Jump to Recipe: Chopped Artichoke Sub
The sandwich of the summer, just in time for fall
TikTok is known for, among other things, its viral recipes, which inspire a kind of feeding frenzy before fading into a quieter place in our collective consciousness. My feelings about these viral recipes—the baked feta pasta, Emily Mariko’s salmon bowl, creamy Kewpie ramen—range from skeptical-but-positive to ambivalent. (Although I’m forever, slightly begrudgingly, in Mariko’s debt for showing us the ice cube-microwave-rice hack, which I use often.)
This summer, the darlings of #foodtok include ice cream wrapped in Fruit Roll Ups, watermelon fries (which debuted in 2020 but made a comeback this year thanks to the inclusion of a strawberry yogurt dip), and chopped Italian subs, the last of which instantly spoke to me in a loud, authoritative voice letting me know that I would soon be among the converted chopped sub lovers.
The voice (likely my inner sandwich artist) was right. I fell for the chopped Italian, and I made it all summer long. There’s nothing wrong with an Italian sub, but there’s a lot that’s right with the chopped version: What I love most about it is how it solves the ratio issue. There’s at least a hint of every ingredient in each perfect bite. No more lopsided, unwieldy subs (which, to be clear, are still fun and I love them too)!
My contribution to the chopped sub dialogue is this: The Chopped Artichoke Sub—a vegetarian version (but, like, you can add meat if you want to). Those briny marinated artichoke hearts (I like Cento) really hold up well among the other ingredients, and I consistently have them stocked in my pantry, making this a lunch I can conjure easily with, say it with me, ingredients I already have on hand.
Chopped Artichoke Sub
Gather
1/2 (12 oz.) jar Cento quartered, marinated artichokes, drained
2 slices sharp provolone
2-4 leaves romaine lettuce
1/2 juicy summer tomato, sliced (Tomatoes not in season anymore? I’m devoted to these marinated tomatoes from Divina.)
1/4 red onion, sliced
small handful banana peppers
spoonful hoagie spread
big ol’ dollop of Duke’s mayo
A few splashes red wine vinegar
1 Hoagie Roll
Do
Make a pile of ingredients (except the bread, but now that I think about it, maybe that’s the next wave???) on a cutting board, and then commence to choppin’! If you have a big mezzaluna for some reason, please use that…for drama!
Chop the entire mixture until it’s relatively homogenous, and then load it up into your sub roll. Because of the choppiness, you might miss out on some crunch factor, in which case, tuck a few potato chips into the whole business, and there you have it. Serve with salt & vinegar chips, a dill pickle spear, and a cold Diet Coke. This is an eat-immediately kind of sandwich because she will sog out if you’re sleepin.
Further reading: I wrote a story for Eater in 2021 about how Viral TikTok recipes were wreaking havoc on the supply chain. The accompanying illustration/video is so delightful that I ordered a print of it from illustrator Carolyn Figel, whose style I adore! I love this Nathan Anderson poem, Stupid Sandwich, that Figel animated for Moving Poems. It’s giving Bukowski, and we appreciate that.
One quick housekeeping note: As we move into fall, I’m going to be tinkering with the structure and pacing of these newsletters. My goal is to share one recipe just for paid subscribers each month. There may also be some free recipes and essays thrown in. And, I’ll be writing regular round-ups of all the good things I’ve found each week. Those will always be free!