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Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread

Summertime scrumptious is the best word I can use to describe this Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread. Yes, I said grilled – like on the good old BBQ grill outside! It is roasted goodness and summertime freshness in one thin little flatbread. Perfect for a hot day, because it cooks quickly and without having to heat up the kitchen. The vegetables exposed to high heat get all nice and toasty, known as browning and actually creates a sweetness through caramelization. Sweet roasted veggies on a bed of fresh and tangy 5-Minute Vegan Lemon-Basil Pesto and a healthy, crunchy flatbread – yup – summertime scrumptious.

I have long been a fan of grilling out pizzas and making pitas on the grill. This is the first time I have…or should I say Mark, has grilled out flatbread. Does it count if I prep it? Anyway, I call it a team effort. I typically cook my flatbreads in my cast-iron skillet right on the stovetop. With all the moisture from the pesto and cooked vegetables I needed to give the dough a fighting chance to maintain crispness. Putting it in the oven is certainly a solution to ensure a crispy flatbread if you do not have easy access to a grill, it will work and be pretty tasty. Roasting it on the grill took it up a notch.

My Sweetheart was hungry, and I needed to make lunch fast. I suggested the grill! WOW. We are both so glad I did. I will be adding flatbreads to my grill repertoire. He grilled the flatbread out on a stone while I prepped the toppings. By the time the flatbread was sturdy and just starting to crisp, I was ready to add the toppings and back on the grill it went!

My Toppings on the Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread

I am going to share what I put on our flatbread, but I assure you this is a great recipe to improvise. I made this on a Saturday. That is our market day. Saturday morning, I plan my menus for Saturday night and the remainder of the week. Saturday breakfast and lunch I wing it, using up any leftover veggies and other perishables from the week, making room in the refrigerator for the shopping. I WILL say, the combination on the Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread was good enough to have My Sweetheart tell me it was “really good” FOUR times. That was without me asking! High praise indeed.

5-Minute Vegan Lemon-Basil Pesto
Tomato (beefsteak or roma are suggested)
Cremini mushrooms
Oil-cured black olives
Pecorino Romano cheese

The blend of fresh and light with salty and earthy made these toppings delicious enough that I just have to capture it in a recipe. If you do not care to make the Olive Sunshine, lemon-basil pesto, store bought will work. What I will say is the lightness of the lemon with the sweet basil really adds to this meal and is worth the five minutes to make it.

When selecting the tomato choose any variety you want. I would suggest a beefsteak or Roma. Cut into slices (halved if large) so they lay flat on top of the pesto. Select a firm tomato as it will soften on the grill and will get soggy. I love oil-cured black olives on pizzas and flatbread. Slice them small and they still deliver a great big briny, salty punch. It does to pizza what pepperoni does, just heart healthy!

When making the Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread any fresh mushroom will work. The pre-sliced cremini were so perfect I am sure it will be my go to for this recipe. I salted the mushrooms and sautéed them in extra virgin olive oil adding minced garlic right before I pulled them off the heat. The crispy edges from the grill were heavenly. Even the most finicky mushroom eater will be converted.

A Vegan Adaptable Flatbread

The Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread is vegetarian and is very easy (and still tasty) for my vegan friends. Just omit the cheese, the pesto and the flatbread dough is already animal product free. As part of my Mediterranean Diet lifestyle, I usually cut the pecorino into small little slices and sprinkle it around the pizza. The cheese has more flavor than regular mozzarella. Less cheese with a bigger pop of flavor reminds me of pizza I had in Rome. The cheese was more of a topping than a blanket as it is here in the United States. Pecorino Romano adds just a bit of creamy saltiness which pairs so nicely on the tomato and pesto. Feel free to substitute it with little dollops of creamy goat cheese, or slices of buffalo mozzarella.

This blog took longer to write than it did to make and eat the Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread. When starting the blog, I was sure it was going to be a short one, but my enthusiasm kept me gushing. I hope it inspires you to grill your own flatbread with some of your favorite, healthy toppings!

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5/5

4 servings

Ingredients

Flatbread*

1.5 teaspoons active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (not hot) 105-115 degrees Farenheit

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups whole wheat flour (white whole wheat flour can be used)

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)

2-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Flatbread Toppings

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large beefsteak tomato

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

3 ounces Pecorino Romano, cut from a block

Instructions

The yeast sponge: Spoon the yeast into a large mixing bowl. Warm the water to at least 105° Fahrenheit, but not hotter than 115°. Add the honey to the water. Whisk the water and honey with the yeast. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let sit for five minutes until shaggy.

The Flatbread dough: Whisk the white whole wheat flour with the salt. Add the flour mixture and olive oil to the bowl and mix. If using a stand mixer use the paddle attachment on low until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Pour the all-purpose flour on the counter. Taking the dough from the bowl, gently knead the dough on the floured surface until smooth. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil and wrap it around the dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

The toppings: Slice the mushrooms if they are not already sliced. Add them to a hot skillet that has been drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Spread the mushrooms out so they are not on top of one another. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cook for 3-4 minutes until browned. Flip to the other side and let brown for 2 minutes. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and another drizzle of olive oil. Sauté for 1 minute stirring regularly. Remove from heat. Slice the tomato into thin slices about 1/4 inch and cut in half. Take the pit from the oil-cured olives and slice into 3 or 4 pieces. Slice the chunk of Pecorino in four even slices. Cut each piece into 6-8 small pieces.

Grilling the dough: After the dough has rested, place the dough on a flour surface and roll it approximately 8-inch length x 16-inch wide. Using a pizza roller cut the dough into four even pieces 4-inches wide. Place the dough, flour side down onto a stone and cook the dough on a hot grill (approximately 450 degrees) until firm, but not crisp.

Assembling the flatbread: Spoon 2 tablespoons of pesto thickly over each flatbread. Top each flatbread with the rest of the toppings. Return it to the grill. Cook until the incredients are roasted and the flatbread is at desired crispness. Serve immediately.

5-Minute Vegan Lemon-Basil Pesto

If you do not want to make your own flatbread, Flatout Flatbread wraps is a healthy alternative.