Pizza Salad 
Prep Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 4 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the dressing (makes 1 cup):
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad:
6 ounces of sliced pepperoni
5 ounces mini mozzarella balls (or large balls, quartered)
2/3 cup sliced black olives
1 cup sliced red onion
2 cups chopped bell pepper (yellow, red, green)
4 packed cups of shredded iceberg lettuce
4 packed cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Make the dressing:
Add the red wine vinegar, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, dried oregano, garlic powder, and olive oil to a resealable jar or an airtight container. Shake really well to combine. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, and sugar as desired; it should be a very flavorful, emulsified vinaigrette.
Prepare the salad ingredients:
Add pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, black olives, red onion, bell pepper, and both lettuces to a large bowl.
Toss and serve:
Once ready to serve, shake the dressing really well once more. Add about half to the bowl with the salad and toss until everything is well and evenly coated. Add more dressing if desired, and keep the rest in the jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Top the salad with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately with warm breadsticks on the side.
Notes:
Recipe Variations
While the recipe below uses a set of specific, popular toppings with something for everyone, the recipe is as variable and adaptable as both pizza and salad themselves. Here are some fun ideas to play with to make this recipe your own:
Add some spice with a pinch of chili flakes or sliced pepperoncini
Swap the fresh mozzarella balls for shredded mozzarella cheese
Leave out the pepperoni to make it vegetarian
Add your favorite croutons or serve with garlic bread instead of breadsticks
Swap the tomato paste in the vinaigrette for leftover marinara sauce
Add spinach in lieu of some iceberg or romaine lettuce
Add halved cherry tomatoes
Add your personal favorite pizza toppings like green olives, canned or thinly sliced button mushrooms, anchovies, crisped up sausage or bacon bits.
Can I Make This Salad Ahead?
As with most salads, this one is best served right away, but if you want to make it ahead to save yourself a bit of time later, you can. Here’s how:
Make the dressing as outlined and keep it stored in the fridge in the airtight container or jar for up to 3 days. Shake it really well before using.
Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl, keeping the lettuces on top. Do not mix. Cover with plastic and keep in the fridge for up to 1 day.
When ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.
Nutritional Facts:
323 Calories
27g Fat
10g Carbs
11g Protein
Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes.com