I am so tardy to the cauliflower crust pizza party. I've been reading about this magical pizza crust for years, but until a few weeks ago, I had never tried it myself. So I sought out the original cauliflower pizza crust recipe and gave it a go.
It looks almost like a giant omelet, right? Chris and I both liked the crust, but in a different way than we were expecting to like it. I guess I thought the cauliflower would transform into something more bread-like after baking. It does not. It's a lot flatter and thinner than a traditional crust, although you can pick it up and it stays together.
(Oh, and sorry, I'm not republishing the crust recipe here. You're going to have to go to Your Lighter Side for that. People seem to have taken this blogger's recipe and completely removed her blog as the source and as a fellow food blogger, this bugs me immensely!)
And then since I was already feeling adventurous with my fancy new pizza crust, I thought I'd try topping my pizza with lemons. Yes, lemons! I had seen it done a few times and my first reaction was revulsion. Lemons on pizza? That is wrong. But I love lemons and the idea kind of stuck in my head. Could lemons really work as a pizza topping?
Well, the secret is to slice them really thin--almost shaved. That way, you still get the tartness of the lemon without it completely distracting from the rest of the pizza (or being tough to bite through). I wouldn't use it on a pizza made with tomato sauce; this particular pizza was inspired by gremolata, which is a combination of parsley, garlic, and lemon. I used the parsley and garlic combo instead of a sauce, added some parmesan cheese, and then topped the whole thing with the thinly sliced lemons. So tasty! Lemon is now up there with pineapple and green olives on my favorite pizza topping list.
If you don't have the time or desire to make a cauliflower crust, this would work on any thin pizza crust, store-bought or homemade. But if you haven't tried the cauliflower crust yet, you really should (whether or not you top it with lemons).
This post was originally published on April 25, 2013.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 prepared pizza crust I used a cauliflower crust, omitting the fennel seeds
- ⅓ c. chopped parsley
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ¾ c. shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 small lemon thinly sliced (use a mandoline slicer, if you have one)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine parsley, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture onto pizza crust, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edge. Top with cheese and lemon slices. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese has melted and lemons have softened.
Sue/the view from great island says
The only thing I don't like about pizza is a big heavy crust, this looks perfect! I made a lemon topped focaccia the other day which was fantastic, so I know I would love those lemon slices.
Kiersten says
I actually DO like traditional, dough-y pizza crust, but I loved this cauliflower crust too! 🙂
Justine@cookingandbeer says
I've never seen a cauliflower crust come out so perfectly! I may just have to try this one! Looks fantastic and delicious =)
Lauren says
Yum! I've tried a few variations of this crust, but never found that it held up very well under toppings. Do you find this one to be pretty sturdy? Your pictures look awesome! 🙂
Kiersten says
This one was really sturdy--much sturdier than expected! It held up to me moving the slices around for photos and we picked it up and ate it with no problem.
Sarah @ Play 2 Learn with Sarah says
I've never heard of cauliflower crust. I'm going to have to try it. Not sure I could do lemons though!
Meg says
I made this last night and it was awesome!! I swapped out parsley for lemon basil, and added thinly sliced zucchini and fresh jalapenos as well. I also added some dried oregano and good pinch of black pepper to the crust mixture and baked it on a thin layer of cornmeal. The lemons on top were aMAZing! 🙂
Kiersten says
I am growing lemon basil in my garden this year (well, if the seeds ever sprout!), so I'm going to have to try that too. And I love the idea of adding zucchini on top. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Stephanie @ henry happened says
I've wanted to try that cauliflower crust too - I hate to be tardy to the party! So thanks for finding the original source. You are brave with lemons!
Kiersten says
It is good! And pretty kid-friendly too, I think. It doesn't taste like cauliflower!
Kathy says
That looks amazing. So you keep the lemon rind on the lemons?
Kiersten says
Yes, you keep it on! 🙂 Since they're sliced really thin, it's not like chewing on a big piece of lemon rind. Which definitely wouldn't be very appetizing.
