I never thought I’d see the day where I actually made myself a plant-based pizza and at the same time, one with shaved parmesan reggiano. a.k.a real cheesy goodness! When my blog began in the spring of last year, dairy was a total no-no for me. If there was even a slight topping of parmesan on a salad at any restaurant I went to, I’d have to tell the waiter, “with no cheese please” before bringing it out. Always. Through the year, as my relationship with food and how it fuels me has progressed, I decided every now and then to have a little dairy. Specifically cheese, since we all know I eat Siggi’s Dairy yogurts like it is my lifeline.

That grass-fed milk, rBGH free kinda dairy… Oh yeah!

As I decided to whip up pizza Sunday night using my favorite Simple Mills crust, I had an idea to try something new. Because a box of their dough makes two small pizzas, I usually make two marinara sauce-based pizzas with a TON of veggies and extra marinara to compensate for no cheese. THIS time, I wanted to do a classic plant-based (I’m starting to prefer that word over vegan) and a margherita-looking-but-not-margherita pizza. With cheese. Real, dairy, pasteurized CHEESE. Completely foreign and stepping into territories I haven’t crossed since high school (shocker to most, I know) but I went there and it was delicious.

But don’t be fooled – I’m still just as much in love with plant-based pizza as I am with the slightly cheesy counterpart. That’s why I’m giving you the low down on both of these pizzas and how to re-create them.

Super easy. Super tasty. My mouth is just watering thinking about them. P.s. I had a slice of each, together. Equal noms.

The crust though… Almond Flour, Arrowroot Powder, Flax Meal, Cauliflower, Baking Soda, Organic Oregano, Cream of Tartar, Organic Garlic. Smells so good you can’t even imagine.

This post goes to show how I strive for balance with my recipes, my relationship with food and my thoughts surrounding both. I choose to eat dairy-free 90% of the time because it makes me feel good but when I want yogurt or cheese, there shouldn’t be a restriction or label saying I can’t have some. That’s why I’m not calling my second pizza “vegan” because to me, that’s not what it is. It’s plant-based: the sauce is filled with  cashews and veggies, topped with mixed greens, butternut squash and my sidekick seasoning: nutritional yeast.

Foods that fuel you and make you feel like the bad ass you truly are.

Now without further ado.

Pizza Two Ways: Plant-based vs. Cheesy

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Two ways to take your pizza to the next level by having the best of both worlds: cheesy and plant-based.

Author: Addie Martanovic

Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Pizza

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6-8 tbsp water
• 1 box Simple Mills Pizza Dough Mix
• ½-1 additional tbsp olive oil, for greasing baking sheet
• ¾ cup organic marinara (I prefer Engine2 diet)
• ¼ cup shaved parmesan
• 3-5 tomato slices
• 1 cup mixed greens, spinach or arugula
• ⅓ cup Heidi Ho Organics vegan cheese (or cashew cheese alternative)
• 1 cup roasted butternut squash
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Begin by combining apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil and water in a large bowl. Mix together and then add in the Simple Mills pizza dough mix. Blend well.
3. Divide dough into two halves on a greased (with about ½-1 tbsp olive oil) baking sheet and spread out gently with hands into 2 separate crusts. If you grease your hands a little it will be easier to maneuver. Crust will not rise like normal so make the edges like crust if you wish by pinching dough!
4. Place in oven for 5 minutes to cook up a bit. Take out and top!
5. For plant-based pizza: Add cashew cheese/Heidi Ho sauce, followed by ½ of greens and butternut squash. Top with nutritional yeast.
6. For cheesy pizza: Add marinara sauce, followed by other ½ of greens, and tomato slices.
7. Put pizzas back in oven with toppings. Bake for additional 15-20 minutes until toppings are cooked through.

3.3.3077

For the plant-based pizza I used this phenomenal cashew and veg-based sauce from a brand I came across at Whole Foods a while back called Heidi Ho. They are relatively affordable while still packing in a cheesy flavor, surprisingly using no nutritional yeast. I always stick with the Smoky Chia Cheeze flavor but they also sell a Spicy! and Cream Chia Cheeze. 

The “cheesy” flecks, the bright colors and all the veggies. A perfect treat for fall! This pizza stays good for about 3-5 days but is best eaten the day of baking it. The crust does not reheat well with the same great taste as straight out of the oven but I actually love it cold as a leftover.

Enjoy!

-Addie

*This post was not sponsored, however, these are brands I love and care to share with you. Thank you for reading!*