Fight inflammation with this zero-waste balsamic onion pizza recipe

Think pizza is unhealthy? Think again: homemade pizza is simple to do and has the potential to be packed with all kinds of goodness – especially if you smother it in balsamic onions like this Zero Waste Week challenge recipe from Oddbox.

There’s nothing like a pizza to make you feel really satisfied. The issue is that a lot of shop-bought and takeaway pizzas are often saturated in unhealthy fats and any veggie toppings are cooked within an inch of their lives – offering little by way of nutrition. 

This recipe, however, is packed with antioxidants thanks to its onion content. Plenty of studies and reviews have found onions to have potential cancer-busting properties, with one finding that people who regularly eat onions have an almost 80% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer. 

One cup of chopped onions contains over 13% of an adult’s recommended daily intake of vitamin C – a powerful antioxidant known to help protect the body against free radicals. Other studies (admittedly on animals) have discovered that antioxidants found in onions may reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation.

Ingredients

For the pizza topping:

3 onions

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey/maple syrup

70 g goat cheese, chopped (or vegan equivalent)

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp butter (or dairy-free spread)

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the pizza dough:

200 g flour (type 00)

5g fast-action dried yeast

½ tsp fine salt

½ tsp caster sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

160 ml water 

Method

STEP ONE: make the pizza dough

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. 

Make a well in the centre, add the water, olive oil, and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. 

Tip out onto a floured surface and knead for one minute, just until smooth. 

Place the dough back in the bowl, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel.

Let sit at room temperature while you prepare your pizza toppings (approximately 10-15 minutes).

STEP TWO: make the onion stock

Peel and thinly slice the onions. Place the onion peels in a saucepan, along with a spring of rosemary and a bay leaf. 

Cover with water (about 150 ml), then bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes. 

The onion peels act just like a teabag and will infuse in the water – which will be used in the next step.

STEP THREE: make the onion topping

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add the olive oil (will prevent the butter from burning), along with the onions, one sprig of rosemary chopped, salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes, until softened.

Add the warm onion stock, and cook for five minutes or until the onions are golden, caramelised and the stock has reduced.

Remove from the heat, and add the balsamic vinegar and honey/maple syrup.

STEP FOUR: construct the pizza

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/7 gas mark. Grease a large (or two medium) baking tray with olive oil.

Turn the dough out onto the oiled tray, and using your fingers, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin.

Drizzle the pizza dough with a little olive oil.

Add the balsamic onions, goat cheese, and some rosemary leaves. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted.

Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days.

For more recipes, workout tips and features, check out the rest of the Strong Women Training Club library.

Image and recipe courtesy of Oddbox.

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