A healthy riff on pizza is the salad pizza, which is essentially two dishes in one. The crisp crust is warm and has just enough hot, melty toppings to wilt the salad a little. The contrast of warm and cold, with creamy pesto and crunchy greens, adds taste and texture for a low-calorie, veggie-rich meal.

Active time: 10 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes

Asparagus and Pea Pesto Salad Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 medium whole-wheat pita
• ¼ cup (34g) frozen peas, thawed
• 8 fresh basil leaves 
• 1 small garlic clove, sliced
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 4 spears asparagus
• 1 oz. (28g) fresh mozzarella, drained and thinly sliced
• 1 cup (35g) mixed greens
• 2 large grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ⅛  tsp ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Place the pita on a sheet pan. In a food processor or mini-chopper, combine the peas, basil, garlic, and salt and process, scraping down the sides, until finely minced. Drizzle in 1 tsp of the olive oil and process again; the mixture will be a little chunky. Spread the pea pesto over the pita.

Chop the asparagus into ¾-in pieces, discarding the tough bases. Scatter the asparagus over the pea pesto and arrange the sliced mozzarella on top. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are crisp.

While the pita bakes, place the mixed greens in a medium bowl and add the grape tomatoes, remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper. Toss to coat.

When the pita is baked, cut it into quarters, place on a plate, and top with the salad. Serve immediately.

Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 1 pita pizza

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 349; Total Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 679mg; Carbohydrate: 42g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 14g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 434mg; Iron: 7%; Vitamin A: 24%; Vitamin C: 25%; Calcium: 20%

Originally published April 10, 2020; Updated: June 2026