Remember that beer pizza dough I made yonks ago? Here's an easy, ridiculously delicious pizza topping for you: beetroot! Not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when you think of pizza, but an unbelievable choice nonetheless, especially with plenty of crumbled goat's cheese and a big heap of fresh rocket.
We're currently lucky enough that fresh beetroot is in season, but if you want to make this pizza at any other time of year, it works perfectly well with pickled beetroot too - in fact, that's what I used. I do use fresh beetroot sometimes (like in this beetroot salad!), but when you want a quick dinner that doesn't involve flicking deep red beetroot juice all over your kitchen as you peel the awkward thing, pickled beetroot is for you!
I used pickled baby beetroot from Haywards (they also do sliced beetroot if you're feeling super lazy). I love the enormous jars this stuff comes in (but despite their size, my family usually has at least 3 of these in the cupboard at all times), and the beetroot itself is beautifully soft and sweet. It only takes a few seconds to chop it up, then just pop it right on your pizza.
I used basil pesto instead of tomato sauce on my pizza - the flavour goes perfectly with the tangy goat's cheese and sweet beetroot, and the peppery rocket finishes it all off perfectly (don't skip it!). I also used a tiny bit of mozzarella, to give those nice crispy bits on top!
By the way, if you're at all concerned that using pickled beetroot will give your pizza a really vinegary taste, don't be! The flavour mellows a lot when the beetroot is cooked, so even if you're not a fan of pickled beetroot straight out of the jar, you'll love this pizza. I could have quite easily polished off the lot (...I didn't though).
To see more recipes using Haywards beetroot (including this one!) and pickled onions, take a look at their website!
📖 Printable Recipe
Beetroot and goat's cheese pizza with rocket
If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 1 homemade or shop-bought pizza crust
- 2 tablespoon basil pesto
- 3 Hayward's pickled baby beetroots sliced
- 50 g soft goat’s cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoon shredded mozzarella
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh rocket to serve
Instructions
- Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Spread the pesto over the pizza crust, and add the sliced beetroots and crumbled goat's cheese. Sprinkle over the grated mozzarella, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bake for around 10-15 minutes, until the pizza crust is golden brown and crispy. Serve topped with plenty of fresh rocket.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Here's another great way to use beetroot - pearl barley and roasted beetroot salad with maple balsamic dressing:
Doug says
Thanks for the recipe! I love pizza, but have never made any with beetroot!
La Torontoise says
Dear Becca, I got to this recipe trough food gawker, while searching for beet pizza. I made the pizza three times, it was magnificent! Thank you so much, the pesto made its magic in a totally unexpected way! In two evenings, I used French goat cheese (soft in texture and mild in taste). Last evening I used Greek feta, and it had a stronger accent, but equally interesting and delicious. I love it, as it turned to be another low effort/high impact meal for the family! Plus, this is a great way to expose children to beet (which otherwise would have a dull taste on its own).
Thank you so much, again!
All the best!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thanks so much for your comment! :) Really glad you've been enjoying the recipe - and the pizza! :)