Vegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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