Homemade Vegan Margherita Pizza Recipe. 20 Minute Pizza crust, 5-minute Pizza sauce, and a creamy cashew mozzarella cheese sauce. Vegan Soy-free Recipe. Gluten-free and nut-free options.
- Prep Time20 mins
- Cook Time30 mins
- Total Time50 mins
- Calories: 158kcal
Ingredients
Pizza Dough:
- 1 tsp active yeast
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) + 1 tbsp warm water
- 1 1/4 cup flour, divided, (unbleached all-purpose or half of all-purpose and half whole wheat pastry flour/spelled)
- 1 tbsp semolina flour or use wheat flour
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
Pizza Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (65.5 g) unsalted tomato paste
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) water
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp each dried oregano dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme or rosemary
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- dash of black pepper
Cashew Mozzarella cream:
- 1/2 cup (64.5 g) cashews soaked in hot water for 15 mins
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) water
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp flour, use rice flour or 2 tsp cornstarch for glutenfree
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp miso, use chickpea miso for soy-free, or use 1-2 tsp nutritional yeast
- Fresh basil extra virgin olive oil and pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 435 deg F (225 C). Soak the cashews in hot boiling water if you haven’t already.
- Pizza Base: Mix the warm water with yeast and 1 tbsp flour. Mix well and let sit for 2 mins.
- Mix the salt and semolina into the rest of the flour. Add the flour and oil to the yeast mixture and mix.
- Mix till just about combined. Let it sit for a minute.
- Oil your hands and bring the dough together till just about smooth. Use a tsp or so more flour(or water if you used wheat flour), if needed. Don’t knead it longer than a few seconds. Cover with a towel and let it sit near the preheating oven for 15 mins.
- Cashew Mozzarella Cream: Drain the cashews. Add to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add to a skillet over medium heat. Cook to thicken evenly. 4 to 6 mins. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom and lumping.
- Prep the pizza sauce: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add a pinch of sweetener if needed.
- Oil your hands and transfer the Pizza dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using some flour shape the dough into a flat ball, then spread using your hands. Keep spreading to make large pizzas or make 2 small pizzas (see video). You want to spread the dough thin, as it will rise quite a bit during baking, and make a bready crust if it was too thick, to begin with.
- Spread the pizza sauce all over. Add some fresh basil and place tomato slices over the basil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt. (you can also add other thinly sliced veggies at this point). Add spoonfuls of mozzarella cream to the pizza.
- Drizzle a tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Then Bake for 13 to 14 mins. (Broil for a minute if needed), Remove from the oven and add fresh basil and pepper flakes. Slice and serve, See Storage and Freezing instructions in the notes.
Video
Notes
Store: You can make the cashew mozzarella ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 days in a closed container. Pizza sauce can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze the pizza dough with the sauce and tomatoes or veggies if using and without the cheese. Freeze on a tray, once fully frozen, store in an airtight ziplock with the least amount of air around the pizza.
To cook frozen Pizza: Preheat the oven. Add cheese and other toppings to the frozen pizza in the oven and bake for 16 to 17 mins
- Gluten-free: Use my Gluten-free pizza crust options(listed just above the recipe), Use rice flour in the cashew cream for thickening.
- Nut-free: Use one of my nut-free alfredo sauces. Thick the sauce with a few tips of flour if needed and then scoop spoonfuls on the pizza.
Nutrition is for 1 piece of pizza
Reference article source: https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-margherita-pizza-recipe/
