• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Up Beet Kitchen

  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Vegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas

    Published: May 29, 2020 Last Modified: Jun 27, 2020 by Allison

    187 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    These Vegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas are healthy and easy to make on a weeknight.

    overhead shot of two naan pesto pizzas on a wooden board

    Pita pizza was a lunch staple for me growing up; it was one of the few things I would willingly eat without kicking up a fuss for the longest time. I would do a little inward happy dance every time I opened up my lunch box to find pita pizza lovingly packed in a Tupperware.

    I insisted that toppings be kept to a minimum; tomato sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese were enough to please my immature taste buds. Fast forward one and a half decades, and pita or naan bread pizza is still one of my favourite meals, though I like to think that my taste buds have become a touch more sophisticated. 😉

    I made these vegetarian naan pesto pizzas a few weeks ago when I had very little in the inspiration department, and a few leftover naan breads from the previous night’s meal. I whipped up a parsley sunflower seed pesto to use as the base, and topped them with red onion, red pepper, olives, feta, and roasted chickpeas. I guess you could say they turned out famously, which is why I decided to share the very simple recipe with you today!

    overhead shot of a naan pizza close up to show detail

    recipe features

    • Easy weeknight meal: If you use store-bought naan, these pizzas can be made in under 40 minutes. And if you make the roasted chickpeas ahead of time, they can be made in 20 minutes!
    • Ultra flavourful: Tangy, garlicky pesto, olives, and feta cheese give these pizzas a ton of flavour, despite being so simple to make.

    ingredients you need

    • For the pesto: Parsley, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.
    • For the roasted chickpeas: Chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
    • For the toppings: Red onion, red bell pepper, olives, and goat feta.
    overhead shot of the pesto, roasted chickpeas, and olives

    step by step instructions

    1. Make the roasted chickpeas: Toss chickpeas with olive oil and spices. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes.
    2. Make the pesto: Add parsley, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to a food processor and turn on the motor. Add the olive oil in a steady stream through the top and process until smooth.
    3. Make the pizzas: Spread about 3 tablespoon of pesto on each naan bread. Top with red onion, red pepper, olives, and feta. Bake until the cheese is slightly browned and melted, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the roasted chickpeas, and enjoy. I love adding some hot sauce and/or chili flakes to mine.
    shot of the naan pizzas fresh out of the oven

    tips and variations

    • I used homemade naan from Gimme Some Oven‘s recipe. However, store-bought naan is fine!
    • If you want a vegan recipe, feel free to use vegan cheese. I have a very old recipe for tofu ricotta (don’t laugh at the pictures, LOL) that would work very well on these pizzas. You can also use store-bought vegan cheese, such as Miyokos or Daiya.
    • To make gluten-free pizzas, use gluten-free pitas in place of the naan.
    overhead shot of a naan pizza sliced in half and quarters

    I hope you love these vegetarian naan pesto pizzas! If you make them, leave a comment and rating below, and tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen if you share a photo to Instagram.

    Enjoy!

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Vegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas


    • Author: Allison
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegetarian
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Quick and easy vegetarian naan pizzas with pesto and roasted chickpeas. 


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Roasted Chickpeas

    • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 14 oz can) 
    • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
    • ½ tsp smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • ¼ tsp fine sea salt 
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    Parsley Sunflower Seed Pesto

    • 2 firmly packed cups parsley
    • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast 
    • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
    • ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons) 
    • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
    • ¾ tsp fine sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil 

     

    • 4 naan breads or pitas
    • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
    • ½ a medium red onion, thinly sliced
    • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
    • ½ cup crumbled goat or sheep feta cheese

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the spices and salt; toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast the chickpeas for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. 
    2. Make the pesto: Place all of the pesto ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Turn on the motor and add the olive oil in a steady stream through the upper tube. Process until smooth and transfer to a container. 
    3. Assemble the pizzas: Place the naan on baking sheets- you’ll probably need two baking sheets for 4 naan. Spread 3 tablespoon of the pesto on each, followed by the red pepper, red onion, olives, and feta. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned. Garnish the cooked pizzas with roasted chickpeas. 
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 35 minutes
    • Category: Supper, Lunch, Pizza
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: Italian

    Keywords: naan pesto pizzas, vegetarian pesto pizza

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @upbeet.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #upbeetkitchen

    Related

    « Buffalo Chickpea Burgers with Garlic Dill Ranch (Vegan)
    Sweet Potato Tortillas »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    featured image for Up Beet Kitchen about page

    Hi, I'm Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog that specializes in wholesome and feel good recipes for people on the move! I love to work with whole foods to fuel healthy, active lifestyles.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Chickpea Brown Rice Spinach Artichoke Casserole (Vegan)
      ★★★★★
    • straight on shot of a carrot cake breakfast bar piece on a fork on a white marble board
      Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (V + GF)
      ★★★★★
    • straight on shot of slice of raw vegan banana cream pie on blue plate with coconut whipped cream and caramel sauce on top
      Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie
      ★★★★★
    • a far out overhead shot of a serving of Moroccan carrot lentil salad in a pink bowl with some pita, hummus, and crackers on a plate beside it
      Moroccan Lentil Carrot Salad (Vegan)
      ★★★★★

    Follow Along on Social Media

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    Cozy Recipes

    • featured image for the post, 1200x1200 pixles, of a serving of the salmon pesto quinoa bake on a light blue plate
      Salmon Pesto Quinoa Bake
    • featured image for the post, an overhead shot of the mole chicken, rice, salsa, and cabbage topped with Greek yogurt in a bowl on a light pink backdrop
      Mole Chicken Bowls
    • featured image for the blog post, overhead photo of a barbecue meatball bowl with quinoa, sweet potato, broccoli, and avocado sauce
      Barbecue Meatball Bowls with Avocado Goddess Sauce
    • 1200x1200 pixel featured image for this recipe, an overhead close up photo of an egg and pesto breakfast burrito sliced in half
      Egg, Pesto, and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Up Beet Kitchen

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Upbeet Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

     

    Loading Comments...