Cooking Light calls this a Banh Mi Pizza after the Vietnamese sandwich consisting of a baguette filled with meat, pickled vegetables, and chili peppers. I think it is somewhat of a misnomer. Bánh mì is a Vietnamese term, literally ,”bread made from wheat”, but more specifically meaning the baguette introduced by the French to Vietnam during its colonial period. That bread is an airy, single-serving baguette with a thinner crust than what is usually found in our Western culture. Over time, the term became the name for a Vietnamese sandwich, combining the French baguette, pâté, jalapeño, and mayonnaise with the native Vietnamese ingredients of coriander, cucumber, pickled carrots and white radish.

Well, this pizza does have a dough made from wheat, and wheat dough could be made into bread if it wasn’t the crust for the pizza, so I can sort of see the banh mi name. But then all pizzas could be called banh mi. But with no meat on this pizza at all, it does not resemble the pork and meat filled sandwiches it is named after. What is does have is quick-pickled carrots, cucumber, and radish that are piled high for superb crunch, like its namesake. But I would have called it a Pickled Veggie Pizza! Either way, it is a vegetarian delight!

Banh Mi Pizza

Banh Mi Pizza (adapted from cookinglight.com)   Serves 4 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded & thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper paste
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:

Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 450°F.

Prep the veggies for the pickling mixture.

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in the carrots, cucumber, radishes, and jalapeño and remove the pan from the heat. Let them stand for 10 minutes, then drain the liquid off and set the veggies aside.

Drain the pickled veggies.

Roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle on a pizza peel or parchment paper. Pierce the crust well with a fork. Brush the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over the dough. Place the dough (or the paper & dough if using) on the preheated stone. Bake the pizza at 450°F for 6 minutes.

Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the dough. Bake it at 450°F for another 5 minutes.

Top the baked crust with the mozzarella.

Combine the mayonnaise, chili pepper paste, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil.

Combine the sauce ingredients.

Spread the pickled vegetables evenly over the pizza.

Add the veggies to the baked crust.

Drizzle the mayonnaise mixture over the top of the veggies. Sprinkle the cilantro over it all.

Top the veggies with the sauce.

Cut the pizza into 8 slices and serve immediately.

Wow! Pickled veggies on a pizza is sensational!  ~Linda

Banh Mi Pizza (adapted from cookinglight.com)   Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded & thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper paste
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:

Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 450°F.

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in the carrots, cucumber, radishes, and jalapeño and remove the pan from the heat. Let them stand for 10 minutes, then drain the liquid off and set the veggies aside.

Roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle on a pizza peel or parchment paper. Pierce the crust well with a fork. Brush the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over the dough. Place the dough (or the paper & dough if using) on the preheated stone. Bake the pizza at 450°F for 6 minutes.

Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the dough. Bake it at 450°F for another 5 minutes.

Combine the mayonnaise, chili pepper paste, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil.

Spread the pickled vegetables evenly over the pizza. Drizzle the mayonnaise mixture over the top of the veggies. Sprinkle the cilantro over it all. Cut the pizza into 8 slices and serve immediately.