Salad Pizza – The Best Thing to Happen to Pizza Night!
This salad pizza puts a fresh BLT & avocado chopped salad on a crispy gluten-free crust. Vegan swaps, crust options, and zero guilt included.
Pizza salad (salad made with pizza toppings, minus the crust) is having a major moment, and I can’t wait to try it.
But let’s talk about salad pizza (not pizza salad!): an actual crispy pizza crust piled high with a fresh, gorgeous chopped salad. Crunchy, loaded with vegetables, and it completely scratches the pizza itch while also making you feel super healthy.
This version, my BLT & Avocado Chopped Salad Pizza, has been on rotation in my house for years, and once you try it, I think you’ll understand why. A crispy, gluten-free crust topped with a bright, chopped salad of romaine, tomatoes, avocado, radicchio, red cabbage, fennel, and radishes, all tossed in a light, golden balsamic vinaigrette. It’s pizza night reinvented, and honestly? It might be better than regular pizza. Or, at least just as good.
And here’s the bonus: this salad pizza is one of the most delicious ways I know to eat more plants. One serving packs in seven different vegetables, which is a big deal for gut health and overall well-being. The more variety of plants you eat, the more diverse and resilient your gut microbiome becomes. And this pizza makes that easy, delicious, and FUN!
Why You’ll Love This Salad Pizza
What Is Salad Pizza?
Salad pizza is exactly what it sounds like: a crispy, oven-baked pizza crust topped with a fresh chopped salad instead of (or in addition to) traditional pizza toppings. Think of it as pizza reinvented. All the crunch and satisfaction, loaded up with vegetables, bright dressing, and whatever toppings your heart desires.
It’s different from a “pizza salad,” which typically refers to a bowl of salad greens tossed with pizza-inspired toppings like mozzarella and pepperoni. This is the superior version. In my humble opinion.
🥗 Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what makes this salad pizza so special… the combination of textures and flavors in the chopped salad is a chef’s kiss. Nothing is mandatory; swap freely based on what’s in season or what’s in your fridge.
For the Golden Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Golden balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Note: Golden balsamic is milder and less sweet than regular balsamic. It lets the vegetables shine. If you can’t find it, white wine vinegar works great too.
For the Chopped Salad:
- Hearts of romaine lettuce (or any favorite leafy greens)
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Radicchio
- Red cabbage
- Green onion tops (green parts only for low FODMAP option)
- Fennel bulb
- Radishes
- Bacon (or see vegan swaps below)
For the Pizza:
- 2 pre-baked gluten-free pizza crusts (see crust options below) or regular crusts.
The Best Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts for Salad Pizza
The key is to use a thin, crispy crust, which holds up under the salad much better than a thick, doughy crust. My favorite store-bought options:
- Banza Chickpea Crust – My top pick for bonus protein and fiber.
- Capello’s – Grain-free, almond flour-based, and delicious.
- Caulipower – Light and crispy, widely available.
- Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Crust – Great budget option.
- Udi’s – A classic GF staple, that gets nice and crispy!
- Simple Mills Almond Flour Mix – A gluten-free pizza dough mix featuring almond flour and cauliflower.
💡 Pro tip: Bake your crust a few minutes longer than the package suggests. Crispier = better salad pizza.
How to Make This Salad Pizza Vegan
Swap the bacon for any of these plant-based options and choose a vegan-certified crust:
- Crispy Roasted Chickpeas — My favorite! Toss a drained can of chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then roast at 400°F for 25–30 minutes. Crunchy, protein-packed, and a great way to sneak in even more plants.
- Tempeh Bacon — Marinate thin-sliced tempeh in tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and liquid smoke for 15 minutes, then pan-fry until crispy.
- Coconut Bacon — Toss unsweetened coconut flakes with tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and smoked paprika and bake at 325°F for 10–12 minutes. Sweet, smoky, and surprisingly addictive.
