5 from 2 votes

The Best Submarine Dressing Recipe {Beanos Copycat}

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This homemade submarine dressing is a simple and bright recipe that comes together in less than two minutes. It's SO good!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Makes: 4
Sauce
Italian

This homemade submarine dressing recipe is bursting with Italian flavors. Itโ€™s the perfect sub dressing/hoagie dressing, or stir it into salads paired with Italian meats and cheeses. Itโ€™s even flavorful enough to be a dipping oil for bread.

close up of prepared homemade submarine dressing being poured over a salad with tomatoes, Italian meats, artichokes, and cucumbers form a mason jar, all on a pink background

Why youโ€™ll love this recipe

  • Punchy Flavors: The black pepper, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning and raw garlic provide a bright kick that is needed with hoagies/subs. With all of the cheese and fatty/salty meats, you need a dressing that will cut through it all and add balance. This submarine dressing does just that.
  • Healthy: Itโ€™s made out of a small list of whole ingredients, reducing the preservatives you could often get in a premade sub sandwich dressing. Extra Virgin olive oil is a great source of nutrients too.
  • Customizable: Fancy a creamy sub sauce? Add mayo! Fancy some spice? Add chilli flakes! This base is so so customizable.
  • Many Uses: With it keeping well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, I love that itโ€™s so versatile. Pair the hoagie dressing recipe with bread, salads, or within a sub. 

Looking for the perfect sauce, dip, or dressing? Try out one of these recipes: Steak Dipping Sauce (Cowboy Butter!), Easy Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Cucumber Dip), Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing without Anchovies (Low Calorie!)

What dressing goes on a sub?

Submarine dressing is the most common dressing to go on a sub. Itโ€™s usually an oil based dressing with vinegar (sometime balsamic), Italian seasoning and salt/pepper. This foundation is then customized/built upon. 

Itโ€™s rich but also tangy and bright. Making it at home is also said to be healthier as store bought submarine sauce has an extensive ingredient list with lots of preservatives to ensure it has a long shelf-life. 

Other dressings you may also find on subs:

  • Honey/mustard blend
  • Mayo/mustard blend
  • Kewpie mayo, soy sauce or sriracha blend
  • Nduja & oil, often also mixed with mayo

Ingredients

Ingredients to make the submarine dressing in the oven laid out on a pale blue background and labeled with arrows.

The main ingredients that make this Submarine Dressing recipe fantastic are the following:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If possible, using extra virgin over regular olive oil is a must for this Italian sub dressing. Itโ€™s richer in flavor so yields the best end result.

Red Wine Vinegar
I prefer red wine vinegar over white and balsamic as itโ€™s got a sweeter brightness.

Garlic
One clove of raw garlic goes a long way in a dressing. Raw garlic over cooked is a lot more pungent but equally, thatโ€™s why itโ€™s so flavorful in dressings! 

Italian Seasoning
Itโ€™s usually a blend of dried oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary and sage. Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s such a good short cut ingredient to use, itโ€™s already got a great flavor profile! 
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

Add mayonnaise:  for a creamy Italian sub dressing add a bit of mayo.

Use different vinegar: many people prefer to use balsamic vinegar. You can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you prefer for this homemade submarine dressing.

Use different oil: You could use a herb-infused olive oil if youโ€™re feeling wild. Something like basil oil will taste delicious with these ingredients. 

Add some spice: this could be with red pepper/chilli flakes or with fresh chillies. For the most cohesive dressing, I would finely chop the chilli so that you donโ€™t get big bites of spice in your submarine sandwich sauce.

How to make submarine dressing

  1. Start by collecting all of your ingredients and an empty mason jar that you will use to make your dressing (Image 1).
  2. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Italian Seasoning to the jar (Image 2).
Two step by step photos with the first showing the ingredients needed and an empty jar and the second showing olive oil in the jar and a spoonful of Italian seasoning being added.

3. Finely chop the garlic clove, then add a pinch of coarse salt to the top. Using the side of your knife and the coarseness of the salt, squish and mash the garlic to form a paste then add it to the jar (Image 3).

4. Add the remaining ingredients, red wine vinegar, black pepper, honey, and if you want, chili flakes, to the jar and give it a good shake (Image 4).

