Vegan Roasted Eggplant Pizza
This Vegan Roasted Eggplant Pizza is so good you won’t believe it.
Is there anything better than an Italian style vegan pizza with all the toppings you could desire? My answer to that is “not much”.
Pizza is one of my go-to must-have stables. At least once a month (sometimes more) I need a dose of pizza. And not just any pizza. It needs to be amazing, mouthwatering and cheesy pizza…and of course I want it to be vegan. This pizza is all of that and more.
Imagine roasted eggplants that are soft, sweet and savory with crispy edges all covered in delicious vegan cheese. It doesn’t get much better or much easier than this.
The trick to making this recipe is pre-roasting the eggplants. Eggplants need more cooking time than a pizza crust to make them soft and almost melty. That’s why I like to load them with a little olive oil and a lot of spices and grill them first.
What’s great about this Vegan Roasted Eggplant Pizza recipe:
- It’s so easy and extremely tasty
- Vegan, plant-based, nut free, soy free
- Packed with flavors
- Simple and quick to make
- Always a crowd pleaser
Jump on the lazy train
If you’re lazy like me, just buy a pizza dough at the supermarket and load it with your own veggies. On a busy weeknight I usually don’t feel like making dough or spending more time than necessary in the kitchen – but I still love to eat and that’s where those clever shortcuts comes in handy. I’m all about making delicious food that’s easy. If that requires the occasional shortcut, that’s fine with me.
Gyros spice:
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you have probably heard me rave about Gyros Spice before. I ADORE the stuff. It’s a versatile spice mix made with curry powder, onion powder, thyme, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. I use it on pretty much everything and it’s a stable in my kitchen.
You can find the recipe here
Bean spread:
I do like to make my own bean spread – it’s something I use almost every day in sandwiches and wraps. I like it because not only is it really tasty it’s also very healthy and packed with proteins. It’s also amazing on pizzas because it adds a bit of creamy depth and cheesy flavors. Plus, it helps work as a binder that grabs a hold of all the other ingredients and keeps everything in place. You can use storebought bean spread if you prefer, or you can make your own like I do. I usually make this spread once a week, so it’s something that’s always in my refrigerator ready to use.
So how is the Bean spread made? It couldn’t be easier:
Ingredients:
- 1 15-oz can Cannelini or small white beans Rinsed and Drained
- 8 Oil packed Sundried Tomato halves
- 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast Optional
- ½ tbsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Cayenne Powder
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2-3 tbsp Cold Water
- Pinch of salt
- Pour the beans into a blender with all the other ingredients and blend until everything is smooth and combined.
- Scrape the bean spread into an airtight container and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Making the pizza
- Heat your oven to 400F.
- Lay the pizza dough on a flat non-stick surface and spread tomato paste over it. Next, spread 3 tbsp of the bean spread haphazardly over the pizza (it doesn’t have to be evenly spread).
- Decorate the pizza with the eggplant slices haphazardly strewn over it and season with dried oregano. Top with vegan cheese and grill the pizza in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Vegan Roasted Eggplant Pizza
Ingredients
For the Pizza
- 1 Pizza Dough
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 3 tbsp Bean Spread
- ½ tbsp Dried Oregano
- ¼ cup Vegan Cheese
- 1 Eggplant Cut into slices
- 1 tbsp Gyros Spice
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Bean Spread
- 1 15-oz can Cannelini or small white beans Rinsed and Drained
- 8 Oil packed Sundried Tomato halves
- 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast Optional
- ½ tbsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Cayenne Powder
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2-3 tbsp Cold Water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Bean Spread
- Pour the beans into a blender with all the other ingredients and blend until everything is smooth and combined.
- Scrape the bean spread into an airtight container and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
For the Eggplants
- Cut the eggplants into thin slices and brush each side of the slices with olive oil. Season generously with the Gyros spice mix (or alternatively paprika, thyme, curry powder and salt) and grill them at medium high heat in a non-stick pan. Let them cook until the texture becomes soft (it should take a couple of minutes on each side). Once they are cooked, set the eggplant slices aside.
For the Pizza
- Heat your oven to 400F.
- Lay the pizza dough on a flat non-stick surface and spread tomato paste over it. Next, spread 3 tbsp of the bean spread haphazardly over the pizza (it doesn't have to be evenly spread).
- Decorate the pizza with the eggplant slices haphazardly strewn over it and season with dried oregano. Top with vegan cheese and grill the pizza in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
