Citrus Fennel Flatbread over Arugula Salad
This recipe turns “salad pizza” on its head. With the greens on the bottom—the vibrant citrus, fennel, herb, onion, and goat cheese toppings shine. As tasty as it is beautiful (perhaps more so).
A new kind of "salad pizza" with the greens on the bottom and the scrumptious citrus, fennel, and goat cheese toppings in full view.
- 1/4 c. plus 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. whole grain or coarse ground mustard
- 2 tsp. pure honey
- 1 medium garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp. kosher or flake sea salt, divided
- 1 medium navel orange, segments and juice only (see TIP A below)
- 1 medium fennel bulb (core and outer layer removed), very thinly sliced (reserve fronds for garnish if desired)
- 1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 12 oz. prepared room-temperature pizza dough, unbaked (see TIP B below)
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tbsp. chopped roasted, salted pistachio meats
- 2-3 oz. goat cheese
- 4-5 oz. fresh baby arugula leaves
- additional citrus rings for garnish (optional)
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In a medium-size bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil (reserve remaining 1/2 tablespoon), vinegar, mustard, honey, grated garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt (reserve remaining salt). Add the orange segments, fennel, and red onion. Squeeze any excess juice from the orange membranes into the bowl, then discard this portion. Gently stir the orange segments, fennel, and onion to coat them in the dressing and let sit at room temperature as you proceed to the next steps.
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Sprinkle the flour over your work surface and on top of the room-temperature pizza dough (room temperture dough stretches far more easily than cold dough). Use your hands or a rolling pin to stretch the dough into a 10-12 inch circle on top of the floured work surface. Transfer the stretched dough to a lightly greased baking sheet and gently prick it all over with a knife or fork.
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Lightly brush the top of the stretched dough with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt (reserve remaining) and dried oregano. Arrange the marinated orange segments, fennel, and red onion over top (reserve the remaining marinade in the bowl, it will be used later to dress the arugula). Put on the middle rack of a pre-heated 450-500° oven for 15 minutes.
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After initial 15 minutes baking time, remove the flatbread from the oven and dot all over with clumps of goat cheese. Sprinkle the chopped pistachio meats over top and return to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the crust is golden brown (perhaps even charred in spots) and cheese becomes very soft.
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Meanwhile, add the arugula leaves and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the bowl with the residual marinade and gently toss to coat. Spread the dressed leaves across a large, flat platter. Accent with thinly sliced rings of citrus if desired.
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Once the flatbread is done baking, remove it from the oven and let cool on a clean, dry cutting board for about 3-5 minutes. Use a pizza cutter or sharp, heavy knife to cut the flatbread into 6 even wedges. Arrange wedges in a circular pattern on top of the arugula salad and garnish with coarsely chopped fennel fronds (if desired). Serve immediately.
TIP A: When segmenting oranges (or any citrus), first cut around the fruit to remove the pith and peel. Then slice into the fruit along the membrane lines to release just the flesh pieces.
TIP B: I've tried a lot of store-bought pizza dough varieties, and my hands-down favorite is Whole Foods Market® Neapolitan style. If you prefer whole-wheat, then give Trader Joe's® 100% Whole-Wheat dough a try. Both are incredibly tasty and great weeknight stand-ins. That said, nothing beats making it yourself according to Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough. It's worth every bit of effort and yields a huge batch. Great if you're making multiple pizzas or flatbreads.