Recipe provided by Ligia Lugo, The Daring Kitchen
This hearty pizza from The Daring Kitchen combines an array of textures and comforting flavors on a whole-wheat crust.
Ingredients:
Pizza Dough
2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. active yeast
½ tsp. salt
⅔ c. warm water
Vegan Cashew Cheese
1 c. raw cashews
⅓ c. unsweetened almond milk, hot
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
Pizza
½ medium Hokkaido pumpkin, cut into ⅓” slices
4 tbsp. vegan pesto of choice
1 red onion, diced
1 c. canned chickpeas, rinsed
½ pomegranate, seeds only
½ c. raw pumpkin seeds
½ c. fresh arugula
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. cumin powder
Directions:
Start by making the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour with sugar, salt and yeast, then pour in the warm water. Mix to incorporate. Knead with your hands for at least 5 minutes, until an elastic dough is formed. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for at least 30 minutes, until the dough almost doubles its volume.
While the dough is rising, prepare the cashew cheese: Add the cashews, garlic powder and salt into a blender, pour in the hot almond milk, and blend to get a creamy, thick mixture. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Check the dough to see if it doubled its volume, then transfer onto a surface lined with parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 12”-length oval shape. Spread the vegan pesto all over the pizza, leaving about a 1” space all around the edges. Arrange the pumpkin slices in a single layer. Add the chickpeas and diced red onion. Season with cumin powder, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and drizzle on the extra-virgin olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh arugula. Cut into slices and serve warm.
