Deconstructed Hoagie Salad

I grew up in the City of Brotherly Love, and like all Philadelphians, I was weaned on cheesesteaks and hoagies. Well, actually, we didn’t eat them too often growing up, because health food, they are not. But they were enjoyed from time to time.

Most people are familiar with a cheesesteak, but hoagies are Philadelphia’s other great sandwich. Deli meats, stuffed neatly into a long Italian roll (there is a technique) with cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, hot pickled peppers, and a splash of oily vinaigrette, with a sprinkling of oregano, a hoagie is a great sandwich. Similar to a hero in New York or a submarine sandwich elsewhere, at the risk of insulting others, a hoagie is a bit more refined.

Every neighborhood in town has its own cheesesteak and hoagie shop, but some stand out above all others and are worth a special visit. Lee’s Hoagies is one such place. A cut above the rest, Lee’s was the best. We used to visit the original location on Cheltenham Avenue (now closed, although other locations are still open).

On one occasion I brought my friend Jay, who did not grow up in Philadelphia. He ordered his hoagie, but then, being an ignorant Brooklynite, asked if they could put mustard on it. The guy behind the counter stared at him and simply said “no.” Mustard has its place – a hot dog, or even a hamburger, perhaps – but not on a hoagie. I remember Jay looking away sheepishly, rejected, but he was happy with his sandwich in the end.

You can get any kind of hoagie you want at a hoagie shop – turkey, roast beef, tuna, vegetarian, for example – but the classic is an Italian. Italian meats and cheese, it is better than all the rest.

I’ve been thinking about writing a recipe for an Italian antipasto salad for a long time, and the August 2022 issue of Bon Appétit magazine had a recipe for a Big Italian Sub Salad. I was excited to see their take, but was disappointed in the result. The idea was fine, but the execution was poor. I understand that you can throw lots of different ingredients into a sandwich, or on a salad, and it will be delicious, but call it what it is. This was a perfectly good antipasto salad, but a deconstructed “Italian sub,” it was not. Perhaps this is why Philadelphians think their hoagie is that much better than heroes or submarine sandwiches found elsewhere.

Let’s start with the good. It uses crunchy croutons, which are a great substitution for the roll in a salad; it is deconstructed, after all. And the lettuce is iceberg, properly shredded. It also calls for a sprinkling of oregano before serving, which is essential.

As for everything else, it just wasn’t right. For meats, this recipe calls for deli ham and sliced salami. Let’s be more specific; the sandwich should have hot capicola (a spiced Italian ham – don’t pick one that’s too dry and would be right at home on a charcuterie board, but not here) and Genoa salami. Also, where’s the pepperoni? When it comes to cheese, they recommend fresh mozzarella in addition to a token amount of fontina or provolone. I’ve got nothing against fresh mozzarella, but it has no place on a deconstructed hoagie salad. Sharp provolone is the only way to go.

Olives would also be great on that antipasto salad, but they don’t belong in a hoagie. The peppers – Peppadew – are just wrong. They’re not Italian or even Italian-American. Yes, they may have some heat, but they’re also sweet. A hoagie needs hot peppers –preferably pickled hot banana peppers.

And while I love red onions, which belong on many a salad, a hoagie salad should have sweet yellow or white onions, and lots of them, the sweetest possible, and shaved as thin as can be.

While you can throw whatever you want onto your sandwich or salad, and I’m sure it will be delicious, please call it by a proper name. Bon Appétit’s recipe looks like a perfectly good Italian antipasto salad, but a big Italian Sub Salad, it is not. At least they didn’t use any mustard.

Deconstructed Hoagie Salad

Put whatever you want on your salad (or sandwich), but if you want it to be authentic, use the ingredients below.

15 minutes, serves 4

1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

⅓ lb. sliced sandwich pepperoni, thinly sliced into strips

⅓ lb. sliced Genoa salami, thinly sliced into strips

⅓ lb. sliced hot capicola, thinly sliced into strips (don’t pick one that’s too dry and would be good on a charcuterie board; it will be too chewy on a salad or hoagie)

⅓ lb. sliced sharp sandwich provolone, thinly sliced into strips

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large

1 recipe fresh croutons

1 sweet onion, cut in half and sliced paper thin

½ to 1 cup pickled hot banana peppers, drained, but still wet

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

6 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

1. Thinly slice the iceberg lettuce and distribute it among four dinner plates.
2. Top with pepperoni, salami, capicola, provolone, tomatoes, croutons, onion, and hot peppers spread evenly over the lettuce.
3. Whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and spoon evenly over each salad.
4. Sprinkle salads with dried oregano.

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