I never thought in a million years that I would say this, but I have finally found a way to love my pizza without cheese. This hasn't been easy, folks. Ever since we have had a dairy allergy in the family, life in the kitchen hasn't been easy.
Every time I make this, my whole family quietly folds into our pieces and munches away dreamily. Not only can this pizza easily be adapted to vegan (take out the sausage), it tastes the absolute best when grilled on a hot barbecue. That way, your oven isn't turned up to 450 degrees in the dead of summer, turning your house into the depths of hell.
This recipe easily feeds about 2-3 people. I usually make a batch of this dough and after the first rise, divide in half and put the other half in a loose plastic bag into the fridge for dinner the next night. I saute all of the toppings on the stove then divide those in half and store in fridge as well.
What I have come to realize about cheese-less pizzas is that my family's favorite toppings that we would normally have on a traditional pizza- pepperoni, olive, pineapple, marinara- don't really fit here. We instead use a vegan Alfredo sauce or a pesto, both of which are equally delectable. Both sauces are heavy in sea salt, garlic, and nutritional yeast which really helps to fill in the umami that is missing from all the cheeses. Also, this is my "excuse" to throw in all of the toppings that my husband usually objects to but that I absolutely love- broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, sausage, thinly-sliced potatoes, corn, all sauteed in a heavy swirl of olive oil.
Barbecue Vegan Pizza
1 recipe pizza dough (makes two pizzas)
1 quart alfredo sauce or
1 pint pesto (any kind)
Three cups of any of the following:
Broccoli heads (cut into 1" pieces)
Asparagus (cut into 1" pieces)
Fresh corn cut off of the cob or frozen (not canned)
Thinly sliced mushrooms
Thinly sliced potatoes
Sausage links or bacon (cut into 1" pieces) ((if non-vegan))
Preheat barbecue to med-low heat (up to about 400 degrees). Make sure that the pizza is not over direct heat, otherwise keep a very close eye on the crust. In a heavy-bottomed skilled on medium heat, drizzle about 1/4 cup olive oil. Once warm, add in whichever vegetables and sausage, cover, and let cook for 5-7 mins then add corn and cook for another 3-4 mins, uncovered.
In a large saucepan or pot, bring a salted water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until soft; drain and set aside.
Divide pizza dough in half and either store in fridge or use. Lightly sprinkle surface with flour or corn meal and roll out with a rolling pin until 1/8" thick. Place on a pizza pan with holes on bottom. Drizzle surface of dough with olive oil and brush oil to the edges. Spread on pesto or alfredo. Layer on sauteed toppings and boiled potato slices then give pizza another small drizzle of olive oil. Cook in barbeque with lid down for 15-20 mins.
DEVOUR.