Life is short, so my advice is…
- Buy the shoes
- Take the trip
- Pick your battles
- Skip the commercials
- EAT THE PIZZA
There is nothing like a slice of hot and cheesy pizza fresh outta the box (pepperoni and black olives, please!) but when you need a boost of vegetables in your day, shouldn’t they at least taste like pizza? Pizza Salad to the rescue!
Salad that Tastes Like Pizza
Salad that tastes like pizza is a salad I can get on board with. Plus this salad has some serious staying power. Mixed greens are tossed with your favorite pizza toppings plus fresh basil, mini mozzarella cheese pearls, parmesan cheese, Italian Vinaigrette, and homemade gluten-free croutons. Because what is pizza – even as a salad – without a little carb action? The crunchy croutons take the place of pizza crust in this recipe and they are just to die.
This gluten free salad is just plain FUN to eat!
Pizza Salad Topping Ideas
The toppings are what make pizza salad so delicious and customizable. Your only limit is your imagination, but you can’t go wrong with these topping ideas:
- Chopped pepperoni
- Sliced black olives
- Chopped bell peppers
- Browned Italian sausage
- Sliced cherry tomatoes
- Shredded cheese
- Sliced mushrooms
- Sliced red onions
Time Saving Meal Prep Tips
Pizza Salad is a great recipe to meal prep for. Chop all the topping ingredients ahead of time then combine with the fresh lettuce, herbs, and dressing when its time to eat. The gluten free croutons can be made several days ahead of time as well. Be sure to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Step 1: Make the Gluten Free Croutons
You can use whatever gluten free bread you have on hand to make GF croutons. I always have a loaf of Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread in the freezer. Whatever brand you go with, cut a couple slices into thirds horizontally then vertically to create cubes.
Next, brush or mist a half sheet pan with extra virgin olive oil then add the cubes and toss with extra virgin olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and regular salt. Bake for 16-20 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring halfway through, or until the croutons are brown and crispy. Croutons = done!
Step 2: Assemble the Pizza Salad
To a bed of lettuce (I used Spring Mix but use whatever you like best,) add your toppings. For these photos I went with cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, black olives, mozzarella cheese pearls, freshly grated parmesan cheese, the croutons, and a drizzle of your favorite Italian Vinaigrette. I recommend and am obsessed with my Italian Vinaigrette. Oh, if you want an extra punch of pizza flavor, sprinkle a bit of dried oregano on top before digging in.
However you top it, I hope you love this delectable Pizza Salad – enjoy!
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Pizza Salad
Description
Pizza Salad is a fresh and filling entree salad packed with pizza flavor. Homemade gluten-free croutons add a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients
- 9-10oz Spring Mix lettuce (or your favorite blend)
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup lightly-packed fresh basil, chopped (or more or less)
- 8oz mozzarella cheese pearls
- 4oz pepperoni, chopped
- 4oz sliced black olives, drained
- Italian dressing
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- pinch dried oregano
- For the Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons:
- 4 cups cubed fresh gluten-free bread
- 3-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- pinch salt
Directions
- For the Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons: Preheat oven to 325 degrees then lightly spray or brush a half sheet pan with extra virgin olive oil. Add bread cubes then drizzle with 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and toss with fingers to coat every cube in oil (add up to 1 more Tablespoon oil if needed.) Add Italian seasoning, garlic salt, oregano, and regular salt then toss to combine and spread the bread cubes out evenly. Bake for 16-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until croutons are deep golden brown. Set aside to cool. Can be done a day ahead of time - cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
- Divide lettuce, tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, black olives, and croutons between four plates then top with Italian dressing, fresh parmesan cheese, and dried oregano before serving.
Notes
- I recommend dressing this salad with my Best-Ever Italian Vinaigrette >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Shellfish allergy-always worried about cross-contamination when I am out. Can’t take the chance they have fried shrimp in same oil as other things, no Chinese food, etc. Waitstaff that doesn’t communicate to kitchen staff or blows it off, afraid to travel to foreign country due to language barrier, someone will touch shrimp and then my plate, etc. Takes the fun out of eating out for sure.
