Romaine topped with halved cherry tomatoes, pepperoncinis, black olives, and mozzarella, drizzled with a healthy ranch dressing.

Best Pizzeria House Salad with Healthy Ranch Dressing

In Mains, Sides by sarawalkenbach5 Comments

A version of this salad was served (back in the day) at the Pizza Shop in the mall, where I spent most of my babysitting money. It was basically pizza toppings on top of iceberg lettuce with a house-made ranch. So good! Pizzeria House Salad has all the tangy flavors, with a yogurt ranch dressing.

This is the lightened up version. It’s still so delicious! Let’s start from the bottom and build our way up.

Pizzeria House Salad Ingredients:

Ingredients for this Pizzeria salad.
Pizzeria House Salad ingredients.

Greens

Iceberg lettuce is crisp and cool, but it doesn’t have the nutritional kick that Romaine does.

Nutritionally speaking, romaine is deemed superior to iceberg. Romaine is packed with nutrients, including vitamins A and C, and good amounts of folic acid and magnesium.

MasterClass.com

Romaine is the green of choice for this salad, but anything would work. Another salad recipe that has romaine is Crunchy Tex Mex Salad. You’ll love it!

Veg

Cherry Tomatoes add a pop of color and a sweet acidic flavor to this Pizzeria Salad.

Romaine topped with halved cherry tomatoes, pepperoncinis, black olives, and mozzarella, drizzled with a healthy ranch dressing.
Inspired by the first salad I ever liked, this Pizzeria House Salad is the Best.

Protein

Any protein would work in here, but if you are going to choose one, choose the pepperoni!

Pepperoni

Now, pepperoni is fatty and salty (making it delicious). So use moderation with this protein. For an entree salad, 6 pepperonis are all you need.

There are a few healthier (and I use that term lightly here) pepperoni options these days. Turkey Pepperoni is lower in fat than regular pepperoni. However, it’s higher in salt.

Uncured pepperoni is what I look for. Nitrates are not good for our bodies. You can find both regular and turkey pepperoni in uncured.

Hard Boiled Egg

Hard boiled egg wasn’t in the version I had as a kid, but it adds a healthier protein. The egg also brings a richness to the salad. Not an egg fan? Sub 1/2 cup of beans: garbanzo or cannellini.

Pizzeria House salad
Pizza toppings make this salad the best. Up next, the Yogurt Ranch Dressing.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love my Artichoke Chicken.

Cheese

What’s the most used type of cheese at a pizzeria? Yep, Mozzarella! Thick cut mozzarella is the best. Sometimes grocery stores have the prepacked thick cut variety. If not, grate your own. It tastes better without that powdery anti-caking additive.

Condiments

This adds the tang! Black olives are a must. They are more mild than their green cousin.

Pepperoncinis (banana peppers) add the zip. Buy them in the jar whole or sliced, whichever you prefer. They come in mild, medium, or hot. Choose wisely.

pizza toppings and salad ingredients unite
Pizza toppings and salad ingredients unite.

Love the zip of pepperoncinis? You will love this Zippy Shrimp Cocktail Appetizer.

Crunch

In my younger years, at the mall Pizza Shop, I liked to crunch up a packet of club cracker and sprinkle that on top of this salad. This version has sunflower seeds. They are mildly nutty, crunchy, and delicious.

Healthier Ranch Dressing

Typically you would see a nice Italian vinaigrette on this type of salad. But no! We are going with RANCH. Why? Because everyone at some point, or still does, dip their pizza in ranch… Or maybe that’s just a Midwest thing?

Bottled Ranch

There are some really good bottled dressings in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store. Bolthouse brand has a delicious Yogurt Ranch. However, mine tends to expire before I can use it all.

Greek Yogurt Healthy Ranch
Greek yogurt, lemon juice, ranch seasoning, and a little milk are all you need for this dressing.

Salads don’t have to be boring. If you like this salad recipe, you’ll love my post on 5 Healthy Salad Dressings.

Make Your Own Ranch

You can make your own easily:

  • Plain Greek Yogurt
  • Lemon Juice
  • Ranch Seasoning (see below)
  • Milk to thin it out

Using a ranch packet makes life easier. Hidden Valley is delicious. However, if you’re trying to reduce salt intake or illuminate food additives from your diet, make your own seasoning.

Homemade Ranch Seasoning

  • 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Dill (dried)
  • 1/2 tsp. Basil (dried)
  • 1 tsp. Chives (dried)
  • 1-1/2 Tbs. Parsley (dried)
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Pepper

Mix all the ingredients into a small, lidded jar, and shake. So easy!

Make it a dip, try this Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip recipe.

What pairs well with Pizzeria House Salad?

Pizzeria House Salad is great as an entree or a side salad! It pairs well with pizza and pasta (of course). It also goes terrific with chicken or steak.

thyme branch

Thanks for reading along. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you would like more healthy recipes like this one sent right to your inbox, sign up for my Recipe Drops. They’re always FREE.

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Pizzeria House salad

Best Pizzeria House Salad with Healthy Ranch Dressing

You can’t go wrong with a salad topped with pizza toppings and ranch! Keep it healthier with yogurt ranch dressing.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 side salads
Calories 161 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Romaine Lettuce chopped
  • 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup Mozzarella shredded
  • 2 Hard Boiled Eggs peeled & quartered or chopped
  • 8 Pepperonis (uncured) quartered or left whole
  • 2 tbsp Pepperoncinis (Banana Peppers) chopped or 4 whole ones
  • 2 tbsp Black Olives sliced
  • 1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds shelled
  • Red Pepper Flake optional

Healthy Ranch Dressing

  • 1/3 cup Plain 2% Greek Yogurt
  • 1/4 Lemon juiced
  • 1-2 tbsp Milk
  • 2 tsp Ranch Seasoning see above to make your own with reduced salt

Instructions
 

Healthy Ranch Dressing

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all RANCH DRESSING ingredients, starting with only 1 tbsp of milk. Add more milk until consistency is pourable, or until desired thickness.

Assemble Salad

  • Place chopped romaine on plate, salad bowls or a large serving bowl.
  • Toss in cherry tomatoes, egg, pepperoni, pepperoncinis, olives, and mozzarella.
  • Drizzle with desired amount of Ranch, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and red pepper flake (optional). Enjoy!

Notes

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Nutrition

Calories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 486mgPotassium: 244mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2514IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 1mg
Keyword healthy ranch dressing, pizzeria house salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Comments

    1. Sometimes you just dont want to cook and a salad hits the spot. We made this salad for dinner tonight. It was a hit with the whole family. We made the homemade ranch dressing and it was great. We will definitly be making this again.

      1. Author

        Awesome Debbie! Thanks so much for trying my recipe! So happy it was a hit for all.

  1. Pingback: best pizzeria house salad with healthier ranch dressing | the bridge emi

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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