Yogurt Egg Salad Sandwich by Damn Delicious
- Confetti Cabbage and Salmon Wraps by The Roxx Box
- Escarole and Beans by Midlife Roadtrip
- Cajun Black Beans by Ruffles and Truffles
- Caprese salad by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Skinny Wholegrain Fettuccine Alfredo with Greek Yogurt & Coconut Oil by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Guilt Free Skinny Desserts & Snacks
- Chocolate Avocado Cake by Gotta Get Baked
- Tiramisu Parfaits by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
- Sugar Free Banana Almond Muffins by What Smells So Good?
- Strawberry Coconut Cinnamon Buns by Juanita’s Cocina
- Warm Apple Crumble by Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Dark Chocolate-Dipped Apricots by girlichef
- Homemade Protein Bar Recipe by Masala Herb
- Skinny Chocolate Almond Pudding by Basic N Delicious
Wine Pairing Recommendations for Skinny Sunday Supper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
I love sub sandwiches and these look SO good!! Great job!
I love your friend´s definition of a sub. Wonderful combination of flavors in this salad, especially with the pickled vegetables!
Almost every time I am at a sub shop I will order the Italian sub. I love this salad version! Who needs bread when you can have this incredible salad.
What a great way to get all the flavor of an awesome sub in a lighter way!
Love your genius idea!
Awesome! I like how you think and your recipes are just amazing.
What a fabulous salad! So colorful and full of crunchy vegetables and wonderful pepperoni and salami too. Delicious!
This looks like a great salad and I would bet it is just as filling as the sandwich. I also love that you made it so much healthier!
Yum! I love the sub turned into a salad. Thanks for sharing!
This is totally my kind of salad. And I have to agree about the dressing dripping down your arm – Italian subs truly are my favorite kind. I WILL be making this.
Love your version of the salad & love all the healthy skinny salad tips ! A hearty salad can fillme up and keep me satisfied :) This one is a winner ! Thanks for posting !
I love turning certain entrees into salad form! This version sounds awesome. When we make tacos at our house, I always end up making a taco salad instead…I like getting the bed of greens in place of tortillas, bread, etc!
I love subs! You’ve got some really great ingredients in yours!
I LOVE this idea! I always try to leave bread out of my meals, this is perfect! Great idea!
Yum! Great looking salad. Wishing I had one now…looks like it’ll be great for a picnic too!
Your veggie-packed sub is absolutely more appealing than the original! Bravo!
I love salads like this just started making them!!
Yeah even I enjoy the italian subs, especially because of the breads and meats. Pretty little healthy salad come to me! =D
I love the idea of an Italian sub salad. For some reason cold subs don’t really excite me, but this salad sounds awesome.
Love this dish. You took out all the bad stuff and just highlighted the good part of the sub. Totally dig this.
I love how wide your post content is. It’s a thing of beauty.
Italian sub salad just sounds wonderful!I love the different textures and flavors here too!Easy, healthy and delish!!
Well done! The stepfamily will definitely love this in the summer
Oh, what a yummy salad…packed full of so many delicious ingredients without all the guilt of a big sub! Well done!
I love it when I am inspired by restaurants I visit! :) You can’t get any lighter or healthier than this salad! love it! looks great!
Oh what a great idea, this looks like a salad that would actually leave you feeling full and satisfied
I love that you included the nutritional info. I’ll have to start doing that too! Salad looks wonderful. All the flavors I love!
I think you did an awesome job of recreating and revamping that sub into this amazing salad. It sounds incredible! And thanks so much for having the nutritional info and the helpful tips on making it even healthier.