I have a thing about pizza and salad.
It’s simple: I’m completely obsessed.
I’ve loved this combo for as long as I can remember.
Even when I wasn’t fond of vegetables, back when I was forcing myself to eat them, I always adored salad alongside pizza.
And yes, you probably know the reason.
THE DRESSING.
If you look through my salad recipes, you’ll notice I’m very into homemade dressings. Bottled dressings have never appealed to me, and that’s part of why I didn’t always love salads. I didn’t want the veggies, and I couldn’t find a dressing I truly enjoyed. Once I started making my own vinaigrettes and dressings, salads became exciting. I’m a vinegar person through and through.
When it comes to dipping pizza crust into salad dressing, the dressing really matters. It needs to be bright, briny, and vinegar-forward for me—not thick, heavy ranch. I understand ranch is popular and tasty for lots of people, but dipping a crust into a pool of ranch is not my thing. I’ll make exceptions for certain homemade versions—like avocado ranch—but mostly I prefer an Italian-style vinaigrette or a tangy Caesar.
Caesar dressing is the creamy option I consistently love, especially this Greek yogurt version we make all the time. It’s a weeknight staple in our house—Eddie asks for a kale Caesar regularly. A kale Caesar usually needs croutons, so I combined the idea of salad on crust: a Parmesan-packed pizza crust becomes a giant, crunchy crouton topped with a hearty kale Caesar.
Don’t be fooled by how plain it looks—this is anything but boring. The crust is Parmesan-forward, crisp on the edges, and tender inside. It’s brushed with garlic butter, sprinkled with more Parmesan, and piled high with a tossed kale Caesar: plenty of shaved cheese, a few breadcrumbs for extra texture, and all the bold, tangy flavor you want in a salad-topped pizza.
Eddie’s first reaction was, “So it’s just salad on crust?” Well, yes and no. It’s salad, but it’s elevated: a savory, cheesy crust that holds up to the dressing and the hearty kale. You get the satisfying crunch of a pizza edge and the bright, creamy bite of Caesar all at once.
Kale Caesar Salad Pizza
Yield:
4
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/8 cups warm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Extra Parmesan for sprinkling
Kale Salad
- 1 head kale, stems removed (about 4 to 6 cups)
- 1 stalk romaine lettuce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
Crust
- In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, honey, and olive oil. Stir and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, Parmesan, and salt. Stir until the dough starts to come together but is still sticky. Form into a ball and knead in the remaining 1/2 cup flour on a floured surface until smooth.
- Lightly oil the same bowl, place the dough inside, turn to coat, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch down the dough, shape it into the desired pizza form (this recipe yields one large pizza to feed about 3–4 people), and place it on a baking sheet or pizza peel. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush the dough with extra olive oil and bake 15–20 minutes until golden brown. If using a pizza stone, preheat to 475°F and bake about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, mix melted butter with minced garlic, brush on the crust, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Kale Salad
- Place the torn kale in a large bowl and chop the romaine; set the romaine aside.
- To make the dressing, combine garlic, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, Dijon, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the processor running, stream in the olive oil until a creamy dressing forms. (This makes extra dressing—store leftovers in the fridge for 3–4 days and stir before using.)
- Toss about 1/4 cup of the dressing with the kale and let it sit for 10 minutes, then add the chopped romaine and toss again. Add more dressing if desired.
- Pile the dressed kale Caesar onto the baked and garlicky Parmesan crust. Top with shaved Parmesan and extra breadcrumbs for texture if you like.
Main Course
American
Did you make this recipe?
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Definitely health food.