We’ve all been there — whether ordering delivery or at a by-the-slice shop, sometimes your eyes are a little bigger than your stomach and you end up with leftover pizza. Or there are those of us who intentionally order extra because, reheated or cold straight from the fridge, leftover pizza is delicious. But for a new hot take (that’s actually cold) when enjoying your slices, you should be topping your leftover pizza with salad.
A cold and crisp salad will give your pizza a beautiful texture, playing off the hot and crunchy crust or the fridge-cool softened version. There are a number of options for ingredients and flavors to complement your pizza order. And, hey, pizza and salad can definitely be considered a whole meal. It’s like a triangular hoagie, a hot sub sandwich, or darn near the New Orleans classic muffuletta, depending on the pizza toppings.
The easiest way to meld almost any pizza flavors or toppings with greens is to lean into Italian flavors. Finely chop up the lettuce of your choice, add some dried oregano or Italian herb mix, diced onion, peppers or cucumbers, olives, garlic, oil, and vinegar. For an extra tang, lemon juice works great. And if you want more crunch, add in some shredded carrots. For something heartier, try this Italian deli grinder salad atop your pizza. But, depending on your pizza of choice, there are a number of other paths to follow.
How to turn leftover pizza into a whole new meal with salad toppings
If you prefer your leftovers hot, use a spoonful of water to reheat your pizza. It will get nice and crispy without drying out. And there’s nothing wrong with cold pizza, but you might want a crunchier texture in your salad to play off of the softer crust. Also, think about the pizza ingredients and what flavors you want to add. Pizza that leans to the sweeter side, like a Margherita or something with thicker sauce, could be balanced out with some bitter radicchio and red onion. Add some chopped pepperoncini, and you’ve completely reconstructed the flavors.
If you love anchovies on your pizza, a Caesar salad topping will take your slices to the next level. But a bright and salty Caesar will also bring out some of the unctuous depth of a beefy meatball pizza quite well. When you’re working with a full-on barbecue pizza, like pulled pork, coleslaw is an obvious choice — just like on a pulled pork sandwich. For a barbecue chicken pizza, a nice and tangy spinach and balsamic vinaigrette plays off the flavors beautifully. It’s also a great time to bring in a creamy ranch dressing. On the strictly vegetarian side, think about adding some spicy pickled veggies or a full-blown, Chicago-style giardiniera, which varies depending on the peppers used, to add some cold crunch with a transformative kick.
Look in your fridge. You probably have a combo that will go well with whatever pizza you’ve got. And if you want to flip the script and put pizza on top of a salad, you can always make pizza croutons out of your leftovers. Just cut the pizza up into crouton-sized pieces, toast them until appropriately crunchy, and sprinkle atop your salad.
