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This pizza salad recipe with creamy roasted tomato-garlic dressing and crispy pepperoni chips has all the flavor of your favorite slice, but without the carbs! Pepperoni chips add spicy crunch, and you can whip up this easy creamy dressing or serve it topped with ranch or Italian dressing instead.
I ask you this: why eat a greasy, heavy slice of carb-laden pizza when you can have pizza salad? I’m kidding (kind-of). I’m a fan of New York-style pizza (and Detroit-style pizza!) as much as the next girl (probably more), so I definitely understand being in the mood for a good slice. But for weekly cravings, why not splurge on something a bit lighter that’s every bit as tasty? Helloooo, beautiful salad!
I could eat this every day and die a very happy girl. And not feel pizza-deprived!
What is Pizza Salad?
The simple genius of this salad is that it features the same flavors as pizza.
Turkey pepperoni gets roasted into crispy chips.
A medley of tomatoes, garlic, and a few other savories get roasted and then pureed into a creamy dressing that once you try, you’ll think of about 100 other uses for. (Tossed with pasta, as a dip for veggie sticks, as a spread on sandwiches and wraps, as a condiment for eggs, to name just a few.) (TIP: If you don’t have time to whip up this dressing, use your favorite store-bought or homemade ranch instead.)
Although I’m normally a plain-cheese-pizza-kind-of-girl, I also enjoy veggie-style too, so I included bell pepper, red onion, and mushrooms. Olives would also be delicious. You can use any toppings you like!
Lastly, just a touch of Parmesan cheese goes on top for a salty, umami punch to really drive home the pizza effect. If you prefer, go for mozzarella or even burrata instead. (TIP: Omit the cheese to keep this pizza salad recipe paleo.)
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Creamy Roasted Tomato-Garlic Dressing Ingredients:
- Tomato, onion, and garlic – These vegetables are the base of our roasted veggie salad dressing. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and helps create a balanced sweet, tangy, and savory salad dressing.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness and to help emulsify the dressing.
- Salt, black pepper, and dried Italian herb seasoning – These simple pantry-staple seasonings add a ton of flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar – Adds tangy, subtly fruity flavor to balance the sweet, earthy vegetables and rich, peppery olive oil.
- Water – To thin out the dressing to the perfect consistency.
Pizza Salad Ingredients:
- Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese – Cheese is optional, but I like to add it for the full pizza effect. You can swap out the parm for any kind of cheese you like. Mozzarella, burrata, bocconcini, or provolone are all great in this salad.
- Turkey pepperoni – We bake the pepperoni to end up with crispy spicy chips. Instead of turkey pepperoni, feel free to use any kind you like.
- Spring mix – Chopped Romaine lettuce is also a good choice, or you can use any leafy greens you prefer.
- Red bell pepper, red onion, and button mushrooms – Feel free to use any vegetables that you enjoy on your pizza. Green bell peppers and black olives are also delicious.
Instructions
1: Make the Dressing
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Toss together the tomato, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in an 8 by 8-inch casserole dish. Cover the dish with foil and roast until the veggies are tender and starting to brown in spots, about 45 minutes; cool slightly.
- Add the roasted veggies, remaining 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, balsamic vinegar, and water to a blender and process until smooth. Stir in the Italian herb seasoning.
2: Make the Pepperoni Chips
- Arrange the pepperoni in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake until crispy (TIP: no oil needed), about 8 to 10 minutes at 375F. Transfer the pepperoni to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. (TIP: Bake the pepperoni at the same time that you roast the vegetables for the dressing, just remember to set 2 timers.)
3: Serve
- Arrange the spring mix on 2 plates. Top each with the red bell pepper, red onion, mushrooms, pepperoni chips, and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle some dressing on each and serve immediately (TIP: you’ll have extra dressing).
Tips For the Best Pizza Salad Recipe
- You’ll have extra dressing, which is a good thing because you’re going to find a ton of different ways to use it! Store the leftover dressing in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can toss it with pasta or use it a dip for veggie sticks, a spread on sandwiches and wraps, a condiment for eggs, etc.
- Take this salad and make it your own. Add any toppings you like on your pizza, and use whatever kind of dressing you want.
What to Serve With Pizza Salad
This is absolutely perfect as-is for lunch. For dinner, I like to bulk it up a little.
To bump up the protein:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Grilled, baked, or cooked on the stovetop.
- Rotisserie chicken – A great time-saving option.
- Italian sausage – If you like sausage on your pizza, you’ll love it on this salad! I go for mild turkey bulk Italian sausage, brown it on the stovetop, and let it cool a little before adding it to the top of the salads.
- Beans – A vegetarian protein option is to add a can of rinsed, drained beans. Chickpeas are my favorite here, but cannellini beans are also good.
