My Favorite Salads Are Modeled After Hearty Sandwiches
I don’t want to hate on green salads, but they are a hard sell for me. What doesn’t appeal to me is not the vegetable aspect, but how unsatisfying a dish that is 90% leaves can be. If I’m going to make a salad at all, it needs to be full of big, interesting ingredients, with the leaves serving as the hype. I usually make one of two types of salads—hearty grain salads (like the Warm Rice Salad , which I love) or what I call a “sandwich salad.”
The inspiration came from an Italian sandwich I was craving while running errands. It’s from a store in the financial district called the Pisillo Italian Panini, a sandwich with chicken, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, arugula and provolone on a thick, chewy bun. And I deserve it. However, I was not near the deli.
I decided to buy the ingredients to make it at home. It’s not the same as asking someone else to make you a sandwich, but it’s necessary. Knowing that I had good bread and chicken waiting for me, all I needed was some canned artichokes and peppers that I could quickly roast at home.
I don’t know if everyone experiences this, but whenever I know I have something at home and I’m looking forward to eating it, inevitably someone has already done it. My chewy sandwiches are gone. Without bread and stubbornly refusing to back down when I just returned from running errands – because that’s absolutely not true! “I tossed the sandwich pieces into a bowl instead.
This salad completely eliminated my missing sandwich itch. Either way, all the major players were there and by the time I put my fork down I was completely stuffed. Thus my first salad sandwich was born; the pioneer of all my future sandwich salads.
How to make a salad sandwich
A sandwich salad is any three to eight ingredients you’d normally put on a wrap, added to a bowl with whatever you’re putting on the sandwich. They are filling, incredibly flavorful (the bread doesn’t dilute the ingredients) and never get boring. Just like most sandwiches can taste great if you swap out the protein (chicken for turkey, prosciutto for salami), you can do the same with a salad.
The only slight change I recommend is if the sandwich naturally doesn’t include lettuce – like bacon, egg and cheese – then I usually add a handful of something leafy just to break it up and add a little texture. . Not too much, just enough to complement the rest of the bowl.
Here are a few other salad sandwiches I like:
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Pan Banyat Salad. Toss a can of tuna and oil in a bowl with chopped black olives, chopped green beans, chopped red bell peppers, chopped anchovies, chopped hard-boiled eggs and drizzle the mustard oil dressing over it all. Optional: Add a handful of arugula and some lemon zest.
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Kuban salad. Combine pulled roast pork, sliced ham, diced Swiss cabbage and dill on the side in a bowl. Season with mustard diluted with a small amount of vinegar and olive oil. Optional: Add some spicy kimchi instead of the mustard dressing.
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Muffuletta salad. He practically makes himself. Chop different types of Italian meat, such as salami, capicola and mortadella, and mix them thoroughly in a bowl. Add a bunch of canned olive salad (along with the oil it’s packaged in) and diced provolone cheese. Here’s my sandwich recipe if you ever miss bread. Optional: Add hot banana peppers, pepperoncini, or a handful of salted pistachios.
If you typically use mayonnaise on a particular sandwich, thin it to a less runny consistency before adding it to the salad components. I recommend using ingredients that are already in the dressing, for example for mayonnaise it would be a good lemon juice and a little olive oil. If you usually use mustard, a spoonful of oil and vinegar will do the trick. If I’m using a pickled or canned ingredient, such as artichoke hearts or olives, I add a little liquid as a flavor aid to any other dressing ingredients.
Chicken salad sandwich recipe
Ingredients:
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1 chicken breast, thinly sliced (or substitute any lunch meat)
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1–2 ounces chopped provolone cheese
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3-5 jarred roasted red pepper strips
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4–8 marinated artichoke quarters
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1 handful of young arugula
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Squeeze fresh lemon juice
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Olive oil for drizzling
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Salt and pepper
1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir. For extra dressing, add some marinade from a jar of artichokes.