This Italian main dish salad is full of lean deli meats, cheese, and tangy Italian flavor just like your favorite hoagie. It makes a filling meal that is both quick and easy. Plus, with all of the protein you won’t be having any cravings for awhile!
I lived just northeast of Philadelphia for about 7 years. During that time I learned to love certain foods — hoagies being one of them. My favorites were the Italian Hoagies with tons of deli meat, cheese, and a tangy oil and vinegar dressing.
For this recipe you’ll need: romaine lettuce, turkey breast, pastrami, pepperoni, provolone or cheddar cheese, onion, peperoncini, red wine vinegar, olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
If you are in a hurry, feel free to Jump to the Recipe
This Italian salad replicates those flavors without the carbs from the bread. I really thought I would miss the bread when I first starting making these salads but I don’t … not at all. If you do, and if you are close to your weight loss goal you can add a few cubes of French bread if you want to. Just be sure to count those carbs.
You can substitute any lean deli meat and cheeses that you like in this main dish salad- just adjust the carbs if necessary. Also, when you are putting the dressing together if you whip it enough the oil and vinegar will form a suspension(fancy science term for they will melt together) and get thick-ish. You want that to happen because it will stick to your salad ingredients better.
I have spent a lot of years taking care of my family. I love them and I love being a mom, a wife, and doing all of the things that I do. However, as I have gotten older, and especially having gone through a divorce, I realized that while I do all of that for them I also tend to put myself in last place all the time. I don’t make a lot of New Years’ resolutions but this year I have decided that I will put myself on the priority list with the rest of the people I love. So what does that look like?
Well, for one… I will no longer stand at the counter picking at lettuce leaves while I work and call that lunch. I will make myself a healthy, low carb meal, like this Italian main dish salad, and I will sit down at the table and eat it. Maybe even with a glass of wine. Maybe I will even start believing my husband when he tells me I am beautiful and that I matter.
Maybe.
Tomorrow is Christmas. I am going to eat what I want without feeling guilty. I promise you it won’t be a main dish salad! I work out at the gym 5 days a week, I eat pretty well most of the time, and I have a medical condition that creates exhaustion and makes me have a very slow metabolism. I can only push past those limitations so far. It’s time I accepted that and stopped considering myself to be weak or lazy when I am too tired to go on or my weight isn’t doing what I think it should (does it ever?)
What about you? This Christmas, instead of thinking of all the things you should be doing, you should be doing better, or you wish you were doing why not try to stay in the moment and enjoy what you have right now? Then make the choice to treat yourself well this year — you deserve it as much as anyone.
Thanks so much for reading Lowcarb-ology this year. I hope that next year I am able to spend more time on this blog as we achieve our goals together. Give this low carb main dish salad a try and let me know what you think.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
Table of Contents
Italian Hoagie Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups romaine
- 2 slices turkey breast about 3 ounces
- 2 slices pastrami about 2 ounces – lean
- 5 pepperoni rounds of
- 1 ounce provolone or cheddar
- 2 tablespoons onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon peperoncini sliced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil a good one
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregeno
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Tear the romaine into small, bite sized pieces.
- Cut the meat into strips.
- Shred the cheese.
- Whisk the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and seasonings together with a fork until well blended.
- Mix all the ingredients together and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked Italian “Hoagie” Main Dish Salad you may also like…
Click on the picture or the name of the recipe to go straight to it, Huevos Rancheros Low Carb Style, Almost Migas, Keto Egg Parmesan.
Best hoagie in town.