A Cheeseless Pizza That Still Delivers

After the grilled cheese post, I decided it’s only fair to advertise a favorite among my vegan buddies. A cheeseless pizza, topped with salad, is a perfect combination of appetizer and entree.

You’ll need:

½ cup mushrooms (if you don’t want to use fresh, use one can, drained)

¼ small eggplant, sliced

¼ small zucchini, sliced

¼ cup Black olives

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small can tomato sauce

¼ small onion, diced

½ red or green pepper, chopped

*season with oregano, basil, and garlic to taste

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup chopped arugula

Balsamic vinaigrette

Wheat pitas (one per pizza)

For your own marinara: In a saucepan, heat approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown diced onion, chopped red peppers, and add tomato sauce. Season with oregano, basil, and garlic to taste, and set aside. **If you don’t feel like making your own marinara, feel free to purchase a jar of pizza sauce and use that instead to save time.

In a skillet, heat another tablespoon of olive oil and brown mushrooms, slices of eggplant, and zucchini slices. You don’t want them to be charred, just a little brown and crisp at the edges. After these are ready, toss with arugula/romaine mix. Add black olives and balsamic vinaigrette. ** Pre-bagged salad works well too, with any sort of vegetables and dressing, if you’re not a fan of the romaine-arugula mix.

In a toaster oven, warm your pita. Remove just before it gets crunchy and add marinara sauce to make the ‘crust’ of your mini-pizza. Pop back in for a few minutes until it’s as warm/crisp as you like, then remove and add salad mixture to the top.

Essentially any salad you like on top of the pita and sauce, and you’ve got a quick dinner. If you’re not lactose-intolerant, feel free to garnish with parmesan cheese.