Fresh spinach gives this vegan pesto pizza a vivid color, and fresh basil or parsley (or a combination of both) adds the strong herbal flavor you’ve come to expect from pesto. An offbeat and delicious way to enjoy pizza with classic summer ingredients!
Make your veggie pizza even greener with a delicious pesto base. It’s topped with fresh tomatoes, and of course, the more flavorful they are, the better the pizza will be.
Vegan cheese is optional: Whether you use it or not, it’s a delectable pizza that goes down easy, so double the recipe for twice the pleasure.
Just add salad: A perfect companion is a colorful green salad or kale salad with chickpeas tossed in for extra protein. In season, fresh corn on the cob is a great addition as well.
Try using a variety of heirloom tomatoes for super flavorful and eye-appealing results for this summer pizza. Also, consider using Arugula Pesto on this pizza.
Recipe is adapted from Plant Power by Nava Atlas. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.
Explore more …
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Vegan Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh spinach gives this vegan pesto pizza a vivid color, and fresh basil or parsley (or a combination of both) adds the strong herbal flavor you’ve come to expect from pesto.
Ingredients
Spinach Pesto
- 5 to 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, or a combination
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or 1 tablespoon light miso, preferably mellow white
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the pizza
- One good-quality 12- to 14-ounce pizza crust
- 1 cup mozzarella-style nondairy cheese, optional
- 2 to 4 flavorful tomatoes, or as needed, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425º F.
- Steam the spinach until just barely wilted. You can do this in a skillet with a little water, or in in a container in the microwave.
- Combine spinach with the remaining pesto ingredients in a food processor. Process until pureed, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides as needed. Drizzle in a little water as needed, until the mixture flows a bit, but let it stay nice and thick — you don’t want it to be watery. Leave a bit of texture, if you’d like.
- Spread the pesto on the pizza crust. If it seems like too much, save some for another use. If using cheese, sprinkle evenly over the pesto.
- Top with the tomatoes arranged in a slightly overlapping layer. Add a few grindings of pepper.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted. Remove from the oven, and let stand for a minute. You can top with a little extra basil, thinly sliced, or a sprinkling of parsley. Cut into 6 wedges to serve.
If you like this offbeat pizza, you might also enjoy …
Vegan Caramelized Onion Pizza with Shiitake Bacon
See more delicious vegan pizzas.
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