Italian Hoagie Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette

Whether you call it a sub, grinder, hero or hoagie, you can’t dispute that the combination of Italian meats, cheeses, crisp vegetables, oil and vinegar is so very satisfying. And when you spin it into a salad, those flavors come to the fore with the bread—here, homemade croutons—stepping back to add some crisp-chewy punctuation.

Ingredients

For the croutons:

6 ounces country bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the dressing:

1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil

For the salad:

1 large head romaine lettuce, very thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and very thinly sliced
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
4 ounces Applegate Naturals^® Slow Cooked Ham, or Applegate Naturals^® Black Forest Ham, halved and thinly sliced
2 ounces Applegate Naturals^® Genoa Salami, thinly sliced
2 ounces Applegate Naturals^® Provolone Cheese, thinly sliced
Black olives, for serving
Pepperoncini, for serving

Instructions

To make the croutons:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Toss the bread, olive oil and salt together on a large baking sheet.
Bake until the croutons are lightly toasted, golden and crisp-chewy, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the dressing:

Whisk together the garlic, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined.
While whisking, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Set aside.

To make the salad:

Arrange the lettuce on a large platter, and top with the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, ham, salami and provolone.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with the croutons.
Toss together gently and serve with black olives and pepperoncini.