Pizza Salad with Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons is a fresh and filling entree salad packed with pizza flavor. Homemade gluten-free croutons add a satisfying crunch.
As they say, life is short, so my advice is…
- Buy the
shoessunglasses - Take the trip
- Quit your unfulfilling job
- Make the leap
- Wake up early
- Call him (or her!)
- Say I love you
- Pick your battles
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Laugh out loud
- Eat full-fat everything
- Skip the commercials
- Hold on tight
- Drink good coffee
- Listen carefully
- EAT THE PIZZA
Un-blotted, extra cheese, three slices, please!
Side note: I read an article on Gluten Dude the other day that got my blood boiling (this one rendered it molten hot.) Literally one minute after it came down to a simmer Ben (innocently) texted me about the epic bowl of ramen he’d just devoured for lunch. Oy vey! Because I have Celiac Disease, food is never an afterthought in my world. It’s the main event all day, everyday. Unfortunately I can’t escape it, and don’t know if I ever will, but little things that help take the edge off the mental stress this disease causes are little rays of sunshine in my life. Like the fact that wine is naturally gluten-free.
Actually I think that gets Heavenly beam status. ??
I’ve mentioned many times here on IGE that Friday night, since I was a little girl, and like millions of Americans, is pizza night at our house and it was a punch in the gut not being able to pick up the phone and dial the delivery man after having to go gluten-free in 2013. Things have changed for the better over the past six months or so though because we found a nearby restaurant, Club Car, with a gluten-free kitchen that makes the best pizzas. Talk about ray of sunshine! Thanks to this mom and pop shop, I can chow down on Friday pizza with zero hesitation, zero worry, and 100% excitement. Of course I can make delicious GF pizza at home, but there’s something about being able to order it that’s just so…normal.
Every Friday evening I call in our order then Ben picks the pizzas up on his way home (lid open to prevent a soggy crust!) and then we proceed to feast like old times. I cannot tell you how awesome it feels to simply, as I said, EAT THE PIZZA without a second thought. I may have teared up the first time he brought the boxes home! Ok that’s a little dramatic, but it was big time.
Anyway, how ridiculous that I’m telling you all this (those articles seriously ignited a fire in my soul,) and not even sharing an actual pizza recipe with you today (forgive me!?) That said, I’ve got the next best thing – Pizza Salad with Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons. Because life is short so yes, you should definitely eat the pizza, but when you need a boost of vegetables in your day, shouldn’t they at least taste like pizza!?
Here’s the scoop – mixed greens are tossed with my favorite pizza-friendly ingredients including tomatoes, pepperoni (if you’ve never had pepperoni in a salad…prepare yourself,) black olives, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian Vinaigrette, and homemade gluten-free croutons. Because what’s pizza without a little crunch? I tell you what, I have never been a crouton girl but I ate almost half the pan before assembling a single Pizza Salad. No shame in my homemade gluten-free crouton game!!
I’ve been eating this salad for lunches lately and it is such a satisfying mid-day meal. Full of flavor, freshness, and texture, and the croutons even stay crispy if you want to assemble these salads mason-jar style to take to work with you. If you and your family make your own pizzas every week and for someone reason you just don’t WANT to EAT THE PIZZA (hey, I get it!) just snag some of the toppings them sprinkle them over a bed of lettuce instead. Boom, Pizza Salad. Gluten-Free or not, you’ll devour it!
There’s really only one main step to making this salad and that’s baking the homemade gluten-free croutons using whatever gluten-free bread you have on hand. I always have a loaf of Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread in the freezer. It’s the only GF bread I can get my hands on here that’s worth buying (aka it’s doughy and soft vs crumbly and hard,) and I find it in the health food/special diet freezer section of the grocery store, though Super Target sells it in their bakery section.
Whatever you’re going with, slice the bread into cubes, like this!
Next, brush or mist a half sheet pan with extra virgin olive oil then add the cubes and toss with 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until each cube is evenly coated in oil, adding up to 1 more Tablespoon oil if needed. Next toss the cubes with 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, and a pinch of regular salt, then toss again to coat. Bake for 16-20 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring halfway through, or until the croutons are brown and crispy.
Last stop, salad assembly! To a bed of lettuce (I used Spring Mix but use whatever you like best,) add halved grape or cherry tomatoes, pepperonis, sliced 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. Yum. Oh, if you want an extra punch of pizza flavor, sprinkle a bit of dried oregano on top before digging in. Trust me. :)
Thanks for listening today, and more importantly, enjoy!
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Chicago-Style Italian BurgersPizza Salad with Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons
Description
Pizza Salad with Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons 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 (I like Applegate Naturals)
- 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 >
- Add or swap out your favorite pizza toppings like green pepper, pineapple, ham, etc
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
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. ;)
Oh, this looks so great! And such a fresh way to enjoy the flavors of pizza in the summer. :)
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.
Talk about the best of both worlds! Pizza Salads are going on our dinner menu next week :)
Hope you love it, Lindsay!
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!
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 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!
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 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…!?
My favorite food is pizza but it is too fatty. I am going to try this recipe to satisfy my pizza cravings.
[…] The Recipe can be found HERE […]
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!
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!
[…] The Recipe can be found HERE […]
[…] Pizza Salad with Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons | Iowa Girl Eats […]
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.