This grinder salad (with a delicious, hearty, bean addition) is unbelievably delicious! Loaded with deli meat, beans, crunchy chopped bell pepper, tangy pepperoncinis, red onion, fresh parmesan, and a homemade vinaigrette, this recipe takes the concept of salad and makes it filling, delicious, and perfect for meal prep.
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This recipe is…
When I tell you I love this salad, I mean it. It’s so, so good. In fact, I have made many a trip to the grocery store JUST for these grinder bean salad ingredients so that I could prep it for myself and my husband (who loves it even more than I do, if that’s possible) for lunch for the week. It’s so satisfying, flavorful, and keeps really well in the fridge!
If you’re looking for more meal prep recipes, we’ve got a bunch. These Thai-inspired beef salads, Mediterranean steak bowls, cobb salads with green goddess dressing, chicken gyros, and turkey burrito bowls are a few of our most recent meal prep favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s filling – too often, salads call for a few veggies, a tiny bit of protein, and a mediocre dressing. Not this one, though! This grinder salad is here to change the game (as all of our salads do, actually). This one will keep you full and satisfied all afternoon!
- It’s delicious – while we are totally team enjoy-pizza-whenever-you-want around here, it’s always really nice to have a healthier option that reminds you of a favorite. The flavors of this grinder salad give pizza vibes through and through!
Recipe Ingredients for a Grinder Salad
The list is long, but everything on it is easily found at the grocery store. Be sure to check your kitchen before shopping, though, because there’s a good chance you have a handful of these ingredients already! Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Deli meat – we went with Genoa salami, pepperoni, and deli turkey here, but if there’s one on that list that you don’t love, know that you can absolutely nix it and use more of the others. In that same vein, if there is a deli meat that you DO love, feel free to add it in.
- Beans – similar to the deli meats, we used cannellini beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans here, but you can mix and match beans however you’d like.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it dairy-free – omit the shredded parmesan cheese to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Make it grain-free – this recipe is grain-free as-is!
- Make it gluten-free – again, this recipe is totally gluten-free as written.
How to Make a Grinder Salad
This recipe is incredibly easy to make! Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Add the dressing ingredients to a small mason jar, screw the lid on tight, and give it a few good shakes (until the ingredients are well-combined). Alternatively, add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until fully combined.
Step 2: In a large bowl, add all of the salad ingredients (reserving some of the parsley, some of the parmesan, and all of the lemon wedges for garnish). Add the dressing to the bowl and toss until everything is well combined.
Step 3: Garnish the salad with the reserved parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve right away or spoon into containers (if you’re meal prepping this for the week), add a lemon wedge to each container, and store in the fridge.
How to Serve
Serve this grinder salad as-is for a complete, healthy, hearty, satisfying meal. No need for any side accompaniments here!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you’re meal prepping this for the week, we recommend storing each serving of the salad in a separate food storage container so that you can easily grab-and-go in the morning!
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a great question! Per a quick bit of research, grinders (typically a sub sandwich on Italian bread with a bunch of deli meat and fixings) got their name because when they were first introduced, they were much harder to bite and chew through than a regular ole ham and cheese sandwich on white bread. Funny, huh?!
Benny Capalbo, an immigrant from Italy, invented the first grinder sandwiches in a New York deli in 1926.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
If you tried this Grinder Salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Grinder Salad with Beans
Ingredients
For the Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Salad
- 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound deli turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ pound Genoa salami, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ pound pepperoni, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the dressing ingredients to a small mason jar, screw the lid on tight, and give it a few good shakes (until the ingredients are well-combined). Alternatively, add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until fully combined.
- In a large bowl, add all of the salad ingredients (reserving some of the parsley, some of the parmesan, and all of the lemon wedges for garnish). Add the dressing to the bowl and toss until everything is well combined.
- Garnish the salad with the reserved parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve right away or spoon into containers (if you're meal prepping this for the week), add a lemon wedge to each container, and store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
This was an excellent salad and I prepped it for use it as my lunch this week. Made as listed but added some thinly sliced kale as well.
I made this several times this summer and it was a huge hit, even with the teenagers! Never any leftover and several people asked for the recipe! Going to make it for the weekend!
Made many times! Always delicious and great to meal prep for the week. I love scooping it over kale or other greens
Awe yay, Rebekah! We are so happy you enjoy it!
Never any leftover. Serve with a delicious sour dough bread and call it done ✅ rave reviews.
YUM! We are so happy y’all love it, Barb!
Sound delicious, adding to my meal plan soon!
Yay! Let us know what you think, Jenni! We hope you love it!