This vibrant beet pizza is eye-catching and delicious. The vegan pizza crust recipe is bright purple from the addition of beets (you can't taste them). Plus, it uses the entire beetroot - from root to leaf - in the pizza, beet leaf pesto and toppings.
Commissioned recipe.
Roasted beets are pureed then mixed into a quick and easy vegan pizza dough for this fun and eye catching tasty beet pizza.
I've used the beet green leaves to whiz into a quick tangy pesto to spread over the beet pizza as a great flavour and contrast to the purple pizza. I then snipped the vibrant purple stems and scattered them over the pizza to add colour and a lovely texture.
I'm passionate about reducing food waste, so I created this eye-catching beetroot pizza to make use of every bit of a bunch of fresh beetroots: from stem to leaf.
The flavours of this pizza all come together with rich, salty vegan goat’s cheese (store bought or make your own) and a crown of peppery rocket / arugula.
With capers and olives, the flavours of this pizza are as intense as the colour.
<<This beet pizza recipe was orignally posted 30 August 2016. Updated and republished 6 March 2019>>
I've made this beet pizza loads of times and my family all love it. The kids like eating purple pizza, but we also make it when we have guests coming. The colour of the pizza is always such a surprise!
You can make the pizza dough the day before and let it rise in the fridge, so you just have to roll it out, add the toppings and pop it in the oven for 10-12 minutes and it's ready to eat!
The beet leaf pesto can be whizzed up in just a few minutes, and it's a fantastic way to use up beet leaves.
It's always such a shame when you see beetroot shorn of their stems and leaves in the supermarkets, but luckily my local greengrocer and farmer's market have piles of beets with their leaves and stems intact.
Tips for Beet Pizza
- I like to roast the beetroot, but you can also use store bought vacuum sealed beets (not in vinegar) to save time.
- It's easiest to make the pizza dough in a stand mixer, but you can also knead by hand.
- If you can't find fresh beets with the stems and leaves, just use store bought pest0 (look for vegan/vegetarian if required)
- Don't like olives or capers? Use any toppings you like!
- You can make the pizza dough the day before and let it rise in the fridge, so you just have to roll it out, add the toppings and pop it in the oven for 10-12 minutes and it's ready to eat!
- Once the dough has risen, you can freeze it for up to three months. Then let it thaw in the fridge before using.
- For vegan use vegan cheese and paremesan, if desired. Or try my vegan parmesan cheese. It's super easy and delicious.
I created the recipes for this beet pizza for Leisure Cookers as part of their Leisure Tribes to Table campaign to 'set your inner foodie free'.
The aim of the campaign is to help boost confidence in the kitchen and bring out the passionate side of feasting. The Leisure Feasts initiative uses the concept of food ‘tribes’ (meat, fish, vegetarian and baking) to help people get the most out of every meal.
Leisure chose me to be the face of their vegetable tribe. The point of the campaign is to find food trends, so my vegetable food trend is 'Root to Leaf'.
This beet pizza is a perfect case for eating this way. Instead of using a shop-bought jar of pesto, I used the beet leaves to whiz up a quick pesto. I could have also turned them into a salad, or sauteed them with garlic as a side dish. It's exciting to use up parts of plants that might otherwise be binned. From cauliflower leave curry to roasted potato peelings and carrot peeling cake, with a bit of creativity, you can make a meal from 'waste'.
I absolutely love my new Leisure Cuisinemaster range cooker. Just look at me there, so happy cooking vegetables!
Get the Beet Pizza Recipe
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Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this UK food blog, sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes, vegetable cake recipes, vegan cake and also easy vegan desserts.
Kate x
📖 Recipe
Beet Pizza
Ingredients
For the pizza dough
- 2 large beetroots with stems and leaves attached if making the pesto
- 180 ml (¾ cup) warm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 350 g (3 cups) plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the beet leaf pesto
- 50 g (1 cup) packed beetroot leaves (remove the larger pink spines for a greener-coloured pesto)
- 35 g (¼ cup) pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon vegan or vegetarian parmesan cheese grated (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings (all optional)
- 50 g (1 cup packed) beetroot stems, chopped into 1 inch long pieces
- 180 g (6 oz) goat’s cheese (vegan alternative)
- 75 g (½ cup) olives, pitted
- 40 g (⅓ cup) sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 teaspoon capers
- 3 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 large handful rocket / arugula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200c/400F.
- Cut the stems from the beets, leaving an inch of stem still attached. Save the beet leaves and stems to use later.
- Wash the beetroots and wrap each one in foil, then place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft. Allow the beets to cool slightly, then rub off the skins with paper towel.
- Puree the beetroot in a food processor or mini chopper, and set aside. You will need 150g (½ cup) of the beetroot puree.
- Note: you could skip roasting the beets and use pre-cooked vacuum packed (not in vinegar) beets.
Pizza Dough:
In a stand mixer:
- Pour the water into the bowl of the stand mixer, then sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand for a few minutes until the yeast has dissolved.
- Insert the dough hook, add 150g (½ cup) of the pureed beetroot, plus the flour and salt to the yeast water and knead with the machine for a few minutes until the dough forms a sticky ball. It will be a very soft dough, but if the dough is still too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it is manageable. Don’t add too much or it will affect the end result.
Alternatively make the beet pizza dough by hand:
- Pour the water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let it stand for a few minutes until the yeast has dissolved.
- Add 150g (½ cup) of the pureed beetroot, plus the flour and salt to the bowl of water and stir until it forms a loose dough.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured countertop (on floured baking paper if you have a wooden countertop to avoid the beetroot staining) and knead firmly for 5-10 minutes or until it’s smooth, (though it will be a soft sticky dough). If the dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it is manageable. Don’t add too much or it will affect the end result.
