If you haven't tried the Viral Chopped Italian Sandwich yet, you're missing out on a viral meal that actually lives up to the hype. This sandwich is delicious and makes plenty of salad for more sandwiches or a snack throughout the week! Don't forget you get a mouthful of all these flavorful ingredients with every bite!

Chopped Italian Salad in an Italian sub.

Looking for another delicious Italian sandwich? Try aPeppers and Eggs Sandwich, Italian Pork Sandwich, Italian Beef Sandwich, or an Eggplant Caprese Grilled Cheese!

I'm not a huge fan of jumping on the "viral" bandwagon. You don't want to hear my opinion on "butter plates." But this Chopped Italian Sandwich is worth making, and if you follow my recipe, you can skip some of the trials and tribulations by trying to make it freestyle! In my opinion, chopped salads like our Chopped Brussels Sprout Salad with Pancetta, are perfect because they give you a taste of everything in every bite.

I tested this several times to make sure the combination of mayo, oil, and vinegar was the perfect amount for this salad on a sandwich. Plus, here is an expert tip if you're going to make this a day in advance. If you want to keep the crispness of the iceberg lettuce, just mix in a fresh handful right before you're going to eat it.

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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Ingredients for a chopped Italian salad.

Meat. Hard salami and pepperoni are a great start for the meat component of the chopped Italian sandwich, but there are plenty of possibilities for substitutions like capocollo, sopresata, or Italian ham!
Pepperoncini. The pepperoncini gives a hint of spice, but I would never call them spicy. I think they add a dynamic flavor blast to this sandwich!
Cheese. You have to go with a couple of Italian cheeses. You can't skip the provolone, but I also added some fresh mozzarella, chopped up. You can swap it for deli-sliced mozzarella. I have also substituted gorgonzola and fontina and it's just as delicious but with a different flavor!
Mayo. You can't skip the mayo. It brings the whole mixture together, especially when you store it in the fridge for a few hours. Mayo is quite literally the glue to this recipe and allows the flavors to all combine!
Olive oil and Vinegar. Even though you're adding mayo, you need the oil and vinegar. It's this combination that makes this taste like it came out of a NY deli.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information about the ingredients.

How to Make an Italian Chopped Sandwich

Combined vegetables and meat for the salad.

Step 1: Roughly chop all the ingredients: pepperoni, salami, provolone, mozzarella, lettuce, red onion, roasted red pepper, and pepperoncini. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl.

Combined ingredients with mayo, olive oil, seasoning, and vinegar.

Step 2: Combine the chopped ingredients with olive oil, mayo, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

The chopped Italian salad mixed in a bowl.

Step 3: Once combined, wrap the mixture with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for preferably 4 hours (but if you're a cafone, go ahead and eat it right away). A little refrigeration helps it all stick together better.

Step 4: Split the salad into four portions and serve on Italian bread or rolls. You can sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper for good measure.

The chopped Italian sandwich is perfect to serve if you have a huge group of people to feed, because the "four" sandwiches can easily be cut into eight. You can serve it as small bites along with some Spinach and Artichoke Dip (No Mayo)and Eggplant Caponata.

Or it's great for a soup and sandwich combination. Pair it with our White Bean Lentil Soupor Classic Italian Minestrone!

Pro-Tips

If you can prepare this ahead of time, the texture is much better when it has been stored in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours.
You can use as much iceberg lettuce as you want, especially if you want to stretch this out into more sandwiches.
I used deli-sliced hard salami and pepperoni. You can have them slice it a little thick since you're chopping it up. If you put the meat in the freezer for 5 minutes before chopping, it'll be much easier to cut.

Chopped Italian salad in an sandwich roll with a bowl of the salad behind.

Recipe FAQs

What is on a traditional Italian sandwich?

A traditional Italian sandwich has a combination of Italian meats like salami, soppressata, capocollo, prosciutto, or pepperoni. Then for cheese, typically it will have provolone, fresh mozzarella, or burrata. Toppings can include sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, and more! The Chopped Italian Sandwich can be any combination of these!

Does the lettuce on a chopped Italian sandwich get soggy?

If you let it sit overnight, the lettuce will get a little soggy. The best way to spruce it back up is to add a handful of extra iceberg lettuce when you're going to eat it.

What other ingredients can I add to the salad?

You can add sundried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, capers, anchovies, or whatever else you can think of!