Vegan Artichoke Pizza with Red Bell Peppers

The combination of toppings used in this vegan artichoke pizza recipe is absolutely delectable. With red bell peppers and onion, it goes down easy, so double the recipe if you’re feeding a hungry group.

Though completely optional, including thin slices of fresh tomato between the sauce and the cheese enhances the summery flavor provided by the fresh basil.

What to serve with vegan artichoke pizza

The best companion for this vegan artichoke pizza — or most any kind of pizza is a big salad. It doesn’t have to be anything out of the ordinary — just a bowlful of mixed greens or lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and the like, with your favorite salad dressing.

If you want to boost the protein content of the meal, just add plenty of beans or chickpeas to your salad, as well as some sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Vegan cheese for pizza

Vegan cheese, especially one that melts well (like Daiya®) adds a huge yum factor to plant-powered pizza; but it isn’t entirely necessary. I like to think of vegan cheese as a condiment, because that’s exactly what it is.

If you’re looking to impress guests with how delicious plant-powered pizza can be, a judicious sprinkling of vegan cheese goes a long way!

Though I just mentioned Daiya, I’m a bit leery of recommending it exclusively, or any specific brand of plant-based vegan cheese, because the brand of the moment might be overtaken with something else a year or two later. Case in point, Violife® and Follow Your Heart® vegan cheese shreds work well on pizza, too.

Mozzarella-style shreds are the best for vegan pizza, though spicy pepperjack adds a great, not overly spicy kick. I actually like using half of each.

A note about pizza serving sizes

For this pizza, 6 slices is the yield  Usually, that would translate to 3 servings of 2 slices per person. Depending on the amount of toppings and what else is being served, it’s possible that just one slice may satisfy.

On the other hand, a hungry, athletic person might go for 3 slices. If you’re not sure that 6 slices will suffice, it’s easy to double this recipe — and I recommend doing so. Pizza heats up nicely the next day for lunch or dinner, and leftover slices freeze well, too.

Recipe adapted from Plant Power by Nava Atlas. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com. Do you love homemade vegan pizza? Explore this roundup of creative vegan pizza recipes.

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Yield: 6 slices

Pizza with Artichokes and Red Bell Peppers

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The combination of artichokes and red bell peppers topping this vegan pizza is absolutely splendid.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into short, narrow strips
• 1 cup quartered artichoke hearts (see Note)
• One 12- to 14-inch good-quality pizza crust
• 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce, more or less as needed

• 3 to 4 medium tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick, optional
• 1 cup grated mozzarella-style nondairy cheese
• Sliced fresh basil leaves for topping, as desired, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté over medium-low heat until just turning golden. 
3. Add the bell pepper and continue to sauté until the onion is soft and lightly browned. Stir in the artichoke hearts. Remove from heat and cover.
4. Place the crust on a pan. Spread the marinara sauce on the crust, then arrange the optional tomatoes over it. Top with the cheese.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden on the bottom and the cheese is well melted. Remove from the oven and spread the mixture from the skillet over the surface. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes longer.
6. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with sliced basil leaves, if using.
7. Let stand for a minute or two, then cut into 6 wedges to serve.

Notes

Use artichoke hearts that are canned, frozen, or from the supermarket’s olive bar — not marinated.

White pizza variation: To make a white pizza variation of this artichoke and bell pepper pizza, simply combine half of a 12.3-ounce container silken tofu in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Process until completely smooth. Double for two pizzas. Replace the marinara sauce with this white sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 325Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 303mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 9g

Nutrition data is always an estimate, based on program used to calculate and specific products used in recipe

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Vegan Sausage and Peppers Pizza