Can you really make a delicious Plant-Based Pizza?

Who doesn’t love pizza? From little kid slumber parties, to late college nights to busy week nights for working folks, pizza always gets three cheers for pleasing the dinner crowd. In fact, pizza is one of America’s favorite foods. In a recent survey, it took the trophy as the single food most Americans would want to eat for the rest of their lives. Which is no surprise really: pizza is delicious.

But the sad and unfortunate truth is that pizza is generally not a health food and is traditionally made of the worst foods for your body. Including refined carbohydrate crust, tons of full fat dairy and saturated fatty-pepperoni, bacon or sausage. It’s the 1-2-3 punch of gluten, dairy, and saturated fat and can leave you feeling pretty crummy. And in the long run, one’s life could easily be cut short if that was the single food being consumed.

But the surprising good news here is that you really can make a delicious gluten-free, plant-based pizza in about 30 minutes from start to finish. You just need to start with the right ingredients and know a few tricks. And that’s where this post comes in handy. If you are one of those who voted to make pizza the only food you would eat for the rest of your life, bookmark this post. Be sure to incorporate some of these tricks into your regular pizza routine.

Delicious Plant Based Pizza Tricks

The Crust: Unless you are gluten sensitive or gluten intolerant, getting a gluten-free crust is not entirely important. But for those of us who are, traditional pizza crust is a real bummer. And regardless of gluten, everyone can benefit from pizza that is free from overly processed grains and loaded with phytonutrients. This is why I have fallen in love with Rich’s Gluten-Free Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust.It starts with the goodness of cauliflower and also includes milled chia and brown rice and contains no animal bi-products. The crust is parbaked, and can be easily topped from frozen and baked. It’s so easy (and delicious).

The Sauce: A tricky part with a plant-based pizza can be getting it loaded with enough protein. This is why I like to sneak white beans into my sauce. Simply add ½ cup cooked white beans to 1 cup of sauce and blend until smooth. It won’t change the flavor, but it will add 8g plant protein and 6g fiber and give the sauce a creamy texture. Also, if you’re using a prepared marinara or pizza sauce, be sure to also check for added sugar. Some brands add more than others.

The Cheese: Plant-based cheeses can be weird. But finding one that is delicious can be a game changer if you’re a vegan, dairy sensitive or simply trying to eat less animal products. Rich’s has also very recently launched a plant-based Vegan alternative to cheese. Rich’s Plant-Based Mozzarella Style Shreds are a great substitute and provide a delicious, decadent and satisfying flavor. And one cup is enough to cover a whole pizza crust!

The Toppings: Skip the saturated fat and sign up for the phytochemical power of plants! A rainbow topped pizza with all the colors like tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, spinach, red onions, mushrooms, and cauliflower is not only beautiful, it’s delicious. And it will leave you feeling 100% better than a piece of meat lovers pizza. Plus, your tummy, the animals and our planet will all thank you for your efforts to eat in a more sustainable manner.

Delicious Plant-Based Pizza Recipe

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Makes 6 Slices, Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 10″ Rich’s Gluten Free Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust Frozen
• 1 cup Marinara or Pizza Sauce
• 1/2 cup White Beans, cooked Cooked
• 1 small Roma Tomato Sliced
• 1 mini Orange Pepper Sliced
• 1/2 medium Summer Squash Sliced
• 1 cup Spinach Fresh
• 1/2 cup Cauliflower Small florets
• 3/4 cup Mushrooms Sliced
• 1/8 Medium Red Onion Sliced
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Italian Herbs Diced

Instructions

1. Blend beans and sauce together for 45+ seconds in blender or food processor. Until smooth and creamy.
2. Top prepared, frozen crust with sauce then ½ the cheese. Evenly spread your desired veggie toppings across the pizza and top with remaining cheese.
3. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. Remove, top with fresh herbs and cut into 6 pieces.

Note: All the veggie toppings are optional. Feel free to add more or less of anything and keep in mind, unlike the meat alternative, MORE plants is always better than less!

Delicious Plant Based Pizza Nutrition Info

Per Slice: 220 Calories, 11g Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 380 mg Sodium, 24g Carbohydrates (4g Fiber, 4g Sugar), 6g protein. For reference, a single slice of meat lover’s pizza from a leading international pizza chain has 36% more calories, 45% more fat, 130% more sodium, 75% less fiber and 13% of your day’s cholesterol.

In Summary,

Trust me when I say this pizza checks all the boxes. Especially if you’re already well on your way to a more plant forward or even plant-based lifestyle. And even if you’re not ready to incorporate all of these tricks into your next pizza, start with one and go from there. It’s one of my most favorite things about wellness. It’s not all or nothing. Every single effort you make counts and will pay off in the long run.

Also remember, I’m not here to say an occasional indulgence will cut your life short. I love all things in moderation. But if you love pizza and want to enjoy it more often and with less guilt, there are delicious plant-based pizza options to make your pizza habit much more sustainable!

This post is sponsored by Rich Products. While I did receive compensation for this post, trust that all comments and recommendations are 100% authentic and based on my experience with the products.