Topped with creamy cashew basil ricotta, arugula, tomatoes and spiced chickpeas and drizzled with a tangy pomegranate reduction, this Cashew Ricotta Pizza is like summer on a plate!
Forget greasy, heavy pizza! Our vegan version is light, refreshing and perfect for a summer lunch or dinner. And a complete meal in one pie: greens and veggies, protein and fiber rich chickpeas and creamy cashew ricotta. You can use store bough pizza dough or make your own!
If you thought making milk based ricotta cheese at home was easy, wait till you see how easy it is to make vegan cashew ricotta!! And easy is just one of the many qualities that make this mound of creamy goodness awesome...
Dairy free? Check
Gluten free? Check
Cholesterol free? Check
Nutrient loaded? Check
Vegan? Check
And best of all? It fooled one of the biggest dairy / meat lovers we know!
Our sister and her family just arrived here from Israel, and on our first lunch together, we served this Cashew Ricotta Pizza. Now, our sister is a vegetarian and is open to all kinds of different foods. But our brother in law, much like our dad, is more of a "purist". So no meat or dairy alternatives! Of course we didn't mention the pizza was made with vegan ricotta, so he ate it, and loved it. And when we told him it was made from ground soaked cashews, he even thought it was really cool!
Looks like we're making progress...
Now the question is, will it fool our dad? We will found out... 😉
Cashew Ricotta Pizza
- Total Time: 37 mins
- Yield: 1 large pizza or 2 small
Ingredients
- 1 lb store bought pizza dough
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse sea salt to sprinkle on top (to taste, optional)
- ½ pint mini heirloom tomatoes, sliced in quarters
- 2 cups baby arugula
- For the cashew ricotta:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in 2 cups water
- Juice of 1 small lemon ( about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ tsp salt
- 12 large basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- For the spiced chickpeas:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- For the pomegranate reduction:
- ½ cup pomegranate molasses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Roll pizza dough on a floured surface to desired thickness (you can do one large pizza or 2 small ones). Transfer the to the lined baking sheet (you can also use a pizza stone if yo have one). Spread olive oil over the dough and sprinkle with coarse sea salt (optional). Bake at 400F for 15-17 minutes
- In the meantime, prepare the cashew ricotta. Combine soaked and drained cashews, lemon juice and salt in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture has a ricotta like consistency (small curd). Set 2 tablespoons aside. Add basil leaves and garlic and pulse again until well incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and set aside
- To prepare the spiced chickpeas, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large non stick pan. Add chickpeas, onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt and pepper and toss well so the chickpeas are coated. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Set aside
- To prepare the pomegranate reduction, pour pomegranate molasses on a small non stick saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes stirring often, until it starts to thicken
- To assemble the pizza, spread basil ricotta evenly over the cooked dough. Top with arugula, tomatoes and chickpeas. Break little pieces of the plain ricotta you had left aside and arrange it over the pizza. Drizzle with pomegranate reduction
Notes
Prep time does not include soaking time for the cashews
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 17 mins
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Kosher / Vegan
Kushi
This is just amazing. Totally in love with the recipe. YUMMY!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much Kushi!
Cindy Silvert
Girls, you've done it again! This time you've got a whole bunch of my favorite ingredients in there. Can't wait to try it. Gorgeous too. @hungrylovecook
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Cindy, we really appreciate your support!