We have declared Sunday nights as PIZZA NIGHT in our home. But wait, do vegans eat pizza? Yep, we sure do! Although not your traditional pizza that is covered with mozzarella cheese. Nor do we attempt to mimic regular pizza by using fake cheese or fake meat substitutes. Instead we use a wide variety of fun flavors, yummy sauces, and unique toppings to make delicious vegan pizzas. By “we” I mean my hubby and I. We prepare Sunday dinner as a team. He usually takes on the role of head pizza chef and I act as the sous chef. Why does he get to be head chef? Because he makes the most incredible homemade pizza dough without even looking at a recipe! While I do more of the munching, er I mean chopping of the pizza toppings. We like the challenge of using whatever we have on hand in the fridge or pantry to inspire the pizza. A recent favorite was a Thai inspired pizza with a peanut sauce that had a little bit of a kick to it.
A repeat favorite is a lentil, kale, sweet potato pizza that bursts with color AND flavor! Now let me be honest in that this is a pretty time consuming pizza to make. Although don’t let that you scare you away from experiencing it’s awesomeness. It’s easy enough to make, just be aware that there are several steps involved in the process. I like to think of these vegan pizzas as almost little pieces of art so genuinely I appreciate the process as much as the end product.
Ingredients:
Your favorite pizza dough
Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1.5 cups of dried lentils, rinsed
1 medium sweet potato
1 onion
1/2 bunch of kale
1 avocado, sliced
cilantro to taste
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of sugar (to caramelize the onion)
Directions:
1. Saute garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add dried lentils and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to gently simmer for 40 minutes. Check water level and add water as needed.
2. Slice onion and caramelize in pan on stove top. Set aside.
3. Peel and chop sweet potato. Boil in water on stove top until soft, approximately 15 minutes. Strain water and set aside.
4. Prepare Kale by removing stem and ripping into bite size pieces. Steam kale in pan on stove top. Set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough and assemble pizza. Use the lentils as the “sauce” and the sweet potato, onion, and kale as toppings. The key to awesome home cooked pizza is using a heated seasoned pizza stone sprinkled with a bit of cornmeal . However if you don’t have a pizza stone, a regular pan will do too. Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before adding sliced avocado and chopped cilantro, plus salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! And then flip a coin with your partner to see who gets to clean up the kitchen. 
Do you have a speciality pizza you like to make? What are your favorite pizza toppings?
-Sarah
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