Personally, the idea of a Vegan pizza was a little daunting. During my Vegan phase–yes, I had a Vegan phase…and I don’t like to talk about it–I did a lot of pizza. Granted, it was easier then because I was willing to eat wheat and bean flours that definitely make it easier to get a good crust. A Paleo/Vegan pizza crust was, well, a f*cking nightmare. It might be some grand universal balancing act–like if I’m not going to kill animals for one meal I’m going to end up massacring twice the weight in plant-based products–or I might just be too stubborn to throw in the towel and make my beloved MEATZA.
Either way, I managed to come up with something acceptable based on my cauliflower-based version. I say acceptable because, as always, I was dying to throw a kilo of bacon on top. Totally not bitter at all.
INGREDIENTS
Crust
- 1/2 Large Head of Cauliflower, grated
- 1/2 c Ground Flax
- 1/4 c Coconut Milk
- 1/4 c Arrowroot Powder
- 1 t Italian Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Toppings
- 1 Large Sweet Potato
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, chopped
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 c Fresh Spinach
- 1 c Sliced Mushrooms
- 1 c Marinara Sauce
- 1 T Olive Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- For the crust…
- Grate the cauliflower with a food processor or cheese grater. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 5 minutes.
- Add the flax, water, seasoning, and arrowroot powder. Mix well until you have a soft, sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (while you’re prepping the toppings!).
- Spread out on a greased baking pan. Cook in a 350 ºC oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Make sure it’s cooked all the way through!! (This was the challenge for me without the eggs…you want to make sure the crust is almost like a big cracker). Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before adding toppings.
For the toppings…
- Slice your sweet potato with a mandolin slicer or by hand–either way you want round discs. Place the sweet potatoes and garlic in a bowl and combine with 1 T of the olive oil. Spread out on a baking dish and roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Cover the crust with fresh spinach, then layer the sweet potatoes, then the onion and mushroom mixture.
- Heat the oven to BROIL, and bake the pizza for 5-8 minutes longer.
