Look familiar? TNP's Veggie Supreme Pizza recipe is based on a certain pizza delivery chain's vegetarian pie . . . with a few twists to give it a fresher, more vibrant flavor.
Follow the recipe for the most classic veggie pizza toppings, or feel free to play around with different vegetables and cheeses.
Veggie Supreme Pizza Toppings
- Sauce — To stay true to the fresh veggie vibes, I like to use my no-cook marinara sauce here. It's bright and fresh tasting, made with nothing but canned crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Feel free to use any tomato-based pizza sauce, though, if you already have a favorite recipe or don't have time to make it yourself.
- Cheese — Raw vegetables release moisture when they are cooked. So, unless you want a soggy pizza, you'll need to use a good melting cheese that won't release even more moisture as it melts. Enter: low-moisture mozzarella. Unlike fresh mozzarella, which is sold pretty much right after it's made, low-moisture mozzarella (a.k.a. string cheese or block mozzarella) is given some time to age and dry out. This extra aging time gives the cheese its saltier flavor, heftier texture, and consistent meltability. If you're not a mozzarella fan, feel free to try another semi-soft cheese like Colby, mild cheddar, or Monterey Jack.
- Vegetables — Green bell pepper, red onion, mushrooms, tomato, and olives are the classic veggie pizza toppings. But it's your pizza, and you can swap if you want to. Use whatever's in season and can be enjoyed raw or requires a short cooking time. (Or, pre-roast denser veggies like butternut squash.)
- Seasonings — The simpler the better! This pizza has a lot going on, so you don't want to add too many other flavors. Sprinkle some chopped fresh herbs over the sauce before you layer on the veggies and cheese, and give the pizza a sprinkle of salt and pepper before you bake it.
FAQs
Of course! If you're keeping them raw, stick to tender vegetables that only need minimal cooking times, like scallions, other types of mushrooms and peppers, spinach, small broccoli florets, green beans, peas, shredded carrots, etc. Or, if you really want to use denser vegetables like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or other roots, roast them ahead of time.
Yes, it must be low-moisture. But no, it doesn't have to be mozzarella. If you want to try something different, mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, and any other semi-soft cheese are great alternatives.
Really, any regular pizza dough will work great here. (My go-tos are 1-Hour Pizza Dough, Overnight Dough, No-Yeast Beer Dough, Sourdough Pizza Dough, Neapolitan Dough, 100% Whole Wheat Dough, New York Style Dough, and Thin-Crust Dough, and I also have a great gluten-free pizza dough recipe.) If you choose to go the sheet pan pizza route, double the amount of toppings, sauce, and cheese.
Whether you're cooking your pizza on a baking sheet, pizza pan, baking stone, or steel plate, the key is to look for visual cues . . . not just listen for the timer. The pizza is done baking when the crust is golden brown around the edges and evenly browned all the way across the bottom. After 6-ish minutes, use a long offset spatula or similar utensil to gently lift up the pizza and peek underneath.
Looking for more vegetarian pizza ideas? Check out Thursday Night Pizza's veggie recipe archive.
Veggie Supreme Pizza
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
- Pizza peel (optional)
- Rolling pin (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough (I especially love my 1-hour dough, thin-crust, or overnight dough here, but any regular pizza dough will be great!)
- ½ cup Super-Easy Marinara Sauce (or store-bought marinara sauce)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil and oregano (half and half, or all basil)
- 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 medium cremini mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
- ½ green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ½ medium Roma (or similar) tomato, chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating). Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Then, if you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to a baking sheet / pizza pan or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Spread the sauce on the dough, leaving a ½-inch border all around, then sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs and half of the cheese. Add the remaining toppings in this order: onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, olives, remaining cheese, and tomato. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden around the edges and evenly browned on the bottom—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel.
- Remove the veggie pizza from the oven and let it rest for a couple minutes, then slice and serve.
Video
Jere Cassidy says
This is how I like my pizzas with lots of fresh veggies. Great recipe and great tips for pizza night.
Peggy Paul Casella says
So glad you liked the recipe. Let me know how it turned out!
Marcellina says
Yes, yes, yes!! I adore pizza in any form and a veggie one is at the top of my list! Thanks for the video - it's super helpful!
Peggy Paul Casella says
You're very welcome!
Jan says
the 1 hour dough turned out wonderful, we did play around with the toppings a little to suit everyone's tastes. yum, definitely making this again
Peggy Paul Casella says
So glad you liked the recipe!
Mary O’Brien says
I do love a vegetable pizza! I think I know the chain. I might be on the no-fly list for them, since I complain so much about delivery problems. I am making it at home now!
Peggy Paul Casella says
Let me know how it goes!
Bryan Jones says
This pizza creation is reminding me of a healthy Pizza Hut supreme pizza. It used to be my favorite of all the chain-pies. I remember once pulling into a 'Hut of off I-28 near Mesa Verde with less than a gallon in my tank and a couple dollar bills in my pocket. The waitress, Suze, was a doll and took pity, charging me only for a kid's meal... I have guilt to this day. Her dog had run away that morning, but she found the compassion in her heart to help out an old cowboy. After the meal and a quick hit of cola in my paper water cup, I walked to the closest Citgo; it was 3 miles. I may have had an empty tank, but my stomach was full. Things have gotten better since the summer of '93. Although I'm still driving that old Miata, I do my travels now on the backroads of the worldwide web (WWW). Thanks for another mouth-watering, nostalgia-inspiring, yeast-rising good recipe.
Peggy Paul Casella says
So glad you like the recipe, Bryan!
Amy Liu Dong says
I love vegetable pizza and this one is so delicious and easy to make. Yum!
Peggy Paul Casella says
Thanks!
jaakkos says
Thats a very good recipe!! This site have been a huge help with pizzamaking http://www.pizzatarvike.fi