Recently, someone tweeted about a local pizza place that had introduced a vegan pizza to their delivery menu. It was like Christmas Day in Smokin’ Mansions for about five seconds until I realised that their definition of ‘vegan pizza’ was simply to skip the cheese.
Now, to some, the term “vegan pizza” is an oxymoron. To others, “vegan pizza” is like a dry hump. Either way, I’m pissed as hell when a vegan pizza turns out to be a regular pizza sans-cheese. Let’s be real: the cheese is the best bit. I want something to satisfy the carby-fat cravings that usually lead to dialling Domino’s.
In this vegan pizza, I use vegan cream cheese to mimic the creaminess of a ricotta-topped pizza. Fresh, creamy and flavourful, I think it tastes best with the sharp saltiness of torn kalamata olives, the crunch of green pepper and and the sweet depths of caramelised onion. The mushrooms are really just for fun, and to appease my mushroom-loving boyfriend. Of course, you should always take the prerogative to go ape shit with variations: match the toppings to your own palette.
A note on caramelising onions: the trick to reaching those deep flavours and jammy finish is simply time. Get them on the go whilst you whip up a batch of fresh pizza sauce, pizza dough or flavoured cream cheese. They can also be made in advance and refrigerated until needed. Check out the ever brilliant Jerry James Stone for an easy how-to video for caramelising onions. As a twist, once mine are almost jammy, I add a cheeky splash of balsamic vinegar to make them jammier than a jam tart.
Basil Cream Cheese & Caramelised Onion Vegan Pizza (makes 2 medium pizzas).
Ingredients:
2 pizza bases (make your own if you’re fancy, buy ready-made if you’re not. No judgement).
One Batch of Smokin’ Tofu Basic Pizza Sauce.
½ cup of sliced mushrooms.
½ cup sliced green pepper.
¼ tub of Smokin’ Tofu Basil Pesto Cream Cheese.
2 red onions, caramelised.
6-8 kalamata olives, pitted and halved.
A sprinkle of oregano.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Split a batch of basic pizza sauce between the two bases and spread evenly. Top with a layer of sliced mushrooms and green pepper slices. Add alternating quenelles* of cream cheese and heaped piles of caramelised onion. Scatter with olive halves and sprinkle the whole thing with dried oregano and cracked black pepper to taste. Bake until a golden crust forms over the cream cheese quenelles, and serve.
*I’m learning how to perfect quenelles at the moment and mostly struggling, hence the rather blobby-looking scoops of cream cheese pictured.
If you have to throw together a fresh batch of basil pesto cream cheese for this, you could use some to make Creamy Carrot Pesto Soup or just spread the leftovers thick and dirty over toasted bagels.
Soundtrack to celebrate the fact I saw Patti last week…
