Is Margherita Pizza Vegetarian? (Rennet in the Mozzarella)

Margherita pizza is tomato, mozzarella and basil, and it is vegetarian by default. The one thing to watch is the mozzarella, which may be made with animal rennet. Here is how to check.

Key Takeaways

• Margherita pizza is vegetarian, but not vegan.
• The tomato sauce and basil are vegan; the mozzarella is dairy.
• The mozzarella may use animal rennet, which matters to strict vegetarians.
• For vegan, order plant-based cheese or a marinara pie.

TL;DR: Margherita pizza is vegetarian, but not vegan: it’s tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. The mozzarella may be made with animal rennet (worth checking if that matters to you), and it’s dairy, so it’s not vegan.

What’s in margherita pizza

• Tomato sauce: vegan.
• Mozzarella: dairy (vegetarian, not vegan). Can be animal- or microbial-rennet.
• Basil, olive oil: vegan.

No meat, so it’s vegetarian by default.

For vegans and strict vegetarians

• Vegan? Order it with plant-based mozzarella, or “marinara” (sauce, garlic, oregano: no cheese).
• Strict vegetarian? Ask if the mozzarella is microbial-rennet (animal rennet is a by-product of the veal industry).

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? Yes.
• Vegan? Only with plant cheese (or a marinara pie).

See our Pizza Margherita dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.