You don’t win friends with salad, but you will always win friends with pizza. That’s why salad pizza exists – to ensure that a veggie lover’s health-conscious pizza party doesn’t turn into a party of one.
If you’ve never had a salad pizza, you’re probably wondering – What is a salad pizza, anyway? Does it still have cheese? What about the sauce? And, most importantly, does salad pizza count as a salad?
Don’t worry – we’re here to answer the questions that have been keeping you up at night.
Is there cheese on a salad pizza?

If cheese is what you want on your salad pizza, then cheese is what you shall have. Salad pizzas can be made with the delicious layer of melted mozzarella that we all know and love, allowing you to satisfy your cravings and your daily veggie requirement.
If you’re looking to cut back on dairy, your local shop can arrange for that, too. For example, at New York City’s StoneBridge, there’s no base cheese layer on their salad pizza, and you can customize your order to 86 the parmesan or gorgonzola from any of their chopped-to-order offerings.
Is there sauce on a salad pizza?
Typically, no. Salad pizzas are usually built upon white or cheeseless pies, which means no tomato sauce.
However, there are no rules when it comes to pizza, so, by all means, do you. Sauce doesn’t come standard on most salad pizzas, but local shops can hook it up for you upon request.
Won’t my salad get soggy in the oven?
Nope! Most pizzaiolos top the pizza after it’s done baking in the oven, ensuring that your veggies remain crunchy and fresh. After all, that’s what separates salad pizza from veggie pizza.
Does salad pizza count as a salad?
Back in 2011, the United States Congress caught some flack for a bill that would have classified school lunch pizza as a vegetable by way of its tomato sauce. Even we admit that’s a bit of a stretch, but salad pizza does count as a salad.
So, what officially counts as a salad pizza?
At minimum, a salad pizza needs to include raw leafy greens on top. But, just as there are no rules for pizza, there are no limitations for salad pizza. You can get a garden salad on top of your pizza, if that’s what you’re after, but the possibilities are truly endless.
Using a thin and low-carb crust, Casa Mia in Sparta, NJ serves up greek salad pizzas that have been a hit for over a decade. Mom & pop shops have also been known to dish out pizzas topped with kale salads and caesar salads, both of which make for a tasty and healthy treat with addictive textural contrasts.
Looking to eat more salads while still enjoying delicious local pizza this year? You know what to do.
This is nothing new to me, in the 80’s in Savannah Ga I ate salad pizza as a child