Lisa @ Greek Vegetarian says
Absolutely perfectly yum. Cauliflower pizza crust – what a ridiculously original idea! I love the lemon slices – I'd imagine would be deadly delicious with parmesan. And thanks for introducing me to yet another great blog!
Kiersten says
I know! I would never, ever, ever think to use cauliflower as a pizza crust. That blogger is a genius! 🙂
Rachel says
I keep wondering about cauliflower pizza crust. I wonder if I could make it and not tell my family..
Kiersten says
You probably could! They'd know it's not a regular crust, but I bet they wouldn't think it's made out of cauliflower either...
Michelle Ritchie | Delicious Karma says
WOW does this look good! And sound good. I am definitely going to have to make this!!!! This one definitely makes it onto our Pinterest! http://pinterest.com/deliciouskarma/flatbreads-pizza
Kiersten says
Thanks for the pin!
Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum says
This looks incredible. I love cauliflower crust!
Heather @ HeatherOMade says
i'm intrigued. this has made me want to give the cauliflower crust thing another shot. and lemons. i love lemons. thanks for the inspiration.
Kiersten says
I heard from a lot of people saying they tired other cauliflower crust recipes and they didn't work out. Definitely try this one next time. It was perfect! 🙂
Brenda Williams says
This may be my favorite recipe so far....LOL....all your recipes are my favorite so far, because you come up with the most creative ways to prepare meals. My niece saw this on on facebook and thought it was the bomb!
Kiersten says
Aw, thank you! 🙂
Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving says
I just overdosed on cream so something sharp and tangy sounds just yum. I'll have to give her crust a try. You are spot on about it not being very bread-like but still filling and a good homage to a traditional pizza crust.
Bernadette @ Now Stir It Up says
I love the non traditional pizza toppings. I need to try the thinly sliced lemon.
Genevieve says
I love this idea! I've been intrigued about lemon slices as a pizza topping but I wasn't sure how it would turn out or the best way to go about it...so this is definitely helpful, I'll have to give it a try! There's nothing wrong with tomato sauce pizzas, but I like trying out unique combinations of sauce and toppings like this one. Your cauliflower crust looks so good too - thats another thing I havent tried yet because I typically avoid eggs, but I've seen a couple of vegan versions that I might try out...
Kiersten says
I make pizza all the time and I rarely put tomato sauce on it! There are way too many other possibilities out there. 🙂 If you try a vegan cauliflower crust recipe, let me know! I tried coming up with my own and it didn't work out so well.
Shirley says
I'm fascinated... I've never heard of a cauliflower pizza crust! It looks really good.
Kiersten says
Really?! I feel like they have been all over the place lately. I thought I was the last one to try it. 🙂
Sheila says
Damn girl.. You have the most creative food mind!! Love it. I am making this for sure.
Karen of 3G2S says
My children would totally eat this and I probably wouldn't need to tell them what the crust was made out of. 😛
Tara says
Has anyone tried freezing this type of pizza? I wonder if it's possible to make and then freeze individual servings. I prepare a lot of meals for my disabled sister and this looks like something she would enjoy.
Kiersten says
You might want to try asking this on Your Lighter Side. She has much more experience working with this crust than I do!
Weddy says
Made it as a flat bread and loved it, only gave it one further tweek... I lightly sugared the lemons to remove some of the tartness
Kiersten says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Jen-Eighty MPH Mom says
This looks really good - and I don't even like cauliflower!
Kiersten says
You don't really taste the cauliflower! It doesn't taste like pizza crust, but it doesn't taste like cauliflower either. 🙂
Pam @Mommacan says
Have mercy! That looks so good.
Lynsey says
Saw this post and had to make it. So delicious! Thanks for the great recipe! Would NEVER think to use lemons!
Kiersten Frase says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! A lot of people are skeptical of the lemons on a pizza thing, but it totally works. 🙂
Anna says
I'd never thought of putting lemon in a pizza!! looks amazing 🙂
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