Pizza Salad

Jump To Recipe by Liz Thomson August 7, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links.

This pizza salad includes all your favorite toppings, served on a bed of lettuce. It’s a great way to eat a rainbow of vegetables while enjoying the satisfying flavors of a tasty pizza!

This recipe was inspired by my two favorite foods: pizza and salad. I started thinking about how I could use leftover flatbread to make croutons for a salad, and then I kept going from there. I realized I could add my favorite pizza toppings to a salad and the pizza salad was born!

I used romaine as the base and then added some of my favorite pizza toppings including tomatoes, pepperoncini, red onion, bell peppers, mozzarella, and Parmesan. I even added olives to give it an authentic vegetable pizza twist, but you can skip the olives if that’s not your thing.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Romaine lettuce– I love using romaine for a crunchy base but you can substitute wth iceberg, little gem, or butter lettuce.
Tomatoes– I used a large slicing tomato but cherry tomatoes work great, too. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half or quarters.
Pepperoncini– I love the spicy flavor of pepperoncini but if you don’t want any spiciness, you can leave them out.
Red onion– Red onion has a bit of a sharp bite, which I love. But if you want a more mild flavor, try using a small shallot instead.
Bell pepper– I used a yellow bell pepper but any color works fine.
Mozzarella cheese– I used mozzarella pearls but you can use shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella torn into pieces. You could also substitute with provolone for a different pizza flavor!
Parmesan cheese– I recommend buying a block of real Parmesan cheese and shredding it at home. Skip the stuff in the green can!
Black olives– I’m actually not a big fan of olives but I think they do add that “pizza” twist. You can add them or leave them out if you don’t like them.
Mayonnaise– This makes the dressing nice and creamy. You can substitute with olive oil if desired. The dressing won’t be creamy, but it’ll still have a nice rich flavor.
Red wine vinegar– Red wine is my personal favorite, but you can substitute it with white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
Italian seasoning– If you don’t have Italian seasoning, add a pinch of rosemary and thyme, then double the oregano.
Oregano– If you don’t have oregano, replace with additional Italian seasoning.
Crushed red pepper– This is optional. If you don’t like spicy food, feel free to leave it out.
Salt– I try to give you an idea of how much salt to add, but I always recommend that you adjust salt to taste.
Pizza crust– I like to use baked flatbread sliced into triangles. Any pizza crust is fine. Bake it completely then slice into wedges. You can brush it with olive oil and seasoning with Italian seasoning for even more flavor. If you don’t have pizza crust or you don’t want to bake a crust for this salad, substitute with croutons.

The Best Pizza Crust

Any pizza crust is fine for this recipe, but I typically use a pre-made flatbread since I often have them in my freezer. Whatever crust you decide to use, bake it completely then slice it into wedges. You can brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning for even more flavor. If you don’t have pizza crust or you don’t want to bake a crust for this salad, substitute with croutons or breadsticks. I have a recipe for homemade croutons or air fryer croutons.