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Photography by Meghan Rodgers

Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pizza

by Meghan Rodgers

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July 21, 2021

“I could never go vegan because I couldn’t give up cheese!”

It’s a common rebuttal to bringing up the benefits of a vegan diet. The good news is, this Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pizza is so full of flavor, you won’t even notice it’s not there! This recipe is one of my favorite vegan pizzas because it doesn’t even try to substitute for vegan cheese. It just jumps in, veggies first, unapologetically vegan and cheese-free, to deliver one incredible pizza. The mouth-watering umami of mushrooms, artichokes, sun-dried tomato pesto and more make this one truly incredible pizza. It’s a delicious plant-based meal everyone is sure to love.

Note: This pizza doesn’t hold together as easily as it does with cheese acting as glue, so it’s best to bake a crispy crust and watch out for tumbling toppings. Even still, you’ll love it enough to make it all year long. It’s as fitting for a wintery Friday night indulgence as it is sliced up and served as a poolside summer appetizer. 

 

Ingredients

1 lb pizza dough (homemade or vegan store-bought)

1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto*

1/2 cup white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, sliced

1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

10-20 olives, halved

7-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

 

*How to Make Vegan Sun-dried pesto

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup nuts or seeds (seeds are a better choice for the environment, but won’t hold their texture if you’re making pesto a day or more ahead of pizza prep)

1/2 cup fresh basil

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tsp fresh rosemary

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

 

Directions

  1. Add all pesto ingredients to food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. (Or save time use store bought sun-dried tomato pesto — just be sure to recycle that glass jar!)

  2. Preheat oven to 475ºF.

  3. Roll out vegan pizza dough to a 16” round pie (or use store bough vegan pizza dough).

  4. Spread pesto on top of pizza. Top with prepared veggies.

  5. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp.

  6. Remove from oven and let cool a minute or two. Garnish with freshly chopped basil.

  7. Enjoy right away!

 

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Meghan Rodgers is a media professional and writer covering travel, food and the environment. Find her writing on the food blog EverybodyCraves and her adventures on Instagram.