Pizza Salad Delivers Pizza Night Fun in a Crave-Worthy Salad

Featuring all your favorite pizza toppings in one big bowl, pizza salad is all about flavor and fun.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based freelance writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 
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Published September 11, 2023
Devan Grimsrud
Plate of Pizza Salad Topped With Grated Parmesan, and in the Background, a Bowl With Small Parmesan Blocks, Breadsticks, and Two Iced Drinks

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

The first half of my life was spent avoiding salad and all salad adjacent things with a fervor that I now find laughable; if only I’d known that salad is so much more than a big bowl of lettuce! Caesar salad was my first real foray into my salad-eating adulthood, which is a bit ironic (see: anchovies) but also predictable (see: crouton to lettuce ratio). Nowadays, I eat salads of all sorts, so when the idea for this pizza salad came up, I was more than happy to jump in and work on getting the flavor and feeling of pizza in a salad.

What Is Pizza Salad?

Pizza salad is what happens when you take all the best pizza toppings and use lettuce (as opposed to crust) as a vehicle to get those toppings from plate to mouth. I opted to use a mix of lettuces for both flavor and texture, and upped the pizza vibes with a vinaigrette that incorporates tomato paste, dried oregano, and garlic powder.

Bowl of Pizza Salad Surrounded by a Bowl of Grated Cheese With Blocks of Parmesan, a Cup With More Dressing, Breadsticks on the Counter, and a Pink Kitchen Towel

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Recipe Variations

While the recipe below uses a set of specific, popular toppings with something for everyone, the recipe is as variable and adaptable as both pizza and salad themselves. Here are some fun ideas to play with to make this recipe your own:

  • Add some spice with a pinch of chile flakes or sliced pepperoncini
  • Swap the fresh mozzarella balls for shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Leave out the pepperoni to make it vegetarian
  • Add your favorite croutons or serve with garlic bread instead of breadsticks
  • Swap the tomato paste in the vinaigrette for leftover marinara sauce
  • Add spinach in lieu of some iceberg or romaine lettuce
  • Add halved cherry tomatoes
  • Add your personal favorite pizza toppings like green olives, canned or thinly sliced button mushrooms, anchovies, crisped up sausage or bacon bits

Can I Make This Salad Ahead?

As with most salads, this one is best served right away, but if you want to make it ahead to save yourself a bit of time later, you can. Here’s how:

  1. Make the dressing as outlined and keep it stored in the fridge in the airtight container or jar for up to 3 days. Shake it really well before using.
  2. Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl, keeping the lettuces on top. Do not mix. Cover with plastic and keep in the fridge for up to 1 day.
  3. When ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.
Parmesan Grated Onto a Serving of Pizza Salad on a Plate Next to a Plate of Bread Sticks, a Drink, and a Pink Kitchen Towel

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

More Ways to Play With Pizza

Pizza Salad

Prep Time 25 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 to 8 servings

This recipe serves 4 as a main dish and 8 as a side salad.

Ingredients

For the dressing (makes 1 cup):

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

  • 6 ounces sliced pepperoni slices

  • 5 ounces mini mozzarella balls (or large balls, quartered)

  • 2/3 cup sliced black olives

  • 1 cup sliced red onion

  • 2 cups chopped bell pepper (yellow, red, green)

  • 4 packed cups shredded iceberg lettuce

  • 4 packed cups chopped romaine lettuce

  • 1/2 cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan cheese

For serving:

Method

  1. Make the dressing:

    Add the red wine vinegar, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, dried oregano,garlic powder and olive oil to a resealable jar or airtight container. Shake really well to combine. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and sugar as desired; it should be a very flavorful, emulsified vinaigrette.

    Bowl of Dressing for Pizza Salad Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
  2. Prepare the salad ingredients:

    Add pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, black olives, red onion, bell pepper and both lettuces to a large bowl.

    Bowl of Pizza Salad With Each Ingredient in Separate Mounds in the Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
  3. Toss and serve:

    Once ready to serve, shake the dressing really well once more. Add about half to the bowl with the salad and toss until everything is well and evenly coated. Add more dressing if desired, and keep the rest in the jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Top the salad with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately with warm breadsticks on the side.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

    Bowl of Pizza Salad

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
    Plate of Pizza Salad Topped With Grated Parmesan, and in the Background, a Pink Kitchen Towel, a Bowl With Small Parmesan Blocks, Breadsticks, and Two Iced Drinks

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
323 Calories
27g Fat
10g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 323
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 705mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 52mg 259%
Calcium 183mg 14%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 307mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.