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Greek Salad Pizza

March 18, 2013


Oddly enough, my favorite part about ordering a pizza is getting a big Greek salad to go with it.  I put my salad either right next to or right on top of my pizza and let the dressing get all over.  There’s something crazy delicious about the combination of a vinegary dressing, crust, and pizza.  If you think about it, a Greek salad usually comes with a wedge or two of pita bread, so this is a pretty logical flavor progression.

greek-pizza-toppings

While I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly it is about homemade pizza that just isn’t as satisfying, I’ve never thought about my Greek salad.  Homemade dough is always better and I have control over the quality of the ingredients, so it should just be better – but I’ve always neglected the salad!  This is a problem no more because I’ve skipped the middle man (i.e., normal pizza toppings) and put the salad right on top.

greek-pizza-topped

This recipe is 100% customizable.  Make the Greek salad anyway you want, use any pizza sauce you want, skip the feta if you are vegan or just don’t like it, you could even use pita bread to make a personal pizza but be certain to keep the dressing and let it get all over the crust!  I used a store bought, from a jar pizza sauce because I was feeling especially lazy (story of my life, right?) but I think it’d be even better with a homemade crust.  If you’re feeling a chunky sauce, try out this Chicago Style Sauce.  Except for the crust, I’ve left out a lot of the amounts for all of the ingredients so that everyone feels entirely obligated to make the salad the way they like.  Because of this, I also left out the nutrition stats but trust me, a pizza covered in a salad is always a healthier choice than take out.

greek-pizza-slice

Greek Salad Pizza
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 3
 

Ingredients
  • (Crust)
  • 4 tsp yeast
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 ½ c warm (not hot to the touch) water
  • 3 ½ c white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp wheat gluten
  • (Salad)
  • Pizza Sauce
  • Feta
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Kalamata olives
  • Red Onion
  • Green Pepper
  • Cucumber
  • Beets
  • Good quality Greek dressing

Instructions
  1. Mix the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Let sit for ~5 minutes until foamy (if it doesn’t get foamy, your yeast is dead and your dough wont rise).
  2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, gluten, and salt.
  3. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook (or a lot of elbow grease!) slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour and stir until it forms a ball. Add additional flour or water one tablespoon at a time, if necessary to yield a ball of dough that is not sticky on the outside with all the flour incorporated. You may need to knead by hand.
  4. Using the hook on a low setting or kneading by hand, knead for 5 minutes. I typically split the time between hand and hook.
  5. To make one large, two small, or three personal pizzas, cut the dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic and place in either the refrigerator or freezer– use this later for cinnamon rolls, broccoli cheese stuffed rolls, or a pizza later in the week.
  6. Let rise for 30 – 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425º F.
  7. Using your hands, stretch the dough out to your desired size and shape (cut the dough if making multiple pizzas) and place on a heated pizza stone or a baking sheet.
  8. Top the crust with pizza sauce and feta cheese. If you want a crispier crust, spritz with nonstick spray or brush with oil, season as desired (I like lots of garlic!).
  9. Bake pizza for 10 – 15 minutes.
  10. Meanwhile, chop your salad ingredients.
  11. Cut the pizza and top with salad. You can pre-mix your salad together or throw the toppings directly on the pizza. I recommend putting the lettuce on top of the other ingredients to avoid a mess if you’re not pre-mixing the salad.

Notes
For a vegan pizza, skip the feta and look for a dressing without added feta. For a lazy option, use a pita crust and bake until slightly crispy.

 

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14 Comments
    foodwanderings Mar 23, 2013

    OMG, brilliant!Greek salad on pizza, what’s not to love?! Now I crave this and it is past midnight!

    Anna @ ApronHearts Mar 21, 2013

    Salad and pizza in one is a wonderful idea! And even more wonderful because it’s Greek style. Love it!

    Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen Mar 18, 2013

    This is such a great idea! I make pizzas topped with baby arugula a lot, so I am totally on board with the salad + pizza combo.

    Reeni Mar 18, 2013

    LOVE this idea! I’ve done a Ceasar salad on pizza and on flatbread but never a Greek one! Way more delicious!

    The Domestic Rebel Mar 18, 2013

    This, quite possibly, could be the best decision EVER. I love Greek salad but never seem to get it anywhere I go. I go bonkers over the feta and kalamata olives — hello, so perf! And pizza is basically my ultimate fave food, so combining the two is totally, outrageously amazeballs.

    Ashley Bee Mar 18, 2013

    Why I don’t like pizza: it’s often too heavy and greasy. I think throwing a salad on top greatly improves upon this situation. I would LOVE to try this!

    cleaneatingveggiegirl Mar 18, 2013

    This looks SO good! What a fun and delicious way to incorporate more salad into one’s diet! 😉 I have always been a little intimidated with the idea of making my own pizza crust, but I think that I need to get over that and just give it a try!

    Natalie Mar 18, 2013

    Such a healthy way to have a pizza!

    Em @ Love A Latte Mar 18, 2013

    I love salad on pizza! Your pictures are ridiculously appetizing. Great idea! 🙂

    Anne @The Cooking Campaign Mar 18, 2013

    Reading this recipe, it’s dawned on my that I’ve never eaten a Greek salad….. I know right! I think I need to correct this now.