Subway Philly Steak Salad

The Subway Philly Steak Salad costs £8.99 and comes to 107 kcal. That is 190 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. Surprisingly lean for how rich it tastes: the lowest fat meat filling Subway publishes figures for.

The filling itself is savoury beef with sweetness from cooked onion and green pepper running through it. 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 Philly Steak sub, which is the lowest fat meat filling on the menu in bread. That sub costs £8.19 against £8.99 here, and carries 190 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 lowest fat meat filling on the menu 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.