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!