Easy Vegan Pizza

Homemade Vegan Pizza

Have a yen for vegan pizza?  Well, it’s easier than you think thank to some widely available vegan products that have become staples in my household.

Pizza Dough:  Don’t feel like making pizza dough from scratch, or even kneading the premade pizza dough available from Trader Joe’s?   A very easy and delicious alternative is the cornmeal pizza crust from Vicolo’s.  They’re sold as a two-pack in the refrigerated or frozen section of natural food stores.  The last time I checked, New Leaf in Half Moon Bay priced it at $5.09.

Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet

Vegan Cheese: This isn’t entirely necessary for a vegan pizza, but it does provide another flavor dimension.  There are quite a few commercial vegan cheeses now available as well as potentially making your own tofu ricotta style cheesey sauce.

The Follow Your Heart “Vegan Gourmet” cheese alternatives are the most widely available, even in small towns on the San Francisco mid-Peninsula.  With this brand, the trick is to broil the pizza for the last few minutes of cooking to help the “cheese alternative” melt. (Hey, that’s what they call it on their website; cheese alternative photo courtesy of Follow Your Heart)

Vegan Pizza with Broccoli, Pineapple, and Olives

Sauce: I’m rather simple in this manner.  I take a can of tomato paste (Trader Joe’s house brand), and add some water and herbs to it and use that as my sauce base.  For herbs, I use a generic mix called “Italian Seasoning” that I’ve bought from the herb & spices bulk section at Rainbow Grocery.  Another alternative is equally simple – instead of the dried herbs, I’ll use freshly crushed garlic.  Or maybe both.  Then a pinch of salt.

Toppings:  Everything tastes good on pizza.  My favorites are:  bell pepper, onions, olives, pineapple, corn kernels, and broccoli.

Pizza is a very fun food to play with.