Do TikTok Pizza Salads Actually Taste Like Pizza?

Have you ever met someone who didn't like pizza? While food preferences are purely subjective and there are likely some who eschew the beloved pizza pie, the fact remains that most Americans can't resist the lure of gooey mozzarella and spicy pepperoni on a perfectly baked crust. 

The evidence, after all, clearly shows that Americans love pizza. A 2018 survey by Sara Lee found that over 50% of participants chose pizza as the ultimate comfort food (via PR Newswire). According to a study at the University of Michigan cited by Healthline, pizza is also the most addictive food in the nation. And, as The Modems reveals, pizza is the most Instagrammed dish, boasting over 37 million posts by June of 2022. There is no denying America's love affair with pizza. 

But with New Year's food resolutions kicked into high gear, you may be trying to avoid pizza and its high fat and calorie count. Well, before you lapse into despair, there's good news. According to TikTok, you can enjoy the taste of pizza without breaking your New Year's promise. That's something to celebrate. 

How would you feel about combining the healthfulness of a salad with the sinfulness of pizza? It sounds like the best of both worlds, right? And in all actuality, it's been done before. But, according to a video posted by TikTok user @jennys__table, you can create a chopped salad that offers the unique taste of real pizza. And, no, she isn't using some sort of wizardry. She simply whips up a dressing of cherry tomatoes, white kidney beans, and pickled red onions and mixes it with "olives, mozzarella, parsley, and kale" and, of course, some homemade croutons to create pizza salad. Many commenters oohed and aahed over this concoction, saying they couldn't wait to try it, but does it actually taste like pizza? 

Thankfully, POPSUGAR. decided to give this recipe a try and was pleasantly surprised. Apparently, the cannellini beans hold the spices well and the croutons are a great stand-in for the crust, making it an actual "salad that also tastes like pizza." The outlet does admit, however, that this dish requires a hefty amount of preparation time. 

If you're getting dangerously close to abandoning your New Year's resolution by ordering an extra large pizza, this may be a viable option. Hm. We wonder how this stacks up to Drew Barrymore's pizza salad.