Subway Spicy Italian Salad

The Subway Spicy Italian Salad costs £8.19 and comes to 306 kcal. That is 192 calories less than the same filling in a six inch sub, for £0.80 more, which is the trade this whole category runs on.

The same filling arrives in a bowl instead of bread, over the salad rail. Cheese and sauce are still counter choices, and the vegetables are unlimited, which matters more here than anywhere else on the menu. This is the saltiest filling on the menu in every format, which is what two cured meats cost.

The filling itself is big, salty and peppery, with pepperoni and salami doubled up and no ham to soften them. Without bread the filling has nowhere to hide, so the quality of the meat and the generosity of the salad are the whole experience. Texture comes entirely from the vegetables, which is why loading them properly is not optional.

It suits anyone counting calories who does not want to skip lunch, and it is the only part of the menu that goes properly light. The catch is the dressing, which is where a light salad quietly stops being light. Oil and vinegar barely registers; a creamy dressing can move the total by a meaningful share.

The obvious comparison is the Spicy Italian sub, which is the saltiest filling in the range in bread. That sub costs £7.39 against £8.19 here, and carries 192 more calories. Bread is the cheap part, which is why removing it costs money.

Salads cost more than the sandwich with the same filling, which is the honest trade: you pay a premium for the absence of bread. On this one specifically, the saltiest filling in the range is what you are actually buying, and the Salads menu lists every alternative with its own price and calories if you want to compare before ordering.