What Kind of Oil & Vinegar Does Subway Use? Answered

Last Updated on September 12, 2024 by Shari Mason

Subway is the ultimate choice when it comes to satisfying and refreshing bites. With its customizable sandwiches and salads, it is a guilt-free option that will not disappoint.

When customing your sub sandwich or salad, there are lots of sauces, herbs, and salad dressings to choose from.  

But if you want something neutral and balanced, just oil and vinegar will do. While those are simple ingredients, how can they level up the taste of a plain subway sandwich?

What kind of oil and vinegar does Subway use? Let’s find out.

What Type of Oil & Vinegar Does Subway Use? 

In Subway sandwich shops, their oil is a mixture of canola oil and olive oil, while they use inexpensive red wine vinegar. 

When these oil and vinegar dressings are mixed, you can get a light and tangy dressing.

The red wine vinegar used by Subway for their sandwiches and salad dressing delivers a savory, tangy flavor compared to standard vinegar. 

This vinegar has a distinct flavor due to the fermentation process of red wine. It is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking and can be found in various sauces such as chimichurri.

“It’s fun to experiment. Start with two or three different vinegars, get to know them and expand it that way. Because cooking is about experimenting and playing with ingredients.”

— Kumar Mahadevan, Indian Chef/Restaurateur 

If you want to recreate the oil and vinegar combo at Subway to make your vinaigrettes at home, we suggest adding some salt, black pepper, roasted garlic, and basil to enhance the flavor.

This recipe will be a great dressing for your sandwich, vegetable salad, and wrap or bread.  

Read:

• What Is The Best Oil For Frying French Fries?
• Can I Use Balsamic Glaze Instead Of Balsamic Vinegar?

Two Kinds Of Oil They Use 

Canola Oil 

With an oil ratio of 90:10, the Subway fast food chain uses 90% Canola oil in their oil mixture. This is because canola is cheaper than olive oil. 

If Subway wants consistency across their various products, they’ll most likely rely on a milder oil blend such as canola oil as their base.

Besides, using canola oil [1] is cheaper to maintain flavor consistency across all Subway sandwich shops. 

Read: How To Heat Oil To 350 Without A Thermometer?

Olive Oil 

Subway’s oil blend uses 10% olive oil. This is because olive oil is quite expensive [2]. This classic vegetable oil can impart a strong and unique taste, which may vary depending on the brand. 

Based on experts, Subway uses light olive oil as its more refined compared to other oil types.

But if you want to recreate their olive oil blend, we suggest using extra virgin olive oil for a stronger taste. 

Read: Is Sherry Vinegar The Same As Sherry Wine?

Comparing Subway Oil With Other Oils 

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil is also a kind of vegetable oil that’s almost similar to canola. It is produced using sunflower seeds. Similar to canola, its light taste comes from the process of deodorization. 

If you’ll use sunflower oil, a 1:1 ratio is recommended. 

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil delivers a milder flavor, which can replace canola in a 1:1 ratio – be it a sandwich dressing or salad dressing. 

This kind of oil is recommended for cooking in high heat or for deep frying due to its high point of smoke.  

Peanut Oil

Peanut oil delivers a stronger flavor than canola. As one of the nut oils, it’s typically deodorized to reduce its strong flavor. 

But peanut oil is a great canola replacement. Use the same 1:1 ratio in all of your recipes.

Note: You can use other blended vegetable oil or any kind of oil to improve the sandwich or bread dressing’s flavors. 

Aside from the oils mentioned above, you can use garlic oil and soybean oil with an olive oil blend.  

Read: Can You Mix Vegetable Oil And Peanut Oil?

What Kind of Vinegar Does Subway Use? 

Red wine vinegar that Subway uses for its oil and vinegar blend has a distinct flavor profile. 

No two vinegar can taste exactly similar, and there are some that you can use as substitutes for your recipes.

The red wine vinegar is one of the reasons why Subway’s dressing is popular among other stores. 

Aside from giving a subtly sweet yet tangy flavor to sandwiches or salads, it has antioxidants that are good for health.  

Comparing Subway Vinegar With Other Vinegar 

White Wine Vinegar

While white wine and red wine vinegar are made from fermenting wine in a dark place, they don’t have the same flavors. 

When you use white wine vinaigrette in the dishes, it offers a little more fruitiness and acidity. But it’s really hard to tell the difference between the two. 

So, white wine vinegar can be the best alternative to red wine vinegar, in the same ratio, when used in bread, sandwich, or making different dishes. 

Sherry Vinegar

Sherry vinegar is also made from fermenting wine, just like red wine vinegar. 

But, it lacks acidity, so if you use sherry vinaigrette on dishes, you’ll need more than when you use red wine vinegar. 

Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar [3] is more popular than red wine vinegar. Unlike red wine vinegar, it is made from fermenting grape must, making it slightly acidic. 

Also, compared to red wine vinegar, balsamic is quite sweeter in flavor. We suggest cutting down the ratio in half if you opt to use this type of vinegar over red wine vinaigrette.  

FAQs

Final Verdict 

Now you know what kind of oil and vinegar Subway [4] use for their sandwich, wrap, and sub dressings. 

The consistent proportion of wine vinegar and olive oil blend tastes great together in a sandwich, salad, or a variety of dishes. 

This makes Subway attracts more customers due to the variety of mouth-watering dressing options and allows customers to customize their orders depending on their preferences.

References:

1. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/04/13/ask-the-expert-concerns-about-canola-oil/ 
2. https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/high-quality-olive-oil 
3. https://www.today.com/food/balsamic-vinegar-uses-how-incorporate-it-your-fall-recipes-t234764 
4. https://www.subway.com/en-SG/AboutUs/History