[…] Pizza Salad with Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons | Iowa Girl Eats […]
[…] The Recipe can be found HERE […]
Can I ask, I thought lunchmeats and cured meats are out of the question because they contain gluten??
Good question! Not all of them. I do not purchase sliced meats from the grocery store deli because they are sliced on shared slicers, but many packaged meats are gluten-free. I really like Applegate Farms meat products, which are gluten-free, though they will all say on the package if they are, as wheat is a Top 8 allergen which must be listed on the ingredient list. Let me know if any other questions at all!
Made this salad tonight using spinach instead of mixed greens. Very filling & satisfying. Great combination of flavors. Even made homemade croutons for the first time… so easy!!! Thank you for shaking up my salad routine!
[…] The Recipe can be found HERE […]
My favorite food is pizza but it is too fatty. I am going to try this recipe to satisfy my pizza cravings.
I don’t have Celiacs in my family, so you are my source to hearing about how it is living a gluten-free life or else you suffer from the consequences. Those articles saddened me. It saddened me to see that some people are insensitive to understand that it’s something you can’t control and that makes life so much harder for you and Celiacs in general. And even if it was a dietary decision (like going vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, etc.), it does not matter what prompted someone to adopt such a diet, it is their life and noone should judge them or ridicule them. Since Christmas for health reasons (again at the beginning not of my choosing) I became a vegetarian. Until then I had to eat meat at least 2-3 times per day, I was craving it. So after that “sentence” I mourned all the meals and recipes I loved. Since then I also had to forsake dairy products. And I feel well. So much better, healthier and happier. But I am also angered when people pity me or make fun of my diet and want to put just a little bacon or cream cheese on my food after I told them I can’t eat that (“a little won’t hurt”). It has taken me months to take care of and restore my health so don’t try to force down my throat “just a little”, because it sure will hurt me.
Hugs Kristin and glad you found a reliable pizza place you can trust and enjoy! :-)
Ugh, that’s horrible!!! Or when someone says, “just a little won’t hurt!” Well yes, it will. I don’t want to come off as too harsh because in my case especially (vs a vegetarian or vegan where – come on, don’t sneak in animal products or ask if a little is ok – that’s awful and people know better,) many people DON’T know that a little gluten can do a lot of damage so I take the opportunity to help them understand my situation and disease. Overall though, like you said, I’ll never understand why other people can become so bothered by someone else’s food choices…!?
It makes me so angry when people are just so…unkind. I have an autoimmune disease that renders me exhausted, riddled with stomach issues and headaches, anxiety and depression, cold and achy almost every day, and just a score of other issues that people “can’t see” so they don’t believe. It’s hurtful to be completely dismissed because people think you’re just being dramatic, a hypochondriac, or just jumping onto a “fad diet” kind of thing. I don’t have Celiac, so please don’t think I’m comparing myself to you, but I do have a gluten intolerance due to my Hashimoto’s so I still have to watch what I eat to make sure I feel better. People with Celiac are literally hurting their bodies if they consume gluten; it’s not a joke, and I wish people will stop treating it as such. I am not a humorless person (I still laugh at fart jokes and watch Bravo tv like it’s going out of style, so please), it’s just the mean-spirited delivery of most of the jokes. In light of everything that’s been happening the world lately, just basic kindness, acceptance, and tolerance would go such a long way. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Sorry for the novel, stuff like this just always strikes a nerve with me :)
Noelle–Hashimoto’s here too. Fun club. :/
Erin-UGH. You’re just never the same as before you were diagnosed. It’s just the suckiest suck that ever sucked.
Could have written this myself, Noelle! I think that’s why that Elle cartoon upset me so much – it’s just so unkind and on purpose. I’ll never understand unkind people, nor people that can’t (or refuse to) practice empathy. It just takes so much more energy to be mean spirited.
I totally understand the struggle of being gluten free. It does end up consuming a lot of my thoughts, but fortunately, over the years, it becomes just a part of life that I don’t even think too much about. This salad looks divine!!
