Italian Sub Salad tastes like a jam-packed deli sub - minus the bread. This healthy, gluten free entree salad is fresh, filling, and packed with craveable flavor!
Low carb and/or gluten free sub sandwich lovers rejoice, because my Italian Sub Salad tastes just like your favorite deli’s vinegar and oil-drenched, toppings-packed Italian sub, minus the bread.
I don’t know about you but, in my opinion, salads are a lot more fun to eat when there’s salami and banana pepper rings involved!
This sultry salad combo was inspired by my husband, who offered to make us Italian salads for dinner a few weeks ago. He laid out the ingredients – black olives, salami, green onions, lettuce, and tomatoes – then I upped the ante by pulling out a jar of banana peppers from the fridge. We dressed our salads with fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil then seasoned them with salt, pepper, and dried oregano before digging in.
The first thing that popped into my mind was ITALIAN SUB SANDWICH. The flavor was unmistakable and, seeing as how I haven’t had an Italian sub in years, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I didn’t realize how much I loved a good sub sandwich until I couldn’t eat them anymore on account of having Celiac Disease!
Italian Sub Salad is proof that eating gluten free doesn’t have to mean eating salads consisting of limp lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers for dinner every night. Enjoy and look forward to meal time with bright and fresh meals like this Italian-inspired stunner!
Start by roasting a can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans,) which will add filling protein and fiber to the salad, not to mention a delicious and hearty crunch. We didn’t have these in our original salads but I’m glad I added them when I made them for the blog. They added so much, texture and health-wise.
Drain then rinse the beans and then dry them off really well in a kitchen towel. Pour the beans onto a silpat, parchment paper, or foil-lined baking sheet, toss with extra virgin olive oil and salt, then roast for 35-40 minutes or until deep golden brown. They’ll crisp a bit more as they cool and can be made a couple days ahead of time.
Next add chopped romaine lettuce into a large bowl then use a pizza cutter to cut the lettuce into small, bite-sized pieces. I learned this trick at a build your own salad restaurant a million years ago and have been using it ever since. Down with face-whipping-sized pieces of lettuce!
To the lettuce add all the ingredients that would normally be stuffed inside a big fat Italian roll: salami, sliced black olives, cherry or grape tomatoes, banana pepper rings, and onions (red, white, or green).
We keep this salad dairy-free, but you could add chopped provolone, if you like!
This is the gluten-free salami we love. Boar’s Head also has a wonderful salami!
Squeeze fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil over the salad to mimic the vinegar and oil usually drizzled over an Italian sub. That said, you could use red wine vinegar in place of lemon.
Finally, sprinkle on salt, pepper, and a pinch of dried oregano which completely transforms this salad into an Italian SUB salad. You’ll know exactly what I mean when you smell it,
Divide the salad between two bowls then devour!
More Low Carb, Gluten Free Salads
- Thai Crunch Salad
- Big Mac Salad
- Fajita Caesar Salad
- Dill Pickle Tuna Salad
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained then rinsed
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 9 oz chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 oz salami, chopped, Applegate Naturals recommended
- 2 oz can sliced black olives, drained
- 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup banana pepper rings, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 lemon OR red wine vinegar
- pinch dried oregano
- 1 avocado, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then line a baking sheet with a silpat, parchment paper, or foil and set aside. Pat garbanzo beans very dry on a kitchen towel then add to prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and salt then toss to evenly coat and roast for 30-40 minutes or until dark golden brown. Chickpeas will crisp as they cool and can be made a couple days ahead of time.
- In a large bowl combine lettuce, salami, black olives, tomatoes, banana pepper rings, and green onions. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano, and then toss to coat. Add crispy chickpeas and avocado then mix gently to combine. Divide salad between plates then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Ok YUM! I subbed chopped chicken breast for the chickpeas. Great lunch salad. As the name indicates, tastes just like an Italian sub.
Ooo, love that swap, Kate! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thanks for your feedback!
I signed up for your recipe emails and love your recipes and tips! I have a question: I’m sensitive to chick peas and want to know if I can substitute a can of white beans for this recipe?
Hi Ilene! You can absolutely swap in a can of white beans for the garbanzo beans! Or you can leave them out — OR substitute them for croutons (gluten free if you need them).
Finally made this GREAT recipe. Since we are East Coast dwellers, I mixed mayonaise and avocado oil with a heaping tsp oregano then tossed this dressing with the chopped romaine lettuce, then added the chopped cherry tomatoes and chopped sweet onion, oven roasted canned white beans (sensitivty to chic peas) and 3 oz of the salami (I would have added all 4 oz but I kept eating it as I was prepping the salad)… I served this with home-made beef barley/veggie soup. Hubby had a one-word complement “Delicious”…. This is definitely a keeper….Thank you for your effort to satisfy the community’s cravings…
That sounds SO delicious, Ilene! Thank you so very much for your feedback!
Holy cow this is so fresh and yummy!!! I added cucumber, provolone cheese, and roasted red peppers. I’ll be making this on repeat. Just found your site and man oh man am I glad I did! Last weekend we made the Italian beef sandwiches…those were a big hit as well!
That sounds fabulous, Victoria!! So glad you enjoyed both recipes. :) :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
We made this for lunch today and it was wonderful. Not garbanzo fan, so left those out. Husband allergic to wheat so avoids bread and this recipe and the Big Mac salad have helped him enjoy salads that are like having the real thing taste-wise.
Perfect!! I’m so glad he was able to feel like he was enjoying the “real thing” – flavor wise, anyway! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!