Everything you love about pizza in a SALAD?! That’s right, this pizza salad recipe has crispy pepperoni, shredded cheese, olives, pepperoncini, tomatoes, and onions for the absolute best salad to go with pizza. Heck, we serve this for a lighter take on pizza night instead, and are equally satiated. Here’s how.
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What is Pizza Salad Made of?
This pizza salad is delicious and flexible. Below I’ll share my favorite variation, but it’s easy to modify with all your favorite pizza toppings…
- The base: Romaine lettuce, thinly shredded.
- The veggies: Onions, tomatoes, and basil.
- The dressing: Olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pepperoncini brine.
- Everything else: Pepperoni, chickpeas, pepperoncini, black olives, and mozzarella.
Potential Variations
There are so many ways to top a pizza, and you can get equally as creative with this pizza salad. Think…
- Different proteins like salami, sausage, or even diced meatballs. You can also make this pizza salad as is, and top it with additional protein like grilled shrimp or broiled salmon.
- More veggies, such as sauteed mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, butternut squash, or even leeks.
- Extra cheese, like goat cheese or ricotta.
- Other dressings that work here include ranch dressing or the lightened-up Caesar used for this kale Caesar salad.
How to Make Pizza Salad
After a whole lot of chopping (just like most salad recipes), this dish comes together quickly and easily. Here’s how:
- Toast pepperoni.
- Combine the salad dressing.
- Mix + dress the salad.
Leftovers + Meal Prep
As most of you know, Romaine is great when served fresh, but after being dressed, it gets soggy. So this dish is best made fresh, or dressed just before serving. If you happen to have leftovers, try using them in a sandwich or wrap.
Psst–Want to make this dish for meal prep? Consider swapping the greens for something a little heartier by making a kale salad or shaved brussels sprouts salad.
Serving Recommendations
This pizza salad is the perfect (you guessed it…) salad to go with pizza. It’s also a great side for other Italian dishes, like…
- Proteins such as Tuscan shrimp, chicken Marengo, or Mediterranean sea bass.
- A light pasta or pasta alternative like kale pesto or some sauteed veggie noodles.
- Or… pizza! Check out my pizza alternatives like eggplant pizza or meatzza.
More Salad Recipes to Try
Pizza Salad
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- 1 tablespoon pepperoncini brine
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- pinch red pepper flakes
Salad:
- 2 ounces pepperoni slices cut into thin strips. I used turkey pepperoni
- 1 large head romaine lettuce finely shredded
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini sliced + drained
- 1 cup chickpeas drained
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives small diced
- 1/2 red onion small diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quarted
- 4 ounces mozzarella shredded
- basil cut into small strips
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the pepperoni and saute until crispy. Remove pepperoni to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine, chickpeas, pepperoncini, black olives, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella. Add the cooled pepperoni. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving, and enjoy!
