An Italian Sub is a sandwich made on Italian bread with ham, salami and Provolone; then topped with shredded lettuce, tomato and onion.
Growing up in northern New Jersey there was only one name for this type of sandwich - Italian Sub; which was short for a submarine sandwich. And trust me, after working in an Italian deli for several years I've made enough of them to last a lifetime!
Which is probably why I've never shared the recipe before because I really don't make or eat them very often. And when I am in the mood, we have a good pizza place about 2 miles away that makes a great one.
I never knew Italian Subs by any other name until I went to college in Rhode Island where they called it a Grinder. Over the years I've heard these sandwiches also called Hero, Italian, or Hoagie.
In all fairness, these Italian subs are all basically the same and contain ham, salami and Provolone cheese.
Italian Sub sandwiches are hearty sandwiches that are perfect for lunch or dinner. Many are made into 3-foot subs for parties, but this recipe uses a standard loaf of Italian Semolina Bread; which is 1-foot and serves 4 people. ~Enjoy!
Sliced Deli Meat and Cheese
The best option for Italian subs is to get the meat sliced THIN at your local deli counter. When assembling the meat on the sandwich bunch it up as you line the bread and don't lay it out flat; which creates a more robust sandwich.
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients Needed
To make this Italian Sub you're going to need the following ingredients:
1-Foot Italian Bread: Make sure you get a fresh loaf of Italian bread; we like Semolina with sesame seeds on top.
Boiled Ham: I like to use low sodium ham, but any variety is fine.
Salami: We prefer Genoa salami, but hard salami is alright too.
Provolone Cheese
Shredded Iceberg Lettuce: Shredded lettuce taste best on Italian Subs, not whole leaves. Cut the lettuce in half and rinse under cold water, drain on a clean towel; then slice the lettuce into thin strips.
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Red Onion
Red Wine Vinegar
Light Oil: Either canola oil or a light olive oil
Dried Italian Seasoning
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Make the vinaigrette
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; then whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the Italian Sub
Gather and prep all of your ingredients before assembling the Italian Sub. Cut the bread in half horizontally; then drizzle the vinaigrette on the bottom of the bread.
Add the ham, salami and cheese layering it on top of each other; then top with the lettuce, tomato and onion. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top half of the bread; then place the bread on top.
Use four wooden skewers to hold the sandwich in place; then cut into four pieces and serve.
Other Toppings
We like our Italian Subs with lettuce, tomato, red onion and a red vinegar vinaigrette with Italian seasoning, but here are some other options:
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Peperoncini
- Vinaigrette + Mayonnaise or just mayo
- Pickles
- Banana Peppers
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Italian Sub
Equipment
- Wooden Skewers
Ingredients
- 1-Foot loaf italian semolina bread
- ½ pound sliced boiled ham (sliced thin)
- ¼ pound sliced genoa salami (sliced thin)
- ¼ pound sliced provolone cheese (sliced thin)
- ½ head iceberg lettuce (cleaned and shredded)
- 2 plum tomatoes (sliced)
- ¼ red onion (sliced)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup light oil (canola or extra virgin light olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon dried italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; then whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally; then drizzle some of the vinaigrette on the bottom of the bread.
- Add the ham, salami and cheese layering it on top of each other (bunching it up not laying flat); then top with the lettuce, tomato and onion. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top half of the bread; then place the bread on top.
- Use four wooden skewers to hold the sandwich in place; then cut into four pieces and serve.
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