AMAZING Grilled Vegan Margherita Pizza

 

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June, people!

What?!

Somehow it happened. June has arrived and with its arrival comes summer, weekend getaways, beach time, long nights, and hot grills. And so today, in honor of all these great things just around the corner, I bring you one of my favorite pizza recipes of all time:

Grilled Vegan Margherita Pizza.

How to make Vegan Margherita Pizza

I’ve been making a variation of this Margherita Pizza for many years. It started off with a pre-made sauce and store-bought (vegan) mozzarella. Over time I discovered the pizza could be improved with just three simple adjustments.

Homemade pizza sauce

There is absolutely no good reason not to make your own pizza sauce. It can be prepped in just about 5 minutes (another 15 or so for simmering) for an affordable option that, more importantly, can be seasoned just to your liking. Pretty great, huh?

Homemade vegan mozzarella

There are some good readily available vegan cheeses out there, but I have yet to find one that melts the way it ought on a pizza. That’s why I suggest taking the homemade route.

This cashew-based mozzarella, inspired by this recipe, is not only DELICIOUS and takes only 10 minutes to make. It is also gooey and melty and stretching and cheesy just like it ought to be. Seriously, this cheese made the pizza go from a 7 to a 10!

How to make cashew mozzarella

This cheese is what makes this pizza and it might surprise you to discover that homemade nut cheese is not very difficult to master.

To make the cheese, drain and rinse the cashews and place them in a high-powered blender along with the remaining mozzarella ingredients, blending the nuts until completely smooth. Transfer the liquified cashews a saucepan over medium heat. Within 1-2 minutes the cheese will start to get very thick. Keep stirring until the cheese begins to pull away from the sides and moves together like a giant blob. This is when you know your cheese is done.

Remove it from heat and let cool while preparing the other ingredients.

A WORD ON VITAMIX

When it comes to this vegan cheese recipe, you really should use a high-powered blender. I recommend a Vitamix, which is what I use.

These blenders can be pricy, but my Vitamix is, by far, the most used gadget in my kitchen. Most other blenders are simply not powerful enough to create a cream out of cashews and you’ll end up with gritty eggnog. However, if you don’t have a high-powered blender, you can soak the cashews for about 6 hours ahead of time and they will blend up fairly well.

With a Vitamix, you can just throw your ingredients into the blender and blend for about 30 seconds until you have a smooth, delicious cream. So easy! This cashew cream can be used immediately or stored in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This is the one that I use.

Grill, not bake

Lastly, when making the perfect Vegan Margherita Pizza, I suggest grilling over baking.

I usually bake my pizzas, but with summer just around the corner, I thought we would do a little grilling today instead. The taste of grilled pizza is far superior to that of baking. By grilling you can get a perfectly crispy crust and a wonderful smokey, charred taste of the grill; a taste that pairs delightfully with homemade pizza sauce and cashew mozzarella.

When grilling pizza, it’s traditional to cook the dough on the grill, but for this recipe I used Flatout Flatbread’s Artisan Thin Pizza Crust, making for a pizza that is cooked within minutes!

Who is Flatout Flatbread?

I’ve been working with Flatout Flatbread for a couple of months. If you are unfamiliar, they are the flatbread I used for this Green Goddess Pizza recipe.  Flatout Flatbread is a great choice for those looking to eat lighter. Having recently partnered with Weight Watchers, becoming Weight Watchers official flatbread, you can trust that their breads are a healthy low-calorie alternative that provides a terrific source of protein and fiber without compromising on taste.

There you have it. The three steps to making the perfect Vegan Margherita Pizza. So, help me welcome in summer by firing up your grill and making a little pizza with me.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT Vegan Margherita Pizza

• Getting gooey stretchy cheese is the key to elevating this pizza to AMAZING. Make sure to completely puree your cashews so that your cheese isn’t gritty or tough.
• While I recommend homemade pizza sauce for more flavor, you can save time and buy sauce at the store.
• Make sure to add your basil after grilling or baking so that it stays fresh.
• This pizza should be served shortly after assembling.
• Store uneaten pizza in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

MORE VEGAN PIZZA RECIPES

Do you love pizza as much as I do? Here are a few more of my favorite pizza recipes:

• Roasted Beet and Cashew Cheese Pizza
• Vegan Banh Mi Pizza
• BBQ Chickpea with Vegan Ranch Pizza
• Eggplant and Caramelized Onion Pizza
• Palak Paneer Pita Pizza

But before you head off, let’s check out the recipe for this Vegan Margherita Pizza below.

Vegan Pizza Margherita

This Vegan Pizza Margherita is made with a thin crust, homemade tomato sauce, and vegan mozzarella for a delicious plant-based classic pizza.

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Print

Course: Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Vegan Pizza Margherita
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 470 kcal
Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Vegan Mozzarella

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 1 cup hot water
• 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Tomato Sauce

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 small white onion, minced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Everything Else

• 4 Flatout Flatbread Pizza Crusts
• 1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
• red pepper flakes, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. To make the cheese, drain and rinse the cashews and place them in a high-powered blender along with the remaining mozzarella ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Transfer to a saucepan placed over medium heat, stirring the cheese constantly. Within 1-2 minutes the cheese will start to get very thick. Keep stirring until the cheese begins to move together while stirring. Remove from heat and let cool while preparing the other ingredients.

2. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the grill to about 550 degrees. Brush the pizza doughs with olive oil and grill one side of the pizza for 1-2 minutes. Flip the crusts and evenly top with tomato sauce, Roma tomatoes, and spoonfuls of mozzarella.

4. Put the lid on the grill and cook for about 3 more minutes. The pizza is done when the edges are crisp and dark.
5. Remove from grill, top with basil and red pepper flakes and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

No grill? No problem! Bake this pizza at 450 degrees F. for about 10 minutes until crust is crispy and brown.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Pizza Margherita

Amount Per Serving

Calories 470 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 963mg42%

Potassium 488mg14%

Carbohydrates 71g24%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 380IU8%

Vitamin C 12.2mg15%

Calcium 137mg14%

Iron 5.4mg30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.