Pizza is one of the most popular dishes around. Unfortunately, if you are vegan, the cheese on your average pizza will stand in the way of you being able to enjoy this delicious food. The good news is some fantastic vegan pizza recipes that taste just as great (or even better) than traditional cheese pizzas!
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Can Vegans Eat Pizza?
Of course, vegans can enjoy pizza! The key to creating an amazing vegan pizza is no different than creating a fantastic traditional pizza. Delicious pizza comes from the skills of the pizzaiolo, the tools they use to make the pizza, and, most importantly, the quality of the ingredients. In the past, it may have been hard to find an excellent vegan pizzeria, but today there are a ton of vegan pizza recipes available. There so many vegan pizza recipes to try, there is something out there for every craving.
How is Vegan Pizza Made?
You may be wondering what makes a pizza vegan, and how to tell if a pizza you order in a restaurant is vegan-friendly or not. You may be surprised to learn that there are a ton of vegan cheeses, and the marinara sauce may not always be vegan.
How is Vegan Pizza Crust Made?
Whether you are making traditional pizza or using vegan pizza recipes, you’ve got to start with the basics. Before you can put any toppings on your pizza, you’ve got to start with a delicious crust. Most recipes for traditional pizza dough do not use any dairy, butter, or eggs! Most are made with yeast, flour, olive oil, salt, and water. The only animal product that may commonly be used to bake pizza dough is honey, so you may want to ask your server if honey was used just in case. So, vegan pizza recipes are not so different than traditional pizza recipes.
What Kind of Cheese Can You Put on a Vegan Pizza?
When you think of what’s in a pizza, you probably think of three primary things – crust, sauce, and cheese. For vegan pizza recipes, there are a lot of vegan cheeses you can use.
Vegan cheeses come from some combination of plant-based ingredients, including vegetable oil, soy protein, pea protein, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, or nuts. You can get vegan cheese that will have a similar taste and consistency as all your favorite cheeses from mozzarella to parmesan, and even ricotta. One thing to note, if you have a nut allergy, you may want to check with your server to see if the pizza contains any nuts.
Is Pizza Sauce Vegan?
You may think pizza sauce would be naturally vegan-friendly. After all, it is just tomatoes and spices, right? Depending on the type of pizza sauce, you may encounter animal products. For instance, many marinara recipes include parmesan cheese. Check with your server on what is included in the sauce to make sure it is a vegan-friendly dish.
What Toppings Can You Put on a Vegan Pizza?
One of the most fun things about pizza is choosing your toppings. Start with your cheese – or go cheese-less! Then come the toppings!
Vegan Meats & Cheeses
If you want a vegan pizza, but you also love pizza with meat and cheese, try out some vegan versions of your favorites. There are a lot of vegan meats and cheeses available now, and a lot of restaurants will have these available. You can enjoy vegan steak, vegan pepperoni, vegan sausage, marinated tofu, and even soy chorizo! Vegan-friendly cheese comes in as many varieties as dairy cheese. You can get vegan mozzarella, vegan parmesan, and vegan ricotta.
Fresh, Flavorful Veggies! (and Fruit!)
Vegan pizza recipes often call for any number of vegetable combinations.
Try a few or all of the above for an ultimate veggie dish.
Top your pizza dish with an abundance of fresh vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, spinach, onions, broccoli, green olives, black olives, fresh basil, artichoke hearts, red roasted peppers, cauliflower, red onion, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini, banana peppers, broccoli rabe, eggplant, sautéed onions, green onions, or jalapeno peppers.
For a sweeter flavor, try a Hawaiian veggie pizza topped with pineapple!
One thing to note is that some pizzerias will cook their greens with pork to give it a specific flavor. You may want to ask your server what your greens will be prepared with to make sure it’s vegan.
Herbs & Spices
Sprinkle some fresh herbs and spices to top it off. Top your vegan pizza with some zesty garlic sauce, basil, or cilantro.
What are Some Yummy Vegan Pizzas to Try?
Try a Supreme pizza with some yummy bell peppers and mushrooms. Add some vegan sausage or bacon for a savory treat. Or, try a cheese-less pizza with sea salt, olive oil, and rosemary to give it tons of flavor without the cheese. Another delicious combination is a vegan pizza topped with marinated tofu, soy mozzarella, and a ton of veggies.
Vegan pizza combinations are endless, so there is something for every craving. Make sure to check with your server if you are unsure of the ingredients to make sure it is vegan. Then, have fun choosing your pizza toppings to create something new and delicious, or stick to the classics! Either way, you can enjoy yummy pizza, and do not have to miss out on the flavor.
