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
- Make the roasted chickpeas: Toss chickpeas with olive oil and spices. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes.
- 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.
- 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!
PrintVegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Quick and easy vegetarian naan pizzas with pesto and roasted chickpeas.
Ingredients
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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