That is great to hear, Taylor! I think it’s so top of mind for me because my son is allergic to dairy so even though we have a GF house, I’m still thinking about food restrictions, not mixing up plates, etc. Like you said though, it’s just part of life!
I found out I was gluten intolerant about 7 years ago– before grocery stores were even carrying much on the shelves for us. I would constantly get annoyed looks from waitstaff so I just learned how to order the least probable dish to contain gluten. What I have learned recently is that your symptoms don’t have to show up in obvious ways that make you run to the bathroom, but in other allergy type symptoms like acne, bloating, vitamin deficiencies, etc. Even dairy becomes hard to digest as the villi in the intestines are damaged from gluten. It wasn’t until I found Maria Emmerich and the Keto diet, that I started to really heal. And I lost weight fast! And it calmed my mind and my skin (itchiness on my arms occasionally). I don’t have a gallbladder or an appendix– both lost because the body can attack it’s own organs due to the food allergy. I’m still doing Keto (high healthy fats, moderate protein…too much turns to glucose or sugar in your blood! and minimal carb)… it’s totally delicious and decadent and is now my and my husband’s lifestyle. He has no allergies or anything but he loves it and at 46, he looks like he’s 30! No estrogen gut (that’s what a beer belly is!). I just wanted to share this because I’ve been following your blog way before you found out you had celiac’s and I thought you’d appreciate the info. Love you!
I definitely appreciate it, Beth! I have researched the Keto diet but have never talked to someone who follows it, and especially for as long as you have. So great to hear you have found the answer to your health problems – what a blessing!!!
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your recipes. I don’t have celiac’s, but a soy intolerance. Soy is pretty much like gluten, snuck into everything. It’s so nice to have a site where I know everything is made with allergies and nutritional diseases in mind, and I so rarely have to sub anything. Aaaaand my husband likes them. :D This salad is totally going on the menu for next week.
I can’t even imagine, Sarah! Soy is in SO many products these days – that has to be extremely difficult, especially when dining out!
Talk about the best of both worlds! Pizza Salads are going on our dinner menu next week :)
Hope you love it, Lindsay!
Can I ask a question related to the links at the top of this post? I went to the Gluten Dude site and read them and though I am not Celiac, I do have an auto-immune disorder and therefore related to some of it (in terms of having a legitimate disease that people often question b/c they can’t “see” it). My question is this: as someone who is diagnosed Celiac, are you bothered at all by people who claim to have gluten issues but are not actually diagnosed? For instance, I have a friend who is gluten free and insists it makes her feel terrible, but makes “exceptions” sometimes (think cake at a gathering or something). I often wonder if having it be a “fad” that is tied to an actual disease makes it harder for the people truly suffering? I know…..kind of a political question–sorry about that!
Great question. I think people should eat however they want to eat – gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, etc. – medical diagnosis or not. Who am I to judge if it makes them feel good? That said, claiming to need to eat gluten-free (or again, vegan, etc.) then making exceptions especially at restaurants is *extremely* detrimental to the community. I was once eating next to a woman who ordered a gluten-free Chinese Chicken Salad but when the waiter told her they were out of the GF dressing they normally serve with it, and asked if she’d like the regular sesame-soy dressing instead (which anyone who eats GF would know is not safe to eat,) she said sure that’s fine. Now this waiter might think it’s ok to make the swap the next time someone orders the salad, and he might not ask before doing it. NOT OK. As you mentioned, making exceptions also chips away at the validity of a very serious disease that people can’t “see” and makes it even more difficult to get by. I’m all for eating to make yourself feel great – diagnosis or not – but if you’re going to commit, you HAVE to commit! Just my $.02.
Oh, this looks so great! And such a fresh way to enjoy the flavors of pizza in the summer. :)
Pretty good advice overall. I like! This does look like a satisfying meal. Hate to admit it, but most thoughts have me right back on food……okay,….when do I get to eat next? Even right after I’ve eaten.
Hahaha, ok I must admit – Celiac Disease or not…same. ;)