The Easy Way To Turn Your Favorite Pizza Into A Savory Salad

If you're craving something lighter and fresher than pizza, but with all the same flavors you'd get in your favorite pie, why not try turning your pizza into a salad? At first glance, this may not sound like it would satisfy the same craving, but you can pile almost all of the ingredients into your salad that you'd put on a homemade (or store-bought) pie. And when you don't want to turn on the oven or eat hot food during the summer (or any time of year), a pizza salad is a refreshing twist on this classic food. It may be even quicker to whip up than a homemade pie.

To make it, all you have to do is combine the toppings in a bowl and add greens — it's as easy as that. The greens you choose are up to your preferences, but you can go with spinach, romaine, mixed greens, or even the base of a premade salad kit. Slightly bitter options, like arugula and kale, may be ideal for balancing out any salty or creamy toppings you're going to add in.

Just like there are a multitude of different pizza flavors, there are many different directions you can take your salad in. Some of the classic toppings that you can easily toss in your bowl are pepperoni slices, mozzarella pearls, olives, mushrooms, parmesan, chopped bell peppers, sliced red onions, and basil. If you want to mimic that crunch that you'd get from a pizza crust, throw in some croutons — or, if you're craving more carbs, turn it into a pasta salad with some cooked and cooled noodles. Try adding an oil and vinaigrette combination or an Italian dressing to keep things simple.

If you want to get a little creative, a bed of greens is the perfect blank canvas for just about any pizza topping. Do you love barbecue chicken slices? Load up your salad with shredded or diced cooked chicken, red onions, and mozzarella, and turn your barbecue sauce into a vinaigrette by adding apple cider vinegar and olive oil. A big fan of Hawaiian pizza? Toss in some chopped ham (or Canadian bacon), pineapple chunks, mozzarella pearls, and red onion. If you're a pesto lover, you can use the sauce as a dressing and incorporate fresh tomatoes and artichoke into your salad; and if you enjoy buffalo pizza, include cheddar, chicken, and a buffalo ranch dressing. What combination will you make?