This post is also available in: Suomi (Finnish)
Let me start with a big thank you: big and cozy hugs to all of you taking part to the giveaway on my previous post, and to all of you who’ve sent me lovely comments and well-wishes about our new meal plan. It feels so good to receive such a positive feedback, so thank you! The last few days have been rather exciting, as we were on radio to talk about the veggie life and our meal plan, and we’ve sent the first grocery bags to our customers. If you’ve already tried one, please let me know about your experience, I’d love to hear. You can always reach me by commenting here on the blog, by this contact form, or through Instagram :)
But now, let’s move onto pizza!
This pizza right here ain’t an ordinary one, but a vegan and gluten-free chia pizza made with true love. Besides the crunchy crust, it has homemade tomato sauce, fresh vegetables, cashew cheese, and avocado pesto. I really think I went to heaven while eating this. Or then I just really love pizza.
I feel that cheese has a crucial role in pizza, and a lot of people have opinions about it. Should the cheese be below or on top of the other toppings (or both), should it be grated or sliced, what’s the best cheese etc. My usual favorites are mozzarella di bufala and soft goat cheese, but for a while I’d been thinking about a vegan version to replace my traditional options. I’ve made cashew cheese for a few years already, and usually had it in vegan caesar salad or with veggie burgers, but it makes a great topping for pizza too. I add my cheese on top as the last thing, so that it doesn’t go to the oven, and the same goes for the avocado pesto too. I love adding something fresh on top of my pizza, so that I can get as much flavor as possible with one bite. No minimalism here :)
It takes a little longer to make this pizza than my usual recipes, but I guarantee you that it’s totally worth it to spend a bit more on time on this. And the recipe is very simple, trust me. The longer you let the tomato sauce to simmer, the better it will be, but if you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought version too. I recommend trying out the cashew cheese and avocado pesto though, as they really bring a great flavor. And if you’re not into zucchini or broccoli, you can always switch them to other veggies or toppings you like!
Sending you good vibes and tasty times! xo
Chia Pizza w/ Cashew Cheese & Avocado Pesto (GF + V)
notes: if you’re short on time, you can replace the homemade tomato sauce with a store-bought version, and instead the avocado pesto just slice some fresh avocado on top of the pizza.
makes one big or two small pizzas
Crust:
2 tbsp chia seeds + 6 tbsp water
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 – 1/2 cup water
Toppings:
homemade tomato sauce (recipe below)
baby spinach
thinly sliced zucchini
broccoli
cashew cheese (recipe below)
avocado pesto (recipe below)
pine nuts
METHOD:
1. Start by preparing the tomato sauce. The longer you can let it to simmer, the better it will be. I recommend preparing the cashew cheese and avocado pesto beforehand as well, so that they’re ready once the pizza comes out of the oven. The recipes are below.
2. Preheat the oven to 225 C / 425 F degrees. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds with water and let thicken for 5 minutes. In another bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix the olive oil to the chia gel and then add the chia mixture along with the water to the dry ingredients. Knead the dough by hand until it’s easily moldable. Form one large or two smaller pizzas from the dough and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the crust is slightly golden brown.
4. Cut the zucchini and broccoli into thin slices, and rinse the spinach if needed. Once the crust is pre-baked, start by adding the tomato sauce and then layer the vegetables on top evenly.
5. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to brown and the vegetables are slightly softened. Take the pizza from the oven and finish with cashew cheese and avocado pesto. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Homemade tomato sauce:
1 yellow onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
400g crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
salt & black pepper
a handful of fresh basil
METHOD:
Cut the onion and the garlic to small pieces. Heat a frying pan, add the olive oil and sauté the onions until they soften. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper, bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the fresh basil just before taking the sauce of the heat. Taste, and add spices if needed.
Cashew Cheese:
3/4 cup cashews
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
METHOD:
If possible, soak the cashews in plenty of water for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Rinse and drain. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Begin with a small amount of water and add as needed, depending on the consistency you’d like to have. Store the ‘cheese’ in an airtight container in the fridge.
Avocado Pesto:
2 small avocados
a big handful of fresh basil
a big handful of fresh basil
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt & black pepper
METHOD:
Scoop the avocados to a blender. Add all the remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth. You can use a hand mixer too to make the pesto. Taste and add more salt / pepper / lemon juice, if needed. Store the pesto in the fridge.
** I made this recipe originally to CocoVi’s site, so you’ll find it from thee too along with other recipes from me! **
Hey Tuulia, thank you once again for a completely awesome recipe. I will delight my family with it as soon as I get in the kitchen again. Just noticed though, that in the cashew cheese recipe the nutritional yeast seems to be called nutritional cheese by accident, if you would like to change that <3
Hey Lilje! Yay if you end up trying out the recipe! And thanks for noticing that little typo, nutritional cheese sounds rather interesting :D Now it’s fixed! Have a lovely weekend! <3
Thank you so much, my taste buds were absolutely blown by how the crispiness of the base, the creaminess of the avocado and the flavours of the cashew cheese all complemented each other so well. An excellent dinner! The only changes I made were to use a carrot instead of the zucchini and baby chard instead of spinach. I had ran out of nutritional yeast so could not use it, but found it to be flavourful and umami-rich even without. Thanks again! Even my brother who despises broccoli happily ate it all.
I literally cannot wait to try this base at home! God help me if I make my partner’s pizza with the cheese on the top! It ‘ruins his experience’ !! Lovely recipe x
Love this pizza Tuulia, especially that crust – you are genius! Will have to give it a try here soon with some fall toppings. Hope you are staying cozy and enjoying your fall in Finland friend, always love seeing a glimpse into your magical life up north – xo.
hi <3 can i use rice or quinoa flour instead?
Hi! I haven’t tried it so I don’t know for sure, but feel free to try it out :)