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    The Hangry Chickpea » Lunch and Dinner » Easy Dairy-Free Pizza with Arugula

    Easy Dairy-Free Pizza with Arugula

    Published: Feb 3, 2022 · Modified: Mar 3, 2022 by Eliza

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This easy dairy free pizza recipe may be one of my best creations to date. Topped with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and fig jam, it's hard to beat!

    slice of vegan pizza with white sauce, mushrooms, caramelized onions, fig jam and arugula

    Pizza is perfect year round, but is especially nice around football season and the super bowl. Whip this fresh pizza up in the spring or summer to take advantage of fresh produce too!

    Or do a build your own pizza bar...everyone loves pizza night at my house.

    Homemade vegan cheese sauce is kinda my thing...check out this classic vegan mac and cheese, these butternut squash nachos or this healthy white bean alfredo sauce.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Top tip
    • Easy dairy free pizza recipe

    Ingredients

    vegan mozzarella, plant based milk, vegan butter, flour, arugula, onions, fig jam, salt, soy sauce and mushrooms
    Ingredients minus pizza dough

    Vegan white sauce

    • vegan mozzarella (Miyoko's is great) or other dairy free cheeses
    • coconut milk
    • flour
    • vegan butter (Miyoko's again...can you tell I'm a fan?)
    • salt

    Toppings

    • arugula
    • mushrooms
    • onions
    • soy sauce
    • fig jam
    • grapeseed oil
    • salt

    Sally's Baking Addiction has a super simple 6-ingredient pizza dough, but use any dough you like, as long as it's vegan. Some grocery stores have fresh pizza dough balls that make it super easy! Don't forget the warm water, it is VERY key.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    First, prep the dough so it has time to rise. Don't forget to cover the large bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. If you're using store-bought dough, skip this step.

    Small ball of pizza dough in a bowl with olive oil
    Vegan pizza dough pre-rise

    Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice onions. First, cut off bottom of the onion. Then place onto flat edge and cut in half between root. Finally, peel onion.

    Then place each half of the onion on its largest flat surface. Slice thinly until you reach the root, or your fingers run out of space.

    Warm a tablespoon or two of grapeseed oil in a large frying pan or medium saucepan on medium heat. Place raw onions and a pinch of salt in to frying pan and cook until translucent.

    raw mushroom slices in a medium saucepan
    raw onions - these will shrink down to about ¼ of the original volume.

    Then set heat to low, and let onions cook for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    translucent onion slices in a medium saucepan - half the volume as raw onions
    These onions have shrunk and are at the translucent stage, but aren't as brown and caramelized as we'd like.

    Pro tip: low and slow is the way to go for sweet caramelized onions. Take your time...you certainly have plenty of it waiting for the ball of dough to rise.

    While the onions are caramelizing, prepare the mushrooms. Wash and thinly slice.

    how to slice mushrooms
    thinly slice mushrooms this way, being extra careful with fingers

    In a large frying pan or flat bottomed pan, saute mushrooms on medium heat in a tablespoon of grapeseed oil with a pinch of salt until they have released juices and shrink to half their original volume.

    sliced raw mushrooms in a pan
    Original volume - lots of mushrooms!
    Sauteed mushrooms in a pan
    These mushrooms are ready for soy sauce!

    Once mushrooms have shrunk and released juices, add a tablespoon or two of soy sauce to the pan. This is a great time to add some minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves if you have them on hand (totally optional). Cook for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms absorb the soy sauce, then remove from pan and set aside.

    Before starting the white sauce, preheat oven to 450 F.

    Finally, turn you attention to the vegan pizza sauce. We start off by making a roux, basically a mixture of flour and melted butter.

    Thin roux combination of butter and flour

    Then we whisk in coconut milk or other plant-based milk of choice, a half cup at a time. The goal is to avoid chunks as the sauce thickens, so when in doubt, add less, and whisk more.

    Thick white sauce in a saucepan

    Finally, add a wheel of Miyoko's vegan mozzarella cheese in ½ in cubes. Or get messy with it and tear it off in chunks...it's all going to melt into the sauce anyway. Whisk until cheese combines with the roux, then remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Now prep pizza dough. Place dough onto a well floured surface. Then cut in half with a pastry cutter or knife. Don't try to tear it - the less gluten breakage, the better. This video does a great job outlining how to properly stretch pizza dough. And if it tears, don't worry, just pinch it back together. If you're feeling lazy, you can always use a rolling pin...

    Lastly, assemble the pizza. Start with a generous layer of white sauce, followed by mushrooms and caramelized onions.

    stretched pizza dough with white sauce, caramelized onions and mushrooms

    Bake for 12-15 minutes. The crispy crust will just start to brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then top with fig jam and arugula, slice and enjoy!

    Baked vegan pizza without arugula or fig jam - slightly brown edges, onions have caramelized even more
    Baked vegan pizza without arugula and fig jam

    Substitutions & Variations

    This dairy free pizza recipe is naturally and egg-free as well.

    To make it gluten free, use a gluten free crust, and substitute the flour in the roux for gluten free flour OR use a simple red sauce instead.

    This is far and away one of my best vegan pizza recipes because it's so versatile.

    • Not a fan of mushrooms? Leave 'em off.
    • Love pickled jalapeños? Add them.
    • Have some thyme or rosemary laying around? Throw it into the cheese sauce.
    • Feeling some red onion, artichoke hearts, or a red pepper or two? I'm in.
    • Want to use a butternut squash cheese sauce instead? Go for it.
    • Pesto or a simple tomato sauce more your speed? I won't stop you.
    • Want to go all-in with something a little meatier (minus the animal protein)? This lasagna sauce with seitan would be insane.

