Easy Vegan Pizza With Banza Chickpea Crust

Recently, I made this super delicious, Easy Vegan Pizza with Banza Chickpea Crust.  I purchased a couple boxes of Banza Chickpea Pizza Crusts during a sale at Whole Foods.  They had been in our extra freezer, which had gotten super frosty.  The pizza crust boxes were stuck in the ice, so we couldn't pull them out until the ice thawed while defrosting.  Thankfully, the Banza Chickpea Pizza Crust was wrapped in cellophane inside the box.  The boxes were ruined, but the crusts were perfect.  

Of course a really Easy Vegan Pizza with Banza Chickpea Crust would be to purchase one of their ready made pizzas, like this Plant-Based Cheese Pizza, but what's the fun in that?  Plus, you can boost the nutrition, and better monitor total sodium when you whip up your own Easy Vegan Pizza.

Banza Chickpea Crust + Ingredients For Easy Vegan Pizza

Banza Chickpea Pizza Crusts are higher in protein and fiber, and gluten-free for those who are gluten intolerant.  They are sweet like whole wheat, soft inside once baked and quite delicious.  They certainly make for a quick Easy Vegan Pizza!

My Easy Vegan Pizza recipe takes advantage of the 'fruits' of the summer, namely zucchini, eggplant and fresh tomato which I sautéed prior to piling the veggies onto the crust.  

I didn't have the box for instructions, but I baked it at 375-380º for about 20 minutes, paying attention as it baked, and pulling it out when the crust was nicely golden, and the toppings looked nice and hot, with a sprinkling of vegan mozzarella shreds looking as melted as they get. 

Actually this is probably a silly post.  Who hasn’t made pizza?  First add pizza sauce, then your favorite toppings, bake and voila.  Pizza!  

Except I wanted to keep this lower acid and sodium, so I didn’t use any pizza sauce. The ‘sauce’ was a mix of veggies I had on hand that I thought would taste good together on the pizza, like zucchini, a little mushroom, eggplant, onion, garlic and spinach.  

I also added one Trader  Joe’s Vegan Italian Sausage, and fresh diced tomatoes for the saucy touch, plus a couple sun-dried tomatoes for that umami hit. (Look for dried, sulfite-free options.)

And, just for fun, I bought vegan mozzarella shreds. We rarely ~ if ever ~ buy vegan cheese, aside from purchasing  Toffuti, vegan cream cheese last year. We don’t crave them, and most are not all that healthy. The mozzarella shreds were good on this pizza, but definitely doesn’t melt like real cheese. 

So there you have it. Pretty much the entire, easy Vegan  Pizza with Banza Chickpea Crust recipe. I’ll outline it again below. But first, a few recipe notes.

Easy Vegan Pizza Recipe Notes

The amounts of the ingredients are my best estimates.

Use this recipe as a base idea for creating your own easy vegan pizza ~ with Banza Chickpea Crust, or something else.  We both gave Banza’s Chickpea Pizza crust a big thumbs up.  Very few extra added ingredients, and lower in sodium than most store bought pizza crusts. 

Cut vegetables in thinner slices for faster cooking, or keep it chunkier if you prefer.  Cut all the vegetables in roughly similar sizes.

Adjust the types and amounts of  veggies and seasoning as you need, roughly doubling the recipe if making two pizzas at the same time.  Or come up with your own combination on the other. 

(Since vegan cheese, olives, store bought pizza crusts, pizza sauce, vegan sausages, and even sun-dried tomatoes can each have a fair amount of sodium, do your best to keep the really salty ingredients minimal, adding for enhanced flavor.  The high potassium content of the vegetables will help balance the sodium.)

Get your kids involved. The pizza crust is a blank slate.  Use your imagination and have fun! 

Don and I shared one Vegan Pizza with Chickpea Crust between us, alongside some veggies, and Panzanella, Bread Salad for a super delicious Italian-y meal.

To Oil, or Not to Oil???

