As I've mentioned in a few of our podcasts, when Art and I first transitioned to a 100% plant-based diet, we did something a lot of newbie-vegans do... we bought a bunch of vegan alternatives, such as plant-based sandwich "meats and cheeses." It didn't take long before those pricey items ended up in the garbage. To be honest, they were pretty awful. :(
We found the same was true of many of the frozen vegan pizzas we tried. And believe me, we really tried to like them! Vegan junk food just wasn't in the cards for us. So, over the past year, we've simply omitted things like pizza from our diet. And, man-oh-man, did I miss it!
If you listen to our podcast, you've likely heard me expound on the wonders of cashew cream as a thickener for soups and as a sauce for pasta. But it wasn't until I ran across a Google post, detailing the many ways to use (whole milk) ricotta that I began thinking about making my own vegan "ricotta cheese."
Behold, the mighty cashew, once again! Who knew that cashew ricotta could be so delicious on pizza and so easy to make? Suffice it to say that Art and I are back to enjoying homemade pizzas -- vegan-style! This recipe is super versatile and super simple. I absolutely love garlic flatbread (also called Naan bread) to make personal pizzas. They are just right for a quick weeknight dinner. But remember, not all Naan flatbreads are vegan, so be sure to check those ingredient labels before purchasing. I've listed two really good options in the recipes notes below.* Both can be purchased through Amazon if you have trouble finding vegan flatbread in your grocery store. As for the toppings... well, that's just a personal preference of whatever you love on a veggie pizza. This recipe requires only a few ingredients and very little time to prepare it. So, let's pour a nice glass of Chianti and get started!
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for at least 2 hours & drained)**
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 small clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 good pinches of salt
1/8 cup water (adding more if needed for ricotta texture)
2 Naan Flatbreads (check ingredient labels)*
2 tsp olive oil
6 Tbsp pizza sauce (I use Ragu) Toppings (go ahead - get creative with these!)
2 large mushrooms, sliced
Roma tomato slices
red onion (sliced or chopped)
sliced black olives (I used canned)
baby spinach leaves
yellow or green pepper, chopped
red pepper flakes (use sparingly for optional spice sprinkle!)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Add the soaked cashews to a food processor (I use a KitchenAid mini processor***).
Add the apple cider vinegar, garlic clove, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and water to the food processor. Cover and pulse at first to chop and mix ingredients.
Run the food processor on high speed for 30 seconds. Remove the lid and scrape the sides, pushing ingredients down near blades. Replace the lid and continue this process until you have a smooth consistency. If the texture is too gritty, add a teaspoon of water and continue to process it until you reach your desired consistency. It's ok if you need to add small amounts of water while it's processing, but do try to keep the mixture on the thicker side.
Prepare your flatbreads by placing them on either a pizza stone or pan. Sprinkle each flatbread with 1 teaspoon each of olive oil. Rub the olive oil onto the bread with your fingers, spreading it to the edges.
Place 2 tablespoons of the cashew ricotta on each flatbread and spread it to the edges. Use more or less to your liking.
Spoon some pizza sauce onto each flatbread and gently spread it to the edges.
Top each flatbread with your favorite veggies. Bake pizzas at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes.
Slide baked pizzas onto a cutting board, and cut each one into quarters. Lightly sprinkle with red pepper flakes (optional!). Serve and enjoy! Notes: *1. Vegan Flatbreads on Amazon: Toufayan Garlic Flatbread or Atoria's Garlic Naan Flatbread. **2. I prefer to start my cashews soaking in the morning, just so I don't forget to soak them later in the day. Measure out 1 cup of cashews, pour in enough water to cover them (they expand a bit); cover and leave on counter or in fridge until ready to use. Drain the water using a sieve or small colander. ***3. If you find that you love making cashew cream, cheeses and sauces, I highly recommend that you invest in this mini food processor by KitchenAid. It's the perfect size! 4. This recipe makes plenty of cashew ricotta that you can use again on pizza or in pasta dishes. Yum! Cover leftover ricotta tightly and store in fridge for up to 5 days. ***************************
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