Plant-Based French Bread Pizzas
Piled high with colorful veggies, chickpea sausage and homemade vegan cheese, these Plant-Based French Bread pizzas are sure to brighten up the dinner table!
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.