The Underrated Topping You Should Try On Your Next Pizza For A Refreshing Twist

Each year the world is presented with a new underrated pizza topping as the next big trend, but while many like hot honey come as a genuine surprise, sometimes you discover a topping that seems like it should be obvious. Although individual tastes mean there is no one formula for a great pizza topping, there are a few keys that make them work. Whether it's the spice of pepperoni, the snap of peppers and onions, or the earthiness of mushrooms, pizza toppings need to bring something the rich mixture of cheese, sauce, and dough still lacks. Salt, texture, brightness, and vegetal flavors are all things that help balance out a slice of pizza, too. And that's why it's baffling that people haven't experimented more with pickle pizza.

If you are skeptical about seeing "pickle pizza," it's understandable. It almost sounds like a dare food, or something a trendy spot would throw against the wall to get some social media attention. But like so many other underrated toppings, just a few quick thoughts show what a natural match pickles and pizza are. Briny flavors are an especially great pairing with cheese and sauce, with olives being the ultimate example. The mixture of salt and acid cuts through the rich fat of melted cheese, lightening up every bite. And, of course, good pickles also have something missing from most pizza: a great crunch. Pickles and cheese are already great partners on a charcuterie board, why not take the step to pizza?

The one qualification for pickle pizza is that it's a better topping option for a white pizza than a standard one. Acidic tomato sauce doesn't benefit as much from the bite of pickles, and if your sauce is on the sweeter side, it can be a bit of a mismatch. White pizza, however, was made for pickles. Whether your sauce is a garlic cream, Alfredo, or you're just melting cheese on crust, those pickles will play off the richness of a white pizza perfectly. Just make sure you slice your pickles thin, or use thinner pre-sliced varieties. Thicker chunks of pickles will overpower and weigh down the pizza, leaving your slice unpleasantly soggy.

Dill pickles are a perfect place to start, as the herbal flavor is a great compliment to pizza, but don't ignore all the different types of pickles that can make their way onto your pie. The most obvious alternative is spicy pickles, which bring some wonderful heat that also elevates cheesy pizza. And, of course, there is a whole world of other pickled vegetables to try after that. If you like pickled jalapeños already, Italian pickled Calabrian chiles are just waiting for you to fall in love with them. And Chicago learned long ago that spicy pickled giardiniera is just as good on pizza as it is on Italian beef. Once you open your pizza-loving heart to pickles, the possibilities are endless.