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Chopped Italian Sub Sandwich (The Method That Keeps It From Turning to Mush)

A finely diced Italian sub chop dressed in pepperoncini-brine vinaigrette and piled onto a toasted roll, built so the bread stays crisp instead of soggy.

  • Total Time: 21 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Italian sub rolls, split
  • 4 oz Genoa salami, diced small
  • 4 oz capicola, diced small
  • 4 oz mortadella, diced small
  • 4 oz provolone, diced small
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini, plus 3 tbsp brine
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Freeze the salami, capicola, mortadella, and provolone for 15 minutes to firm up before chopping.
  2. Toss the shredded lettuce with a pinch of salt in a colander and let it drain for 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess water.
  3. Whisk together the pepperoncini brine, olive oil, oregano, and garlic to make the dressing.
  4. Dice the chilled meats and cheese into small, even pieces. Combine with the drained lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced pepperoncini in a large bowl.
  5. Pour the dressing over the chop, toss well, and let it sit 15 minutes. Tip the mixture into a strainer for 30 seconds to remove excess liquid.
  6. Toast the cut sides of the rolls under the broiler for about 1 minute until just golden.
  7. Spread mayo on both cut sides of the rolls, pile the chop in generously, press closed, and slice in half to serve.

Notes

Don’t skip the draining steps — both the lettuce and the dressed chop release water, and that’s what turns a chopped sandwich soggy. Build the chop up to a day ahead and store it drained in the fridge, then toast rolls and assemble fresh.

  • Author: Ella Whitley
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 minute
  • Method: No-cook assembly
  • Cuisine: Italian-American