For both dough methods:
- Put the dough into a large lightly oiled bowl, then turn the dough over so both sides are covered in oil and cover with clingfilm. Place the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for 1 ½ hours.
Meanwhile, make the beet leaf pesto.
- Wash the leaves and stems well, then remove the green leaves from the stems and set the stems aside to use later.
- Remove any large pink stems that run through the leaves and discard.
- Add the beet leaves as well as the other ingredients, except for the olive oil, to a food processor and blitz until fine. While the motor is running, add the olive oil slowly until it becomes thick. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
To cook the beet pizza
- When you’re ready to cook the beet pizza, preheat the oven to 250C/ 480F, or as high your oven will go.
- Divide the dough into thirds and then roll each one out on a lightly floured piece of baking paper, as thin as possible to fit the size of your baking tray. Transfer the pizza and baking paper to the baking tray.
- Spread the pizza base with ⅓ of the beet leaf pesto, then top with ⅓ of the toppings. Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil.
- Place the pizza in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the base is crisp and the edges have begun to brown.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.
- Pile the pizzas with the rocket/arugula and serve hot, cut into slices.
Notes
TIPS FOR BEET PIZZA
- I like to roast the beetroot, but you can also use store bought vacuum sealed beets (not in vinegar) to save time.
- It’s easiest to make the pizza dough in a stand mixer, but you can also knead by hand.
- If you can’t find fresh beets with the stems and leaves, just use store bought pest0 (look for vegan/vegetarian if required)
- Don’t like olives or capers? Use any toppings you like!
- You can make the pizza dough the day before and let it rise in the fridge, so you just have to roll it out, add the toppings and pop it in the oven for 10-12 minutes and it’s ready to eat!
- Once the dough has risen, you can freeze it for up to three months. Then let it thaw in the fridge before using.
- For vegan use vegan cheese and parmesan, if desired. Or try my vegan parmesan cheese. It’s super easy and delicious.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Disclosure: I created this recipe for Beet Pizza with Beet Leaf Pesto as part of the Tribes campaign for Leisure Cookers. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to mess up my kitchen and write Veggie Desserts - Healthy Food and Lifestyle. White background beet pizza images by Uyen Luu for Leisure. Image of Kate Hackworthy by Bill Bradshaw.
Carly
This recipe is EVERYTHING! the crust and the pesto came out sooo tasty, this will definitely be a staple in my house.
Kristen
Dough formed and baked perfectly but mine was more rose colored than purple! Any suggestions?? Thanks!
Helen @ family-friends-food.com
What a fabulous idea! We make loads of pizza in the summer and I'm always wondering how I can incorporate more vegetables into the meal. I've tried piling them on the top, or serving alongside, but this is genius! There will be purple pizza in our future 🙂
Rebecca
I love beetroot, and i've been looking at ways to introduce it to the kids. I might give this a try, fingers crossed they like it.
Lucy
I really love the colour of the pizza dough, it’s amazing that it stays so bright. But then beetroots do stain everthing don’t they! A great dish for entertaining.
Kavita Favelle
Love the look of this pizza, that beetroot dough crust looks amazing, and the toppings as well, plus I'm with you on using the greens as well as the root!
Renee Goerger
I love beets but have never cooked with them in this way before. I'm excited to try this unique recipe!
Camilla Hawkins
Pure genius Katherine, I would never think to make a beet pizza but I really want to try this now!
nadia
Such a pretty colour! Never thought of adding beetroot to a dough but it was so easy. I didn't have the leaves for the pesto so just used a jar in the frige.
Chenelle
My family loved the pizzas. I roasted extra beets for a salad on the side with a bit of dill and soy cream. Topped it with artichokes in oil and arugula.
Maddie
This was such fun. I used precooked beetroot and it was still really purple. Made them for a kids princess party into little mini pizza. Thanks!
Jac -Tinned Tomatoes (@tinnedtoms)
Nice idea and one I would never have thought of. I
love your kitchen. I bet it's great cooking on that range cooker.
choclette
You and your kitchen look fab and that purple pizza is amazing. I always use all of the beets if I get the leaves and stems too, but never tried making pesto out of them.
munchies and munchkins
Oh wow, this looks gorgeous. So vibrant and makes you feel healthy just looking at it. I do love your kitchen also and you look fabulous.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Gril, I am ALL about the beets! I love making a sauce with beets for pizza but I haven't yet put them right in the crust!
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet
What a brilliantly healthy and vibrant meal. Cauliflower pizza bases have been done to death by now but your creation is truly unique!
Natalia
This low-fat pizza looks amazing! I've never tried beetroots in pizza, but I love them so it should be delicious. Nice idea! x
Aish Padihari
The pizza crust looks so colorful and you pictured everything so well.
Natasha Mairs
Beet pizza base! wow that looks so different. Must give this a try
[email protected]
I don't like beet much, but after reading your recipe, I am craving for this pizza.
Vicky @ Avocado Pesto
Love everything about this recipe and that your goal was specifically to use all parts of the beet! I love beets and add them to my daily juices but never know what to do with the greens - always a shame to toss them out. Good to know they can be used for pesto - my favorite! Will try making your beet pesto without the parm for a vegan version! Pinning, yumming, stumbling!
Karly
So cool! I've never made a crust from beets before, but it looks wonderful!
Platter Talk
Oh my! Can't wait to try!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Purple pizza, I loooooooove them and I think that my kiddoes would want to eat magic pizza.
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish
What an awesome idea! Love the colors on this pizza!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
That pizza crust is stunning! So so gorgeous. And how exciting that you're the face of the vegetable tribe! I guess I'd be a member of that tribe with you 😀