I think adding a couple teaspoons of good quality oil aids absorption of fat soluble nutrients and the lycopene in the tomatoes. Plus, it balances the drying nature of beans, and any type of baked crust.  (You may want to check out my video showing some dietary tweaks we made to tame our inner windy Vata nature.) 

The oil also moistens the ingredients which give the veggies a richer taste, adding to the enjoyment of this Easy Vegan Pizza, especially in lieu of using a store bought pizza sauce. 

So that’s my oil pitch, but hey, if you’re one of the #SOS whole foods, plant-based types, the recipe instructions are suitable for oil-free cooking.  I don't actually start with the oil in this recipe.  

Oil-free cooking is quite easy:  The pan needs to be hot enough.  The veggies release their juices to keep things moist.  Adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed once vegetables brown will create a 'sauce.'  Scrape up any brown spots with a wooden spatula.  A few splashes of a good quality balsamic vinegar can be used instead of water.

 

Easy Vegan Pizza with Banza Chickpea Crust Recipe 

1/2 (+/-) red or sweet onion, sliced thin

A few mushrooms of choice, thin sliced 

1 vegan Italian sausage, cut in quarters lengthwise, then diced

2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or oil of choice (optional, but I recommend using a little) 

1 medium zucchini, or 1/2 each zucchini + yellow summer squash, sliced thin in rounds or half rounds, or in a small dice

1 small eggplant, sliced thin or in similar shape and size as the zucchini 

1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Several small or 1-2 medium or larger tomatoes, diced

2-3 sun dried tomatoes, cut into smaller pieces with a scissors or knife

A few big handfuls of spinach, coarse chopped, reserving a small amount 

Oregano, dried &/or fresh basil or Italian seasoning 

Red pepper flakes

A few kalamata olives, pitted and diced small (optional) 

Steps for Making Easy Vegan Pizza with Banza Pizza Crust

Heat a skillet.  

For Oil-Free Sautéing:  Add 1/2 teaspoon of water onto the pan.  If it beads up like a mercury ball and dances around, the pan is hot enough.  If you place your hand over the pan, it will feel warmed, yet not super hot.  Once the water beads up in one bigger mercury ball, the pan is ready.

Add onion.  The pan should be hot enough for the onion to sizzle when added.  

Let cook 3-4 minutes, stirring  to prevent sticking.  When the onion starts to soften, add mushrooms, then diced Italian sausage.  Let cook a couple minutes.

Now is when I add the oil, eggplant, zucchini and garlic.   (Don't let garlic burn!  It gets bitter!)  

(Note: You could add oil before adding onion, or omit the oil, however I add it here to keep the oil from over heating, which changes the composition of the oil.  This is especially helpful if not using a higher heat cooking oil.  If the vegan sausage you are using has enough fat in it, you may not need oil.)

Add fresh and sun-dried tomatoes.  Stir, turn heat to medium-low, and simmer covered until veggies soften.

Add spinach, dried herbs, and olives, if using.  (I love Gaea Organic Pitted Kalamata Olives which are lower sodium, and have a smooth, almost buttery flavor.  I found them on sale at Vitacost.com.)  

If not using oil, the vegetables and tomatoes will create a little sauce.  If needed, add water a tablespoon at a time, and use a wood spatula to scrape up any browned bits. 

Place Banza Pizza Crust onto a parchment lined pizza or baking tray with low edges.  Spread remaining chopped fresh spinach around, then spoon cooked veggies on top.  Top with vegan mozzarella shreds, if using. 

Bake at around 375-380 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-20 minutes.  Toppings should look cooked and hot, and the crust will be a little browned, with a crispy bite, but soft inside.

I used a countertop toaster oven. Adjust temp and timing to your oven. Check after 10 minutes, then every couple until ready.  

Top with fresh basil, if using.  Cut and serve.

We enjoyed our Easy Vegan Pizza with an Italian Bread Salad, called Panzanella, and Cooked Red Cabbage.  A great meal!

Be sure to share your favorite toppings, or store bought pizza crust in the comments, below!

Easy Vegan Pizza with Banza Chickpea Pizza Crust