veggie pizza salad

It's a salad inspired by veggie pizza! Mix it up and make it your own with your favorite veggie-pizza toppings. Don't skimp on the tomato-sauce vinaigrette! This was created for episode #19 of Friends with Food, give it a listen now! Enjoy!

veggie pizza salad

tomato vinaigrette:

makes about 1/2 cup, double if needed!

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves roasted garlic**

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

a few grinds black pepper

salad:

serves 1-2, scale up as needed

1 romaine heart

1/4 green pepper

1/4 red onion

small handful of cherry tomatoes (about 3oz), or one medium tomato

4oz fresh mozzarella

2 tablespoons sliced black olives, or to taste

artichoke hearts (marinated or plain)

mushrooms (thinly sliced raw, roasted, or marinated)

2 tablespoons banana peppers or pepperoncini, to taste (optional)

pita bread, to serve

optional add-ins:

baby spinach

roasted garlic

pickled jalapenos

roasted red peppers

sun-dried tomatoes

feta cheese

basil

arugula

whatever else you would put on your veggie pizza!

to make the dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth and emulsified.

to assemble the salad:

Slice your onion as thinly as possible (use a mandolin for this if you have one). Submerge the sliced onion in cold water in a small bowl or container and let soak for 5-10 minutes, as you assemble the rest of the salad (this mellows out the burn of the onion slightly while still keeping it nice and crisp).

Chop the romaine heart into inch-wide ribbons and arrange lettuce on a plate or platter. Slice green pepper as thinly as possible (cough, mandolin) and arrange on top of the lettuce. Cut your cherry tomatoes in half or slice your tomato and add to the salad. Drain onions and pat dry on a paper towel, then add to the salad. Crumble mozzarella over top (or sprinkle on if using Ciliegine or another small mozz shape), then add banana peppers/pepperoncini (if using). Drizzle half the tomato vinaigrette over the salad, and serve the remaining dressing alongside. Serve with warmed pita bread.

**Note: to make your own roasted garlic, cut the root end off a full head of garlic so that it can lie flat. Double a piece of aluminum foil and place the garlic bulb in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil, making sure the cut end is coated. Seal the foil around the bulb and place in a 350F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Store roasted garlic in a sealed container in the refrigerator.