This vegetarian pizza with a BBQ sauce and kale base also features matchstick apples and red onion.
A recipe from a new cookbook caught my eye — partly because it’s for BBQ kale pizza, and partly because that pizza features matchstick apple slices.
The book itself is intriguing — Pizza! Pizza Pizza! Over 75 Fresh Recipes for Every Pizza Night — The Ultimate Pizza Cookbook is written by Sara Haas, RDN. She’s a professional recipe developer, food photographer, and freelance writer who also wrote a cookbook called Taco! Taco! Taco! and co-authored The Fertility Foods Cookbook.
Gotta say, I love the emphatic titles here.
“With over 75 unique recipes from savory homemade sauces to perfect pizza extras like salads and desserts, this ultimate pizza cookbook has everything you need — making your own dough, picking the best sauces, combining exciting topping ideas, and more,” a press release says.
We’re big fans of pizza at Food Fanatic, from our most popular taco pizza recipe to air fryer pizza rolls. (Not to mention answering your common questions like how long pizza lasts in the fridge or whether pizza boxes are recyclable.) But what caught my eye is the extent to which the ingredients on this kale pizza recipe feel almost like a salad.
It’s not uncommon to see red onion on a pizza, and greens like kale are increasingly common (at least at more independent, artisan spots you can find across the country, even if Domino’s isn’t on board). But apple slices?
Yes, I’ve definitely seen it and similar options before (pear and gorgonzola comes to mind), but there’s something about adding them julienned, or matchstick-style, that when paired with kale feels almost like the pizza version of a reverse burrito bowl.
So, with permission from Sara and her publisher, here’s the fully recipe, as well as her original BBQ sauce recipe to go with it! Check out her book Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! for 70+ more recipes like it.
Kale Pizza Ingredients
You’ll need these ingredients to make Sara Haas’s kale pizza recipe:
- 1 ball dough of your choice, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Easy BBQ Sauce (see bonus recipe below) or store-bought BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups stemmed, shredded kale, preferably dinosaur or lacinato
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup (2 ounces) low-moisture part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ green apple, sliced into thin sticks, julienned
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Hot sauce, for serving
Directions
Follow these four simple steps:
- Place pizza stone on lowest rack in the oven or, if using a steel, place on the highest rack. Preheat oven to 500°F at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
- Sprinkle a bit of fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour on a pizza peel or piece of parchment. Stretch out the dough and shape into a circle, then transfer to prepared peel or parchment. Spread BBQ sauce over dough leaving a 1-inch border around the edge, then top with kale and onion. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, 8–10 minutes.
- Remove the kale pizza from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Garnish with apple and crushed red pepper, then cut into slices and enjoy immediately. Serve hot sauce on the side.
This BBQ kale pizza recipe can totally be made with store-bought barbecue sauce, but we’re big fans of making our own for several reasons: you can maximize the taste, customize it to your preferences, know exactly what you’re eating, and potentially save money.
Here’s an easy BBQ sauce recipe straight from Sara’s book that pairs perfectly with this kale pizza!
Easy BBQ Sauce Recipe
Makes: About ½ cup
Ingredients
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ⅓ cup apple juice or apple cider
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except for the apple cider vinegar in a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 25–30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar. (You can also use an apple cider vinegar substitute.)
Ingredient Note: For a less sweet sauce, use a lesser amount of brown sugar.
Storage Note: Refrigerate for up to five days.
This recipe originally appeared in Pizza! Pizza Pizza! Over 75 Fresh Recipes for Every Pizza Night — The Ultimate Pizza Cookbook by Sara Haas, RDN, and published by Hatherleigh Press. It is reprinted here with permission.
BBQ Kale Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- Pizza stone
- Parchment paper
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp Easy BBQ Sauce see recipe above or store-bought sauce
- 2 cups stemmed and shredded kale preferably dinosaur or lacinato
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup low-moisture part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz)
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 oz)
- ½ whole green apple sliced into thin sticks, julienned
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Place pizza stone on lowest rack in the oven. Preheat oven to 500°F at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
- Sprinkle a bit of fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour on a piece of parchment paper. Stretch out the dough and shape into a circle, then transfer to prepared peel or parchment. Spread BBQ sauce over dough leaving a 1-inch border around the edge, then top with kale and onion. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, 8–10 minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Garnish with apple and crushed red pepper, then cut into slices and enjoy immediately. Serve hot sauce on the side.