If you’re missing the crust:
- Low carb biscuits – These are inspired by Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits; they’re cheesy, garlicky, and absolutely delicious.
- Garlic bread – Buttery, garlicky, and ready in a jiffy!
- Garlic bread drop biscuits – This one-bowl wonder yields soft, fluffy biscuits.
- Sourdough discard biscuits – These are cheddar garlic flavor, and a great way to use up sourdough discard if you keep starter on hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re looking for a salad to go with pizza, opt for something with leafy greens (like Romaine lettuce) and tangy vinaigrette. This will lighten up the meal and cut through the pizza’s richness. Copycat Olive Garden Italian Salad goes really well with pizza.
Pizzerias in Sweden typically serve a simple side salad along with pizza. It’s essentially a tangy, crunchy vinaigrette-dressed coleslaw with shredded cabbage, white vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Some versions also add dried oregano for herby notes, a touch of sugar for balance, raw or pickled red peppers for a pop of color and flavor, and/or a little crushed red pepper flakes for heat.
If you want an easy dressing that whips up in 5 minutes and pairs well with this salad, go for one of the following:
1. Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing
2. Caesar Salad Dressing
3. Creamy Italian Dressing
More Gluten Free and/or Low Carb Pizza-Inspired Recipes
- Deep Dish Skillet Sausage Pizza
- Pizza Dip
- Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake
- Pizza Frittata
- Pizza Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- 15-Minute Zucchini Pizza Bake
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Pizza Salad Recipe with Pepperoni Chips
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Ingredients
Creamy Roasted Tomato-Garlic Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 medium tomatoes quartered
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 4 large cloves garlic peeled
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided into 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided into 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
Pizza Salad Ingredients:
- 2 ounces turkey pepperoni
- 6 cups spring mix or chopped Romaine lettuce (or any leafy greens you like)
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- 2 ounces button mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- Preheat the oven to 375F.Toss together the tomato, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in an 8 by 8-inch casserole dish. Cover the dish with foil and roast until the veggies are tender and starting to brown in spots, about 45 minutes; cool slightly.Add the roasted veggies, remaining 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, balsamic vinegar, and water to a blender and process until smooth. Stir in the Italian herb seasoning.
For the Pepperoni Chips:
- Arrange the pepperoni in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake until crispy (TIP: no oil needed), about 8 to 10 minutes at 375F. Transfer the pepperoni to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. (TIP: Bake the pepperoni at the same time that you roast the vegetables for the dressing, just remember to set 2 timers.)
Serve:
- Arrange the spring mix on 2 plates. Top each with the red bell pepper, red onion, mushrooms, pepperoni chips, and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle some dressing on each and serve immediately (TIP: you'll have extra dressing; see Notes).
Notes
- Dressing Storage and Other Ways to Use It: Store the leftover dressing in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can toss it with pasta or use it a dip for veggie sticks, a spread on sandwiches and wraps, a condiment for eggs, etc.
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe includes the salad components only (not the dressing). If you use about 1/4 of the dressing, it adds approximately: 162 kcal, 8 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 1 grams protein, and 14 grams fat.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on May 29, 2015 and updated on March 4, 2026.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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What a fantastic idea! The best part about pepperoni is how it gets all salty and crispy. But if the rest of what you’re eating is salad, then what the heck?!
Good morning! Just letting you know that I featured this in my May round-up of Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes, which was posted this morning. Love the recipe; I hope a lot of my readers will click over here and try it! Wish I had some right now!
Thanks for the shout-out!
Now why didn’t I think of this? :-) I’ve seen salad on pizza but never salad as pizza stand-in. It sounds and looks fantastic. The tomato dressing really takes it over the top. We’ll be eating this next week.
What a fun recipe! Love the pepperoni chips idea….and the dressing sounds amazing!
I’m smitten with this, Faith! And I happen to have some pepperoni in the freezer that needed a recipe – this is it!
PEPPERONI CHIPS, FAITH I LOVE YOOOOOOU! <- Sorry. I just need to try these rockin awesome 'roni chips ASAP. And I love the idea of getting all the delish pizza flavors out in a healthier manner. I absolutely love pizza but limit my intake, even when it's gluten-free…now I know what to do the next time I'm craving a slice. And that 'mater dressing? Brilliant. xoxo
This looks amazing, I didn’t think anyone topped salads with pepperoni but me! It is my version of the pizza the rest of the family eats while I try and stay healthy. Your photos are wonderful too!
Oh my gosh I LOVE this idea. We are a big pizza loving family and I love that you’ve turned it into a salad. Maybe it will get my little guy to eat more salad :)
A scrumptious and wholesome salad!
Cheers,
Rosa
So much good stuff going on in this salad! The dressing sounds really good too!
Faith you are an utter genius!!! This is amazing. That dressing sounds to die for!!