Vegan Deep Dish Pizza + Vegan Parmesan

Pizza is the world's favorite food and it can easily be made vegan! Chicago pizza in particular is extra unhealthy due to the amount of fat in the crust and the mounds of cheese under the sauce. Deep dish pizza is special because it has a thick and crispy outer crust and a thin bottom crust. The order of topping is unusual too. In a non vegan pizza, they put the meat, the cheese, the sauce, then parmesan cheese on top. It is such a delicious was to enjoy pizza and I have veganized it! Made with an oil-free, garlic and herb crust, sauteed onions, cheesy tofu, homemade tomato sauce, and last but certainly not least....VEGAN PARM! Such a great combo! You can add any toppings you like such as bell peppers, broccoli, vegan cheese or meat substitutes, or go for a pesto or white sauce on top! This recipe is very versatile and easy to customize to your taste. It does take a bit of time but it is so worth it it! Full recipe video is at the bottom of the blog post!

The Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1.5 cups warm water
• 1 tbs coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 3.5 cups unbleached flour 
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1.5 tsp itialian spices (basil, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, etc)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 10-15 minutes or until bubbles form on top
2. Add in the flour, garlic and herbs and mix until a dough ball forms. If too sticky add more flour in small amounts
3. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes
4. Cover and set in a dark warm place for 1-2 hours, the dough should double in size
5. After the dough has risen, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then punch the air out of the dough and turn out into the baking dish you are using. I used a 15 inch cast iron skillet but you can use any baking dish or pan with high sides
6. Optional: coat the pan and your hands with coconut oil to eliminate the dough from sticking
7. Once you have spread the dough thinly on the bottom of the pan and made a thicker outer edge, you can prebake it for 15-30 minutes (time depends on the pan you use so keep an eye on it)
8. After it comes out you can put all of your toppings on

The Sauce

Ingredients:

• 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1 tbs maple syrup (or any other sweetener of choice)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce and tomato paste. Mix them together to fomr a smooth mixture
2. Add in all of the spices, nutritional yeast, and sweetener
3. Cook on medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes. It should become thicker as it cooks
4. You can use this sauce on pizza, pasta, or zoodles

Cheesy Tofu

• 1 block of firm tofu
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1-2 tbs liquid aminos (or tamari or soy sauce)
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat a nonstick pan on high and crumble the block of tofu into small pieces
2. Add in the lemon juice, liquid aminos, nooch, and spices
3. Cook in the pan for 5-10 minutes, it should become slightly browned
4. Eat on it's own or put it on this deep dish pizza!

Vegan Parmesan

Ingridients:

• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic 

Directions:

1. In a small food processor, add all of the ingredients and pulse for about 10-15 times
2. When it's done, it should be a sand like texture. Don't blend too much or else you might make cashew butter :)

Assemble

Ingredients:

• Prebaked pizza crust 
• Sauted onions (optional, you can use any other veggies)
• Cheesy tofu (optional, you can use any other meat substitute)
• 2-3 cups tomato sauce
• 3 tbs vegan parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2. On the crust, layer the onions and tofu on the bottom. Make sure they are in an even layer

3. Pour on the sauce and spread it to the edges of the crust. Make sure you can't see much of the bottom layers

4. Sprinkle on the vegan parm and bake for 15-20 minutes

5. When it comes out, let it sit for 5 minutes then cut slices and enjoy!