This Vegetarian Grinder Salad is packed with so many delicious ingredients! It’s great for a hearty and flavorful meat-free meal.
If you’re on TikTok these days, you’re probably familiar with the popular Grinder Sandwich that’s been going around. It’s an Italian-style sub sandwich with meat, cheese, veggies, mayo-based red wine vinegar, and pepperoncini sauce.
I don’t eat meat, and I’m a big salad girl, so I decided to make this big Vegetarian Grinder Salad, and it’s so delicious!
Why Your Body Will Love This Grinder Salad
- Vitamins – Lettuce contains vitamins A (important for the eyes), K (strengthens the bones), and C (supports the immune system and blood), iron, and potassium. It’s also a great source of fiber.
- Chickpeas are super(food!) – Chickpeas contain saponins, which help fight cancer, and calcium, iron, and other nutrients that contribute to bone health. Chickpeas help the brain and nervous system function properly and contain vitamins A, C, E, folate, and magnesium. They’re an incredible source of protein, helping us feel full longer, carrying out toxins from the system, and keeping us regular.
- Antioxidants – Tomatoes boast antioxidant power. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals in the blood, and the lycopene in tomatoes may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Tomatoes are also high in vitamin C, which supports our immune systems.
Vegetarian Grinder Salad Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Iceberg Lettuce – The grinder sandwich is traditionally made with iceberg lettuce, so that’s what I use. Romaine would also be great, allowing this salad to last longer in the refrigerator. Iceberg is nice and crunchy, though, and I enjoyed it.
- Spiced Chickpeas – The sandwich can have about two or three different kinds of meat on it, so for my vegetarian version, I cooked chickpeas with some savory and smoky spices that went perfectly with all the other ingredients.
- Croutons – I like to think of the croutons as the bread element. They add a nice crunch and go well with the cheese. I used homemade croutons, but regular store-bought are great, too.
- Cheese – I’ve seen people use all different kinds of cheeses in their grinder sandwiches. I used vegetarian parmesan cheese, but cheddar or mozzarella would be great. This salad can also be made vegan by using vegan cheese.
- Tomato – I used some cherry tomatoes that I diced into small pieces. They add a nice sweetness and a bright color to the salad.
- Pepperochini – The pepperochini is mixed into the mayo dressing for the grinder sandwich. I got a jar of whole pepperochini and diced them to add to the salad.
- Red Onion – I love adding raw red onion to my salads; it just happens to be an ingredient in the sandwich!
- Dressing – For the dressing, I used mayo, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. It doesn’t look the most appetizing once mixed, but it tastes so good!
- Fresh Herbs – The food stylist in me had to add some fresh herbs to this Grinder Salad for extra color and flavor 🙂 I used parsley and fresh oregano.
How To Make The Best Vegetarian Grinder Salad
- Start by preparing your chickpeas. Rinse and drain your chickpeas, and then add them to a medium-sized pan with a couple of teaspoons of oil. Cook chickpeas for a few minutes until they begin to brown, and then add in your seasonings. Mix together to ensure all chickpeas are coated, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the dressing: add all dressing ingredients to a bowl or jar and mix until everything is combined.
- Prepare your lettuce next. I wanted this to be more of a chopped salad, so I used an entire head of iceberg lettuce and chopped it into bite-size pieces. Add the iceberg lettuce to a large bowl.
- Assemble your salad. Add chickpeas and all the remaining salad ingredients to the top of the iceberg lettuce. I sectioned off everything so you could get a good look at all the individual ingredients, but you can also throw everything into the bowl on top of each other.
- Pour over the desired amount of dressing, and enjoy!
Salad Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this grinder salad gluten-free? Mine is not because of my croutons, but you can easily make yours gluten-free by using gluten-free croutons.
- Is this recipe vegan? No, it contains cheese. But you can easily make it vegan by using vegan cheese or omitting the cheese. Although the recipe is not vegan, I did use vegan mayo in the dressing.
- Can I use something other than iceberg lettuce? Yes, romaine lettuce is a great substitute since it’s crunchy, but any kind of green would work.
- Is parmesan cheese vegetarian? Most traditional parmesan cheeses are not vegetarian because they contain animal rennet (enzymes). Still, you can usually find American-made parmesan cheese that is made with plant rennet and is, therefore, vegetarian.
- How long does this salad keep in the refrigerator? Undressed, this salad should be kept for 2-3 days to look fresh. A dressed salad will probably only be kept for a day or so. It’s best to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for the longest.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Amazing Vegetarian Salad Recipes?
Chopped Kale Power Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Chickpea Salad with Cabbage and Cucumber
Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
Mexican Kale Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing
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Vegetarian Grinder Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Vegetarian Grinder Salad is packed with so many delicious ingredients and it’s super filling!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce
- 3/4 cup chopped pepperochini
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 cup cubed cheese, I used vegetarian parmesan but you can use whatever you like
- 1/2 diced red onion
- Handful of fresh herbs (optional) I used parsley and fresh oregano
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayo, I used vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing your chickpeas. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and then add them to a medium sized pan over medium heat with a couple teaspoons of oil. Cook chickpeas for a few minutes, until starting to brown, and then add in your seasonings. Mix together to make sure all the chickpeas are coated and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the dressing: add all dressing ingredients to a bowl, or jar, and mix until everything is combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Prepare your lettuce next. I wanted this to be more of a chopped salad, so I used an entire head of iceberg lettuce and chopped it into bite size pieces. Add the iceberg lettuce to a large bowl.
- Assemble your salad. To the top of the iceberg lettuce, add your chickpeas and all the remaining salad ingredients. I sectioned off everything so you could get a good look at all the individual ingredients but you can also just throw everything into the bowl on top of each other.
- Pour over desired amount of dressing and enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional information is for the total amount of dressing, so fat will be much less if you don’t use the full amount of dressing.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Salad, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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