This Italian chopped salad pizza is one of my favorite things to make. A chewy, tangy sourdough crust is topped with a bright, zesty chopped salad of salami, roasted peppers, mozzarella and more — it tastes incredible.
This might be my current favorite meal.
This grilled sourdough pizza with Italian chopped salad is exactly what I want to eat right now: bold, satisfying, and bursting with flavor. We all love it.
If you’re searching for something new and exciting for dinner, try this. Chop the salad ingredients, grill the pizza dough, then pile the salad high. Slice and serve — it’s that simple and delicious.
I’ve made grilled garlic baguettes with Italian chopped salad for years and we love them. One day, without baguettes on hand, I grilled pizza dough instead — and topping it with the Italian salad was a game changer.
About the crust: you don’t have to use sourdough, but it’s my favorite. The dough does need an overnight rest, but once mixed you only wait. I often keep two or three doughs in the fridge or freezer so I can make pizza on a whim.
The sourdough crust is chewy and tangy — a family favorite. I make it on the grill or in a cast iron skillet; both methods give great results. I use fresh discard from my starter, meaning the portion after I feed it, rather than long-stored refrigerated discard. That produces the best rise and flavor.
Now the salad. I love chopped salads because each bite delivers an array of texture and flavor. My Italian chopped salad has salami, chickpeas, shredded iceberg, red onion, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, fresh mozzarella pearls and diced smoked provolone. All of it gets tossed in a zesty Italian vinaigrette — I could spoon the dressing straight from the bowl.
Use any pizza dough you like and feel free to customize the salad. When a chopped salad is piled on a warm pizza crust, it’s always delicious.
If your household has a weekly pizza night, this is a fun variation. You can offer an Italian chopped salad and a Caesar as options to please different tastes.
Isn’t that a beautiful sight?
Grilled Sourdough Pizza with Italian Chopped Salad
Grilled Sourdough Pizza with Italian Chopped Salad
4
12 hrs
10 mins
12 hrs 10 mins
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Ingredients
Sourdough Pizza
- 325 grams water
- 100 grams sourdough starter or fresh discard
- 30 grams olive oil
- 15 grams honey
- 500 grams bread flour
- 12 grams kosher salt
Chopped Italian Salad
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 ounces salami, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup mild banana peppers
- ¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
- 2 ounces smoked provolone, diced
Zesty Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- The night before, make the pizza dough: combine the sourdough starter or fresh discard with water, flour, salt, olive oil and honey. Mix until a dough forms, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
- After the initial rise you can refrigerate the dough or use it right away.
- Combine the lettuce, onion, chickpeas, salami, tomatoes, peppers and cheeses in a large bowl.
- Make the dressing: whisk together red wine vinegar, garlic, Dijon, honey, oregano, salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Toss 1 to 2 tablespoons over the salad and refrigerate 15–30 minutes if desired.
- Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
- Divide the dough if you prefer two thinner crusts, or use the whole batch for a thicker crust. Press to a 10–12 inch round (or your preferred shape), dusting lightly with flour as needed.
- Transfer dough to a floured pizza peel, brush with a little olive oil if desired, and slide directly onto the grill grates. Close the lid and grill 2–3 minutes, until the bottom has grill marks.
- Flip the dough using a peel or two spatulas and grill another 2–3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. Time will vary with dough thickness and grill heat.
- Remove the grilled crust, place it on a cutting board, pile the Italian chopped salad on top, slice and serve.
Notes
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A perfect chewy bite.