Two step by step photos with the first showing chopped and mashed garlic being added to the jar from a knife and the second showing all the ingredients added to the jar and being shaken to combine.

If you have leftover submarine dressing, consider using it on one of these yummy recipes; Grinder Salad (Italian Sub Salad), Simple Tricolore Salad, The Best Turkey Sandwich in 10 minutes!

Tips for the best result

  • Make sure that your dressing jar is clean and sterilized
  • To emulsify it really well, use a food processor, blender, or handheld immersion blender. I find though that using a mason jar works just fine, you may need to just shake it well before each use.
  • Make sure you form a garlic paste rather than simply chopping the garlic. This will ensure that the garlic blends into the dressing well.
  • Season generously with salt and pepper
  • Taste a small dab of dressing with a salad leaf to see if you need to adjust the seasoning/vinegar.
Up close image of submarine dressing being spooned onto a salad in a blue speckled bowl sitting on a pink background.

Other sub dressing uses

There are so many ways you can use submarine dressing whether it be on a salad, to dip a sandwich, or even to add to the top of pizza (Yum!). Here are some recipes you can consider using this sub dressing instead of the dressing that is meant for it:

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Some people say itโ€™s fine for up to 1 week, I find usually itโ€™s fine to consume the Italian hoagie dressing recipe within 2 weeks. 

Freezer: This recipe only takes two minutes to make, so I wouldnโ€™t recommend it as a freezer recipe. 

Dealing with Homemade Salad Dressings Solidifying in the Fridge

If you plan to refrigerate your sub sauce, you may discover it has solidified in the refrigerator.  Here is what you can do:

Un-Solidify it:  Place it on the counter top for 15 minutes before use or place it in a warm cup or bowl of water for 5-10 minutes.

Try preventing it:  Add an emulsifier like mustard or egg or use a different oil like grapeseed or walnut oil that will not solidify in the cold.

Recipe FAQs

Does submarine dressing need to be refrigerated?ย 

Yes, in order to keep the dressing fresh, you should store it in the fridge.

How do I get my submarine dressing to un-solidify after being in the refrigerator?ย ย 

Set it in a warm bowl or cup of water or leave it on the counter for an hour to come up to room temp.

How long is Italian dressing good for?ย 

Generally up to a week but sometimes itโ€™ll stay fresh for just under two weeks.

Need inspiration for some main meal recipes? Try my Chicken and Chorizo Risotto, Baked Chicken and Cauliflower, Slow Cooker Gammon Joint (Best honey roast ham!)

If you tried this Submarine Dressing Recipe, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys ๐Ÿ’› Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x

Best Submarine Dressing Recipe

Print
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Sauce
Italian
Servings: 4
This homemade submarine dressing is a simple and bright recipe that comes together in less than two minutes. It's SO good!

Ingredients

  • ยผ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • A pinch of chilli flakes
  • ยฝ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1 clove of garlic

Method

  • Finely chop the clove of garlic, then add a pinch of salt on top. Use the side of your knife to squish the garlic, dragging across the chopping board. The salt will act as an abrasive, forming a garlic paste.
  • Combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar and shake until well combined. Taste to adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  • Keep in your fridge for up to two weeks and enjoy in salads, subs and pasta salads!

Notes

  • To emulsify it really well, use a food processor, blender, or handheld immersion blender. I find though that using a mason jar works just fine, you may need to just shake it well before each use.
  • Make sure you form a garlic paste rather than simply chopping the garlic. This will ensure that the garlic blends into the dressing well.
  • Season generously with salt and pepper
  • Taste a small dab of dressing with a salad leaf to see if you need to adjust the seasoning/vinegar.
  • Make sure that your dressing jar is clean and sterilized

Nutrition

Servings: 4 servings
Fat: 14g
Fiber: 0.2g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Sugar: 3g
Calories: 140kcal
Carbohydrates: 4g
Protein: 0.1g
5 from 2 votes

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Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I hope you loved it. Iโ€™d be so grateful if you could leave a comment/rating - it makes my day hearing your feedback!

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Comments

  1. So bright and worked amazing in my sub5 stars

  2. So fresh and easy5 stars

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