Whole Wheat Vegetarian Pizza
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Healthy, easy and delicious, 2 slices of this vegetarian whole wheat pizza delivers 13 grams of cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber, and is loaded with flavor. As long as you remember / have time to bring the pizza dough to room temperature, prep will take no more than 30 minutes. We always make 2 pizzas as it’s great left over.
My personal favorite toppings are broiled eggplant, broccolini sauteed with garlic, and sauteed mushrooms. But feel free to substitute any vegetables you like—as long as you pre-cook them a bit so they’re not raw, they should be delicious.
This recipe is flexible and adaptable: if someone wants meat, just place some sliced pepperoni atop a few of the slices or make one pie with meat and one totally vegetarian.
For those who want to make their own dough, go for it. I hear it’s easy but I’ve never tried it as that bag of Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza is like magic to me (and there’s no food processor to clean!)
Have pizza purists in the house? Do a taste-test of whole wheat pizza dough vs ‘regular’ white pizza dough. But just so you know, the whole wheat pizza is much healthier: first of all, it delivers DOUBLE the cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber. Not only that, the plain dough has almost double the salt and 50% more total fat than the whole wheat dough!
Give this recipe a try for a great “Meatless Monday” or any day vegetarian dinner! Bonus: it’s great with kids or picky eaters (ahem, like myself). Kids love to roll out the dough…and if you let kids or family/friends customize with their own toppings it makes for a great pizza party. Just don’t break out the wine and beer until all the slicing is complete! (Yes, I sadly speak from experience; I now have a firm rule of no alcohol until all chopping and slicing is complete.)
Homemade Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza takes a bit of time but is easy and delicious. You can use any vegetables: my favorites are broiled eggplant, sauteed mushrooms and broccolini sauteed with garlic! One serving = 2 slices (1 pie = 8 slices)
- 1 bag Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Trader Joe's)
- 1/4 cup Pizza or Tomato Sauce (like Prego Pizza Sauce)
- 3 ounces Mozzarella Slices (Trader Joe's whole or part skim)
- 1 whole Eggplant
- 6 oz Sliced White Mushrooms (About 1/2 container Trader Joe's)
- 4 oz Baby Broccoli (broccolini) - heads
- 4-6 cloves Fresh Garlic
- 5 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 TBSP Flour (To sprinkle under dough)
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Take out pizza dough so it comes to room temperature (I leave out for at least 1 hour).
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Broil the Eggplant: Set rack to top and start broiler. Wash and slice eggplant into 1/3 inch thick slices. Set on a baking sheet lined with foil. Lightly spray or brush slices with olive oil then lightly salt. Turn the slices and lightly oil & salt the other side. Broil for 3-8 minutes per side, until golden brown. Turn and broil the other side. Set aside.
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Preheat oven. First, carefully move the rack(s) to the middle of the oven. Then preheat to 425 (with pizza stone if you use...I do not.)
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Saute the sliced mushrooms over medium-high heat in a large saute pan in about 2 TB of olive oil until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove to plate.
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Prepare the broccolini and garlic. While mushrooms are sauteeing, wash broccolini, discard stems and leaves, and cut heads into bite-size pieces. Slice garlic.
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Saute the garlic and broccolini. In the same pan used for mushrooms, add about 2 TB of olive oil and once warm, add garlic and cook over medium heat for 1-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant but not brown. Add broccolini heads, mix, and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add a bit of water, cover and let steam for 1-2 minutes.
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Once pizza dough has come to room temperature, roll it on a lightly floured surface to the size of your pizza pan or desired size. (Note: dough should not feel wet - if it does, add more flour to avoid sticking to pan.) If using pizza pan with holes (aka perforated pizza pan) place dough on the pan and stretch to sides.
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Spread the pizza sauce on top of the rolled dough. Dot with mozzarella slices. Atop the cheese, add the broiled eggplant, sauteed mushrooms and sauteed broccolini/garlic.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes. Lift bottom of pizza to check it's cooked long enough to reach your desired crispiness. Slice with pizza cutter into eighths.
- One serving = 2 slices (1 pie = 8 slices)
- Nutrition Facts from My Fitness Pal.
