A Friday night pizza is a tempting treat to end the week, but it’s not always the healthiest choice. That’s where food expert Emily English comes in with her innovative ‘pizza salad’ recipe, promising all the flavour of your favourite takeaway without the health concerns.
Emily, 29, revealed that her dish is 543 calories and packs a hefty 48g of protein. The pepperoni-based meal is complemented by a tasty garlic herb dressing, as she aims to ‘recreate the classic flavours’.
“Pizza salad with garlic herb dressing,” she wrote in a post to her 1.7 million followers yesterday. “When I tell you this salad literally tastes like a pizza.
“Exactly the same way you would choose your pizza toppings, free to add in your favourite toppings INTO the salad to recreate the classic flavours. Feel free to freestyle extra toppings you love, olives, tuna, capers, or whatever your go-to pizza order is.”
To get started on the recipe, Emily suggests preheating an oven or air fryer to 200°C (fan) and chopping up aubergine, cherry tomatoes, and red pepper. Mix these ingredients in a bowl with pepperoni, oregano, garlic granules, and a pinch of salt.
Once everything’s well combined, pop them in an air fryer or on a baking tray and roast for 12 to 15 minutes. Your ingredients should be slightly sticky and caramelised when they’re done.
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Emily continued: “Scatter [some] diced sourdough and a little grating of parmesan over the top, then return to roast for another four to five minutes until the croutons are crisp and golden.
“While that’s roasting, stir together the yoghurt, garlic powder, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper for the garlic and herb dressing. Add a splash of water if you want a looser consistency.”
Once the dish is ready, it’s time to sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and fresh basil. Emily also suggests adding cooked chicken and artichokes, explaining that the heat will ‘melt everything together’.
“Serve warm with a generous drizzle of dressing,” she added.
Emily’s recipe ingredients
For the pizza salad:
- Half a small aubergine, diced
- Handful of basil
- Half a teaspoon of oregano
- Half a teaspoon of garlic granules
- Handful of cherry tomatoes
- Half of a red pepper
- Sliced pepperoni, 20g
- Sliced and diced sourdough, 35g
- Sprinkle of parmesan cheese
- Shredded mozzarella, 30g
- Shredded chicken breast, 80g
For the garlic herb dressing:
- Two tablespoons of thick yoghurt
- Pinch of oregano
- Pinch of garlic granules
- Salt and pepper
- One teaspoon of white vinegar