👩🍳 How to Make Salad Pizza
Making salad pizza is genuinely simple. There’s no sauce, no cheese melt to worry about, no elaborate toppings. Here’s the basic flow:
- Make the dressing. Combine olive oil, golden balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a jar and shake until combined. Set aside.
- Cook the bacon. Either microwave it between paper towels (my lazy weeknight method) or pan-fry it on the stove until crispy. Crumble and set aside.
- Chop all the vegetables into small, uniform pieces and toss together in a large bowl.
- Dress the salad. Add about ¼ cup of dressing (or to taste) and toss well. Add the crumbled bacon.
- Crisp the crusts. Place pizza crusts on the middle rack of a 375°F oven and bake for 5–7 minutes until warm and crispy.
- Assemble. Top each crust with half the chopped salad, slice into quarters, and serve immediately.
* See recipe card for full measurements.
Tips, Swaps & Serving Ideas
- Make it ahead: Chop the salad ingredients and make the dressing up to 24 hours ahead. Store separately and dress just before assembling — this keeps everything crisp.
- Use what’s in season: This is a farmers’ market dream recipe. Swap in whatever vegetables look good. Arugula, cucumber, bell pepper, corn, zucchini, or fresh basil all work beautifully.
- Low-carb option: Skip the crust entirely and serve the chopped salad on its own as a big, hearty bowl. Add chickpeas or tempeh bacon for protein, and you’ve got a complete meal.
- Low-FODMAP-friendly: This recipe is already low-FODMAP as written. Just make sure to use only the green tops of the green onions and choose a low-FODMAP crust.
- Feeding a crowd: Double or triple the salad and set out a toppings bar with 4–6 crusts. Let everyone build their own — it’s a genuinely fun pizza party format.
Farmers Market Chopped Salad Pizza
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup golden balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad
- 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon ~8 slices
- 2 cups chopped hearts of romaine lettuce
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped radicchio
- 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion tops
- 1/4 cup sliced and chopped fennel bulb
- 1/4 cup chopped radishes
- 1/4 cup dressing {recipe above}, or to taste
Pizza Salad
- 2 pre-baked pizza crusts, i.e. Banza Chickpea Pizza Crust
- 4 cups chopped salad
Instructions
- Make the dressing by combining the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a jar, and shake until well combined. Set aside until ready to use. Note: you will have extra dressing left over.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and put the bacon, layered in a glass dish between paper towels, in a microwave oven to cook for approximately 12 minutes, or until crisp. {You may also cook the bacon in a frying pan on the stove}.
- While the bacon is cooking, start chopping all the veggies into small pieces, and place in a large salad bowl. Next chop up the avocado and add to the veggie mixture. Once the bacon has finished cooking, crumble it up, and add it as well. Pour ~ 1/4 cup dressing on top, or to taste, and toss well.
- Place the pizza crusts on the middle rack of the oven and heat for approximately 5 minutes {or according to your own pizza crust directions.} Remove crusts from the oven, and top each crust with half of the chopped salad mixture. Slice in quarters, and serve 2 quarters to each person.
Notes
- Vegan option: Swap bacon for crispy roasted chickpeas (my fave!), tempeh bacon, or coconut bacon. See the full instructions in the post above.
- Crust options: Banza chickpea, Caulipower, Trader Joe’s cauliflower crust, Udi’s, or Simple Mills mix.
- Make-ahead tip: Prep salad and dressing separately up to 24 hours ahead. Dress and assemble just before serving.
- Crispy crust tip: Bake crusts a few minutes longer than package directions for best results under the salad.
- Low FODMAP: Use green onion tops only. Choose a low FODMAP pizza crust.
- Seasonal swaps: Use any vegetables that look good at your farmers market — arugula, cucumber, bell pepper, corn, and fresh basil are all great additions.
Nutrition
More Pizza & Salad Recipes You’ll Love!
Let’s Chat! Have you made a pizza salad before? What toppings would you put on YOUR Salad Pizza???
Did you make this recipe?
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