This Italian broccoli salad is loaded with your favorite Italian hero fillings, like salami, ham, pepperoncini, mozzarella, and provolone. A flavorful make-ahead lunch!
Italian Sub Broccoli Salad
I posted this classic broccoli salad a few weeks ago. This new salad is inspired by an Italian Hero sandwich, turned salad. The bold flavors of an Italian sub come to life in this chopped Italian Broccoli Salad, thanks to broccoli, whose mild flavor doesn’t compete. This adaptable chopped salad packs tons of texture and flavor by combining finely chopped raw broccoli, chickpeas, tomatoes, pepperoncini, mozzarella, provolone, salami, ham, and turkey. It’s all tossed in a red wine vinaigrette that soaks into the florets, only getting better as it sits. Feel free to add your favorite subway meats and toppings to make it your own! For more easy Italian salads, try this Italian Sub Salad with lettuce, Antipasto Salad, and Italian Chopped Salad.
What is Italian broccoli salad made of?
Here’s all the ingredients you will need. See exact directions in recipe card below.
- Red Onion: Thinly slice half a small red onion.
- Broccoli: You’ll need eight cups of broccoli florets from about a pound of broccoli.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Quarter one cup of tomatoes. Grape tomatoes would also work.
- Chickpeas: Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas.
- Mozzarella: Use fresh mozzarella, not pre-shredded.
- Meat: Diced genoa salami, lean deli ham, deli turkey.
- Pepperoncini: Slice pepperoncini and use two tablespoons of brine.
- Broccoli Salad Italian Dressing: Olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano.
How to Make Italian Broccoli Salad
- Vinaigrette: Combine the onions, a quarter cup of olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, oregano, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, and let the mixture marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Salad: Add the meat, veggies, cheese, pepperoncini, and brine to the dressing, and stir in the remaining oil.
Meal Prep
Broccoli is tender enough to eat raw but sturdy enough that the dish only gets better after it sits and marinates so that you can eat this Italian broccoli salad for half the week. It lasts about 4 days in the refrigerator, so it’s perfect for meal prep.
Variations:
Feel free to add anything you like in your Italian sub sandwiches to this healthy broccoli salad.
- Olives: Add some sliced black olives
- Heat: Mix in some pickled jalapenos for spice.
- More Veggies: Add diced cucumbers, carrots, or roasted red peppers.
- Swap salami for soppressata or prosciutto.
- Swap ham for capicola.
- Lean Meat: Use extra turkey breast and less of the other meats for more lean protein.
- Vegetarian Broccoli Salad: Omit the meat and add more vegetables.
- Vinegar: If you like your Italian sub extra juicy, serve the salad with more red wine vinegar at the table.
More Broccoli Recipes You’ll Love
- Broccoli Salad
- Roasted Broccoli Parmesan
- Shrimp Scampi with Broccoli Orzo
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Capers in Lemon
- Pasta with Broccoli, Garlic, and Oil
Italian Sub Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
- 1 pound broccoli florets, chopped into small bite-sized pieces (8 cups)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 15- ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced or torn
- 3 ounces reduced-fat provolone, diced
- 3 ounces genoa salami, diced
- 3 ounces lean deli ham, diced
- 3 ounces deli turkey, diced
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini, plus 2 tablespoons of brine
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the onions, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, vinegar, salt, oregano, black pepper, and stir.
- Add the chickpeas and let them sit while you prepare everything else; this will help soften the raw flavor of the onions.
- Toss in the the broccoli, cherry tomatoes, cheeses, salami, turkey, ham, pepperoncini and the brine.
- Stir to combine and add the remaining olive oil and serve right away or keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
