Vegan Pizza
One of the things I’m really missing as a vegan is cheese. I’ve never been much of a cheese person but oh man do I miss a good tangy bit of cheddar or a squeaky slab of halloumi. I know it’s been less than a week but it honestly feels like a year since I started! And pizza, oh pizza, I would kill for a good margherita right now. That said, I have found a way to make a delish pizza that works well without cheese (yes it is possible!) and it’s also super quick so what’s not to like?
Traditionally if I were to make a pizza I’d make the base as well as I love making bread, but when you’re at uni and are over-committing yourself as usual who has time for that? So bring in the ready-made pizza bases. These have honestly saved my life so much! Simply pop on some tomato sauce, whop on your toppings and hey presto – one delish pizza! However, there is still the problem about the cheese. Now I know you can by vegan cheese, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t make up for a good cheddar does it? So what I’ve found is that a good dollop of hummus to dip the pizza in does the same kinda thing! Think of it kinda like the garlic dipping sauces you get from Dominoes, but adding a salty, tangy flavour to the whole shebang. It’s so so good you have to try it!
Recipe
Makes 1 pizza
Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 Aubergine
- 1/4 Courgette
- 1 Pizza base (most are vegan but just make sure when you buy it)
- 3 tbsp Passata (I went for a garlic and herb one)
- 1/4 Red pepper
- A few Chestnut mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp Za’tar (optional)
- A few tbsp of Hummus to serve
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C.
- Take the aubergine and courgette and use a vegetable peeler (or a knife) to make super thin strips. Lay the strips on a baking tray lined with baking paper and put in the oven to soften for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms into ¼s and finely slice the red pepper into strips.
- Spread the passata over the pizza base in an even layer. Then arrange the vegetables over the top. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and some za’atar if you’re using it.
- Bake the pizza in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and the base is starting to colour. Serve with lots of hummus!
Thanks for reading!
Emma x