Pizza Crouton Salad (Viral)
on Jan 22, 2026
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Name a better duo than pizza and salad…I’ll wait 👀. This Pizza Crouton Salad is a fresh take on that classic duo, turning day-old pizza 🍕 into crispy, golden croutons. It’s proof that leftovers can be thoughtful, delicious, and totally intentional — not just an afterthought 💛.
Key Takeaways
- The Pizza Crouton Salad transforms day-old pizza into crispy croutons, paired with fresh romaine and a creamy lemon vinaigrette.
- This salad is customizable; feel free to use any pizza and add toppings like grilled chicken or extra veggies.
- The combination of warm, crispy croutons, crunchy lettuce, and tangy dressing creates a satisfying balance of flavors.
- Served best with a glass of wine or antipasti, this salad is perfect for an Italian-themed meal.
- Store components separately for freshness; assemble just before serving to keep the croutons crispy.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Pizza Crouton Salad
By crisping leftover pizza in the oven or air fryer, you get all the flavor you love — melty cheese, garlicky crust, that savory bite — with a brand-new texture. Paired with crisp romaine 🥬 and a creamy lemon vinaigrette 🍋, this salad feels light but satisfying, giving you fiber, protein, and freshness alongside that nostalgic pizza flavor.
The best part? It’s endlessly customizable and takes only 15 minutes to prepare. Use whatever pizza you have on hand, add your favorite toppings, or finish it with grilled chicken, roasted veggies, or extra Parmigiano for a crave-able twist that tastes nothing like leftovers 😋.
Ingredients
🍕 Leftover pizza: Day-old cheese or pepperoni pizza crisps best for making croutons. However, any lightly topped slices will work as long as they aren’t overly saucy.
🥬 Romaine hearts: Thin-slicing the lettuce gives it a bite-sized texture and more surface area to soak up the dressing. You can find my thinly sliced romaine tutorial here.
🥣 Plain yogurt: Creates a creamy, tangy base while keeping the dressing light. I use Balkan-style, and full-fat yogurt also works.
🧄 Garlic: Finely minced garlic adds savory depth without overpowering the dressing.
🍯 Honey Dijon mustard: Acts as both a flavor booster and natural emulsifier, helping the lemon and yogurt blend smoothly without giving it a mustardy taste.
🍋 Lemon: Fresh squeezed lemon juice brightens the entire salad and cuts through the richness of the pizza croutons. Optional: add zest for extra brightness.
🧂 Salt: Just a pich enhances all the natural flavors.
🧀 Parmigiano cheese: Finely grated cheese blends seamlessly into the dressing giving it a salty flavor boost.
Nonna’s Tip 💧
If the dressing is too thick, I like to thin it out with a touch of water or pickle juice brine. Olive brine or pepperoncini brine both work as well.
Variations and Substitutions for Pizza Crouton Salad
- Pizza swaps: In addition to day-old pizza, focaccia and garlic bread make excellent croutons.
- Plant-based: Make your dressing plant-based 🌱 with your favorite vegan yogurt and parm, or eliminate them altogether and replace the yogurt with olive oil 1:1.
- Protein add-ins: For an extra protein boost 💪, add in meatballs, grilled chicken, or chickpeas.
- Extra veggies: Amp up your fiber with added veggies, such as cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes 🍅.
- Air fryer vs. Oven: Use the air fryer method or the oven method to crisp up your pizza croutons. Bake at 425F (220C) or air fry at 390F (200C), turning once, until golden and crisp on the edges.
Best Served With
- A glass of your favorite wine 🍷.
- A side of Pickled Red Onions or a few 🫒 Feta Cheese Olives.
- Baked Meatballs for extra protein.
- A Simple Charcuterie Board or Caprese Salad.
Similar Recipes
Common Questions
Yes. Once fully cooled, store the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
Store the greens, pizza croutons, and creamy lemon vinaigrette in separate airtight containers. Refrigerate the greens and dressing for up to 3 days. Store the pizza croutons at room temperature for up to 24 hours. However, assemble just before serving to keep everything crisp and fresh.
Absolutely. Use a creamy plant-based yogurt and parm, or eliminate the cheese altogether. Alternatively, you can replace the yogurt with olive oil for a basic vinaigrette.
If stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, it will keep for 3–4 days. Shake or whisk it before using, as natural separation is normal.
Of course! You can prep all components ahead of time. However, wait to assemble until just before serving. Tossing too early will soften the croutons and make the lettuce soggy.
Pizza Crouton Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Croutons
- 2-3 small slices of leftover pizza, cold or stale
Salad
- 2 heads of romaine hearts, link to my thinly sliced tutorial
Dressing:
- ½ cup plain yogurt, I used Balkan style
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons honey Dijon mustard
- lemon juice, to taste
- pinch of salt, to taste
- ¼ grated Parmigiano cheese
Instructions
- Cut leftover or cold pizza slices into cubes.
- Place in the air fryer at 390F (200C) for 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, bake pieces in the oven on a parchment lined baking sheet at 425F (220C) for 5 minutes, or until melty and golden.
- Thinly slice the romaine hearts, using my How to Shred Lettuce tutorial. Add to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a liquid measuring cup or jar. Combine until smooth using a stick blender or whisk.
- Note: if the dressing is too thick, I like to thin it out with a touch of water or pickle juice brine. Olive brine or pepperoncini brine both work as well.
- Toss the dressing with the shredded lettuce and croutons. Serve and enjoy!
- Note: if you scroll up, you'll find the commonly asked questions, more tips, and other variations.
Nonna’s Notes
- Pizza Swaps: Garlic bread and focaccia both work well as croutons instead of pizza.
- Best Greens: Thin-sliced romaine holds up well and coats evenly with dressing. Check out my tutorial on how to thinly slice romaine.
- Oven or Air Fryer: Bake at 425°F (220°C) or air fry at 390°F (200°C), turning once until golden.
- Crunch Tip: Let croutons cool slightly before tossing so they stay crisp.
- Dressing Fix: Thin out dressing with water or pickle, olive, or pepperoncini brine.
- Plant Based: Use your favorite plant-based yogurt and parm for the dressing – or eliminate it altogether and swap yogurt for olive oil 1:1.
- Customizable: Use any pizza and add grilled chicken, meatballs, chickpeas, or roasted veggies.
- Make Ahead: Prep components in advance, but assemble just before serving.
- Storage: Refrigerate greens and dressing in separate containers up to 3 days; store croutons at room temp up to 24 hours.
- How to Serve: Enjoy as a main or side with wine, antipasti, or baked meatballs.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
This is such a genius way to use up leftover pizza! 🍕 We loved it!
I honestly didn’t expect leftover pizza to turn into something this fresh and good… but the crispy bites with the lemony dressing totally surprised me! Definitely recommend!
This felt like cheating! LOL It was quick, I used up some leftovers, and it tasted AMAZING!
I’m on a diet so I can’t eat this, but if I could, IK this would be perfect for me.
Sneji is such a genius creator. I wish I could marry her so I could only eat her recipes for the rest of my life! 🍕