Pizza is a very common food in the United States, and it is difficult to avoid. Many people find it very tasty, but it is also seen as very practical, in that it can be ordered for delivery, is relatively inexpensive, and usually pleases most. As a vegan, I started experimenting with cheeseless pizza. This may seem like heresy to some — pizza without cheese — but I have learned that if it is made with certain parameters, it can be very tasty. For eating pizza out, it is crucial to have ample sauce and tasty toppings. A no topping, $5 pizza from Hungry Howies will not be good. But a $10 pizza with extra sauce and lots of tasty vegetable toppings from Papa John’s can be very tasty. But if you want truly good vegan pizza, you probably need to make it yourself. This recipe aims to be both tasty and healthy, and is actually not that difficult to make. I took the dough recipe from a recipe for calzone dough I found on the Vegan Chef (Sometimes I do put on some cheese. The top picture does have a little mozzarella and feta cheese on it; the extra pictures at the bottom do not).
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounce frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
- 2 cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- artichoke hearts
- kalamata olives
- banana peppers
- bell peppers
- mozzarella cheese (optional)
- For: 8
- Preparation: 1 h
- Cooking: 20 min
- Ready in: 1 h 20 min
Instructions
- Making the dough
- Combine warm water, olive oil, and yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes or until foamy. Add both types of flour and salt, and mix until the dough comes together to form a ball. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead the dough for 5-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl with a little olive oil, transfer the ball of dough to the bowl, and roll the dough around the inside of the bowl to thoroughly coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean towel, place it in a warm place, and leave the dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
- Making the sauce
- Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion app. 5 minutes, then add garlic and continue sautéing several minutes. Add spinach, cooking for several minutes. Add tomato paste and spices; reduce heat to medium-low, and add water until desired consistency is reached. Remove sauce from heat and allow it to cool while preparing the pizza toppings.
- Putting everything together
- Preheat oven to 550ºF. Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll out one piece at a time (or attempt throwing it in the air if you are bold) to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Spread an ample amount of the sauce over the pizza, and add desired toppings. Bake on a pizza stone or cookie tray 6-8 minutes. If desired, top with crushed red pepper and/or vegan parmesan cheese
- I usually double the dough recipe to make four pizzas. They are very tasty leftover (cold or re-heated).