Chopped Italian Sub Sandwich Recipe
As someone who lives in the land of hoagies (also known as Philadelphia), I know my way around a good Italian sub. There are other notable Italian-sandwich loving places out there, but in my humble opinion, my hometown makes 'em the best. And, probably on a weekly basis, I indulge in some manner of Italian meat-cheese-condiment-filled sandwich. When tasked with creating a "chopped" version of one of my favorite meals, I needed to rethink how these iconic ingredients can and should co-mingle in a salad-like format, and what additional ingredients might need to be added to ensure a tasty cohesion.
The first thing I landed on when crafting this chopped Italian sub sandwich recipe was a dressing. I knew it had to be something acidic, that would balance the unctuousness of the cured meats, the rich cheeses, and the dollop of mayonnaise I use to hold all the ingredients together. Hoagie dressing is, essentially, a simplified Italian dressing: a blend of olive oil, vinegar, dried seasoning, and garlic all used to amplify, enhance, and excite the palate.
I also opted for a menagerie of jarred goodies, including sun-dried tomatoes, sweet peppers, cherry peppers, and banana peppers. Each of these are a little flavor bomb in their own right. Unlike their fresh counterparts, these jarred ingredients won't get lost in the flavor shuffle. We are working with a lot of bold-tasting ingredients in this recipe (go big, or go home, right?), yet everything manages to come together cohesively to create one tasty chopped sandwich that hits all the right savory notes.
Gather the chopped Italian sub sandwich ingredients
For the hoagie dressing, you will need olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and minced fresh garlic. I used 6-inch hoagie rolls for this recipe, but if you want to make smaller sandwiches, you can use 4-inch rolls. I recommend butter-toasting these rolls before filling to help combat any sogginess. For that you will need some softened salted butter.
For the sandwich filling, you will need romaine lettuce, pepperoni, Genoa salami, hot capicola, prosciutto, fresh ciliegene (little mozzarella balls), sharp provolone, sliced red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced sweet peppers, sliced cherry peppers, sliced banana peppers, and mayonnaise.
Step 1: Combine hoagie dressing ingredients
Make the hoagie dressing by placing olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a small bowl.
Step 2: Whisk the dressing
Whisk to combine and set aside.
Step 3: Brush rolls with butter
Brush the split hoagie rolls with softened butter.
Step 4: Toast the rolls
Toast until lightly golden and crisp. Set aside.
Step 5: Place lettuce on a cutting board
Spread lettuce evenly on a large cutting board.
Step 6: Add the cured meats
Top the lettuce with pepperoni, salami, capicola, and prosciutto.
Step 7: Add the cheeses
Top the cured meats with the mozzarella balls and sliced provolone.
Step 8: Add the vegetables
Top the cheese with the red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet peppers, cherry peppers, and banana peppers.
Step 9: Chop the ingredients
Chop the ingredients into small pieces.
Step 10: Transfer chopped mixture to a bowl
Transfer the mix to a large bowl.
Step 11: Dress the chopped ingredients
Add the mayonnaise and half of the hoagie dressing to the bowl.
Step 12: Toss together
Toss to combine.
Step 13: Fill the hoagie rolls
Divide the mix between the toasted hoagie rolls.
Step 14: Serve the chopped Italian sub sandwiches
Top the sandwiches with the remaining hoagie dressing or serve on the side for an additional drizzle.
Pairs well with chopped Italian sub sandwiches
Chopped Italian Sub Sandwich Recipe
This chopped Italian sub is loaded with meats, cheeses, and jarred peppers, all cut up into a cohesive mix, tossed with hoagie dressing, and stuffed into buns.
Ingredients
- For the hoagie dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- For the sandwich
- 4 hoagie rolls, split
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 ounces sliced pepperoni
- 2 ounces sliced Genoa salami
- 2 ounces sliced hot capicola
- 1 ounce sliced prosciutto
- 1 cup fresh ciliegene mozzarella
- ½ cup sliced sharp provolone cheese
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- ¼ cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes, drained
- ¼ cup jarred sliced sweet peppers, drained
- ¼ cup jarred sliced cherry peppers, drained
- ¼ cup jarred sliced banana peppers, drained
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
Directions
- Make the hoagie dressing by placing olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a small bowl.
- Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Brush the split hoagie rolls with softened butter.
- Toast until lightly golden and crisp. Set aside.
- Spread lettuce evenly on a large cutting board.
- Top the lettuce with pepperoni, salami, capicola, and prosciutto.
- Top the cured meats with the mozzarella balls and sliced provolone.
- Top the cheese with the red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet peppers, cherry peppers, and banana peppers.
- Chop the ingredients into small pieces.
- Transfer the mix to a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise and half of the hoagie dressing to the bowl.
- Toss to combine.
- Divide the mix between the toasted hoagie rolls.
- Top the sandwiches with the remaining hoagie dressing or serve on the side for an additional drizzle.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 789 |
| Total Fat | 64.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.8 g |
| Cholesterol | 112.8 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 26.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 3.0 g |
| Sodium | 1,731.1 mg |
| Protein | 26.8 g |
What ingredient substitutions can I make to this Italian sub recipe?
I picked some pretty zesty ingredients to use in this recipe, and that level of heat might not be appealing to everyone. For the Italian deli meats, feel free to substitute the hot capicola for mild capicola, soppressata, or (my favorite) mortadella. For the hotter peppers, our cherry peppers and banana peppers, you can use jarred roasted bell peppers instead. For the crushed red pepper flakes in the hoagie dressing, you can omit that all together or use a pinch of cracked black pepper. Sharp provolone is not spicy, but it is robust and a bit funky. If you'd like to use something less funky or sharp, feel free to use mild provolone.
Hoagie rolls are the classic vessel but that doesn't mean you only need to serve this recipe a-la-hoagie. We butter-toast the rolls to prevent sogginess. Other, more sturdy or hearty rolls will work toasted or un-toasted. Focaccia bread would make an amazing bread substitute, as would ciabatta. You can even omit the bread and serve this mix as a fun, Italian-themed lettuce wrap.
How long will leftover Italian sub mix or dressing last?
Once dressed and mixed, our chopped Italian filling is best served ASAP. The lettuce tends to lose its crispness, over time, due to the acidity of our dressing. If you anticipate leftovers, make the mix in batches, adding the mayonnaise and dressing as needed. You can chop the mix together, leaving out the lettuce, dressing, and mayonnaise, and store that in the fridge for a day or two. The hoagie dressing will last for a week or more, sealed and refrigerated.
I do love the simple hoagie dressing in this recipe, as it is nicely twangy with a hearty pop of garlic. If you have leftover dressing, it makes for a nice drizzle over everyday sandwiches and salads. It is also a pretty impactful marinade. Great for seasoning about-to-be grilled chicken or veggies. You will have some leftover ingredient components, especially the jarred peppers and sun-dried tomatoes (if you are buying new jars for making this recipe). I have a whole shelf dedicated to my jarred and pickled goodies. I love using the sun-dried tomatoes as pasta sauce additions. The zesty peppers perk up my composed salads, like tuna salad, egg salad or chicken salad. I love putting sliced cherry peppers in my grilled cheeses too.