It’s time for a new vegetable-based pizza crust! You can even pick it up with your hands just like a real piece of pizza. The beautiful sweet earthiness of the beets pairs with the creaminess of the pesto sauce. The nutty and intense herbaceous pesto will be enhanced by the toppings. The toppings are merely suggestions, so feel free to top the pizza with cleanse-approved options that you enjoy. No olives!
Note: In the picture, there is torn chard leaves and a whiter sauce on the pizza, but the sauce is most definitely green and the toppings are merely suggestions, even though we encourage using the listed ingredients.
- Prep Time:1h 30m
- Cook Time:12m
- Total Time:1h 42m
- Serves: 5 servings
- Category: Entrees, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 beet
- 1/2 c warm water
- 1 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp. grade A maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour (may need an extra ¼ cup)
For the Pesto
- 1 c basil, packed
- 1/4 c pine nuts
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- pinch of pepper
For the Toppings
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 c fresh basil leaves
Instructions
How To Roast A Beet
- Preheat your oven to 400º F, remove both ends of the beet, and rinse it under warm water.
- Wrap the beet in aluminum foil and drizzle a touch of olive oil inside the wrapping. Place the wrapped beet in the center rack in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove the beet from the oven and open the foil to let it cool for a few minutes.
- Once it has cooled, cut it up into pieces, add it to a food processor, and blend until smooth. You may need a little water to aid the blending process. Spoon it into a bowl and set aside.
For the Dough
- To make the dough, combine water and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer (or large bowl if kneading by hand) and let it sit for five minutes.
- Once it is activated, turn the mixer on low speed (or gently mix with a wooden spoon), and slowly add in the pureed beet, maple syrup, sea salt, and 1/4 cup of flour at a time. Keep mixing until the dough comes together.
- Stop mixing and place the dough onto a lightly floured surface, kneading several times until smooth.
- Form the dough into a ball, place the ball in a lightly greased bowl, brush olive oil on the top of the ball, and cover with a kitchen towel so it can rise.
For the Pesto
- While the dough is rising, make the pesto by adding all of the ingredients into a food processor and blending until smooth. Spoon the pesto into a bowl and set aside.
Making the Pizza
- To make the pizza, preheat your oven to 450º F. Lightly flour a workspace and roll out the dough into whatever shape you like. Rectangular works if you only have baking sheets.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough on the baking sheet. Spread pesto all over the pizza and top with desired amount of toppings. Bake for 12-15 minutes and remove when finished. Enjoy!