    Be creative! Cooking is fun.

    Equipment

    There are a few pieces of equipment that will make homemade pizza much easier to make.

    The first is a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, you'll need to use your hands to mix together the dough, then knead.

    That said, if you're buying your dough pre-made, then the stand mixer isn't an issue.

    The second is a good baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone. I always line my baking trays with parchment paper for easy clean-up. It's ok if your pizza isn't a perfect circle - it feels more rustic in an oval, no?

    Finally, it's important to note that saute heat will vary by type of pan. This recipe was written with stainless steel pots, which get hotter than other types of pans, like ceramic or nonstick. So if you're using a non-stainless steel pan, kick up the heat half a notch. For example, from medium heat to medium-high heat.

    Slice of dairy free pizza with arugula, fig jam, white sauce, caramelized onions and mushrooms
    Who's coming over for a slice?

    Storage

    Store the baked pizza wrapped in foil for 1-2 days, without arugula.

    Reheat in the oven on 250 F for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through. Add arugula, and enjoy.

    Or eat it cold. I won't judge you. I love cold pizza...

    If you have leftover pizza dough, you may freeze it. To freeze pizza dough, coat lightly in olive oil, then place into a tightly sealed freezer bag. Thaw into refrigerator for 8-12 hours, then let dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before stretching.

    Frequently asked questions

    When do I put arugula on the pizza?

    Put arugula on the pizza a few minutes after the pizza comes out of the oven. This way, the arugula doesn't wilt and stays nice and crunchy. It's basically like having a salad on the pizza instead of on the side.

    How do you make vegan pizza without cheese?

    There are two possible routes. First, you can make a cheese-less pizza with red sauce and lots of veggies, like caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, and arugula. There are ENDLESS toppings AND sauces without meat and dairy.

    Alternatively, you can make a cheese sauce with vegan cheese (like the recipe here), or simply replace the dairy cheese with vegan cheese shreds 1:1.

    Top tip

    Take your time with the onions and other toppings. You certainly have plenty of it waiting for the dough to rise. Pour yourself a glass of wine or make a cocktail and enjoy the process.

    Looking for more dairy free pizza sauces? Or a cocktail to go with your slice? Look no further...

    • The BEST Vegan Lasagna with Veggies
    • Creamy Pesto Pasta with Vegetables (Vegan)
    • Aperol spritz + vegan pairing guide
    • Vegan butternut squash alfredo sauce
    Print
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    mushroom arugula pizza slice

    Easy dairy free pizza recipe

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: The Hangry Chickpea
    • Prep Time: 90 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 mins
    • Total Time: 105 mins
    • Yield: 2 pizzas 1x
    • Category: Lunch and dinner
    • Method: Pizza
    • Cuisine: Italian
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This vegan pizza with arugula and white sauce may be one of my best creations to date. Topped with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and fig jam, it's hard to beat! 


    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    Pizza dough of choice - storebought or homemade

    Vegan white sauce

    • 1 package or 8 oz vegan mozzarella (Miyoko's is great)
    • 1-2 cups coconut milk
    • 2 Tbsp flour
    • 2 Tbsp vegan butter (Miyoko's again...can you tell I'm a fan?)
    • Salt to taste

    Toppings

    • 2-3 handfuls arugula
    • 2 packages mushrooms
    • 2 yellow onions
    • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
    • fig jam
    • grapeseed oil
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    1. First, prep the dough so it has time to rise. If you're using store-bought pizza dough, skip this step. 

    2. Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice onions. Warm a tablespoon or two of grapeseed oil in a large frying pan or medium saucepan on medium heat. Place raw onions and a pinch of salt in to frying pan and cook until translucent (5-10 minutes). Then set heat to low, and let onions cook for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions will be golden brown when done. Set aside in a separate bowl off the heat when ready.

    3. While the onions are caramelizing, prepare the mushrooms. Wash and thinly slice. In a large frying pan or flat bottomed pan, saute mushrooms on medium heat in a tablespoon of grapeseed oil with a pinch of salt until they have released juices and shrink to half their original volume.

    4. Once mushrooms have shrunk and released juices, add a tablespoon or two of soy sauce to the pan. This is a great time to add some minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves if you have them on hand (totally optional). Cook for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms absorb the soy sauce, then remove from pan and set aside.

    5. Before starting the white sauce, preheat oven to 450 F. To make the white sauce,  we start off by making a roux, basically a mixture of flour and melted butter. Whisk until homogenous. Then whisk in coconut milk or other plant-based milk of choice, a half cup at a time. The goal is to avoid chunks as the sauce thickens, so when in doubt, add less, and whisk more.

    6. Finally, add 8 oz of vegan mozzarella cheese. Whisk until cheese combines with the roux, then remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

    7. Now prep pizza dough. Place dough onto a well floured surface. Then cut in half with a pastry cutter or knife. Don't try to tear it - the less gluten breakage, the better. This video does a great job outlining how to properly stretch pizza dough. And if it tears, don't worry, just pinch it back together.

    8. Lastly, assemble the pizza. On a lined baking sheet or pizza stone, carefully lay down dough. Start with a generous layer of white sauce, followed by mushrooms and caramelized onions. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then top with fig jam and arugula, slice and enjoy!


    Keywords: vegan pizza, pizza with arugula and figs, caramelized onions, vegan white sauce, vegan pizza sauce

    How'd it go?

    Please rate this recipe and tag @thehangrychickpea on Instagram!

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    Comments

    1. The Hangry Chickpea

      February 03, 2022 at 3:44 am

      10/10 would recommend. served to my meat loving family and they loved it. came back for seconds and ate leftovers. wild success.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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