This is the best Plant-Based French Bread Pizza Recipe to make for dinner! It’s a nostaglic, vegan-friendly pizza made with crispy ciabatta bread, lots of colorful veggies like green peppers, red onions and black olives and topped with homemade chickpea sausage. Everyone will love these crispy, cheesy French bread pizzas!
I love making pizzas at home in the regular oven, and even though I dream of having a fancy pizza oven like this one one day, you don’t need any special equipment to make these tasty French bread pizzas at home.
Instead of using mock meat a store-bought vegan cheese, I make homemade chickpea sausage seasoned with dried fennel, garlic and smoked paprika. And the DIY vegan cheese is about as easy as it gets! Simply blend cashews, miso and spices with a little bit of cornstarch and viola! You have the perfect cheese sauce to pour over the veggies and sausage.
As the pizza bakes, the cheese sauce thickens and creates a perfectly gooey, cheesy topping that compliments the veggies and hearty tomato sauce.
You’ll only need a 6 simple ingredients to make the chickpea sausage!
Chickpeas – packed with protein, iron and fiber
Olive Oil – add richness and moisture to the chickpeas
Dried Fennel – fennel has a mild anise flavor that can be used in sweet or savory recipes
Minced Garlic – garlic and fennel is match made in Heaven! The combo is part of what gives Italian -Style sausage its distinctive flavor
Smoked Paprika – adds smokiness and depth to the chickpea sausage
Salt and Pepper – the finishing touch that ties it all together
How to Make Homemade Vegan Cheese for Pizza
You will need cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, onion granules, salt and cornstarch. Blend it up and ta-daa! A cheesy sauce that will look a little bit thin when you pour it onto the pizza, but don’t worry, it thickens and sets as it bakes and creates the perfect cheesy topping for this French bread pizza. No store-bought cheese required.
More Nikki Vegan Recipes To Try
Plant-Based French Bread Pizzas
Ingredients
for the Chickpea Sausage
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp dried fennel seeds
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp kosher salt I use Morton's
- ½ tsp black pepper
for the Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¾ cup almond milk unsweetened
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp light miso paste
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp kosher salt I use Morton's
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
for the Pizzas
- 1 16in ciabatta loaf
- ¾ cup pizza sauce
- ½ cup finely diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup cup sliced black olives
- red pepper flakes to taste optional
Instructions
Prep
- Start by covering the cashews with boiling water and leaving them to soak for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, mash the chickpeas until they resemble flaked tuna, then set aside. Then, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, slice the bread in half and let it toast in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Make the Chickpea Sausage
- Set a large frying pan to medium heat and add the olive oil and fennel seeds. Cook for one minute and then add the smoked paprika and minced garlic.
- Cook for 20-30 seconds but be careful not to brown the garlic.
- Then add the mashed chickpeas, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Spread into an even layer in the pan and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes to crisp and brown slightly around the edges.
- Then toss and cook for one more minute. Crumble into pieces with a spatula and set aside.
Make the Cheese Sauce
- Drain the water from the cashews and add them to a blender with the remaining sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Assemble
- Assemble the pizza by layering the sauce and veggies on each half of the ciabatta bread. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, then pour the cheese sauce on top (avoiding the very edges) and finish with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if desired.
Bake
- Bake for 10-20 minutes depending on how thick the bread is. It should be golden brown and crispy and the cheese should be thickened and set.
Serve
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper if you like and then allow the pizza to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
Hey! I’m Nicole and I make practical vegan recipes for REAL life. I cook with simple, easy to find ingredients and I’m passionate about creating delicious plant-based meals that everyone will love!
I hope you enjoy my recipes and videos :) Happy Cooking!
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