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{Vegan} Black Bean Crust Pizza

I’ve tried a fair few pizzas in my time. I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a connoisseur, but I know a good slice when I taste one. I’ve played around with some low-carb cauliflower bases but they just don’t fill me up, so I turned to beans for something more substantial. This Pizza is pretty phenomenal actually, both on nutrition profile and more importantly, taste. It’s cheesy, herby and chewy – the perfect start to the weekend, minus the hefty bill from Dominos.

The healthy stuff: A one-cup serving of black beans contains nearly 15 grams of fibre (50% of the RDA) and 15g of protein (equivalent to 60g chicken). This outstanding protein-fibre combination doesn’t exist in other fruit, vegetables, grains, meats, dairy products, nuts and seeds, or seafood. The antioxidants found in the skins of the beans promote better eyesight, cardiac health, capillary strength, skin appearance, and an improved immune system. They’re also great for energy, maintaining blood sugar levels, and digestion!

Recipe

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SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the base

  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 tbsp black chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt

For the topping

  • 1/2 cup heirloom tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large mushroom, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup basil pesto (try this homemade version)
  • 1/4 cup bocconcini (optional – vegans sub cashew/soy cheese)
  • 1/2 cup rocket
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

This recipe was originally written for Nourish Magazine and published in the November 2015 edition.

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 180° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix together ⅓ cup water with the chia seeds and ground flax, and let it sit for 10 minutes until thick and gelatinous.
  3. In a food processor, add the beans, flax + chia mix, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt and cayenne. Blend until smooth.
  4. Spread the mixture onto the parchment paper in the shape of a pizza crust, until about ó inch thick.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, then carefully flip the crust to bake on the underside for 15 minutes.
  6. Lightly sauté the mushrooms until soft.
  7. Remove the crust from the oven and top with pesto, bocconcini, mushrooms and tomatoes, then bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese has just melted.
  8. Top with fresh rocket and rosemary sprigs.
  9. Slice + serve (or save leftovers for breakfast!)

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Sally O'Neil - Editor in Chief

Sal is on a mission to prove that healthy and nutritious doesn’t have to be boring – and that even while staying in shape you can have your cake and eat it too. After losing 14kg from adopting a healthier lifestyle, she shares her journey with others on The Fit Foodie Blog. She also works as a commercial food photographer and stylist, is studying a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, and is the author of two cookbooks: Love Move Eat (Bauer Media, 2017) and Meal Prep Plan (Murdoch, 2019).

4 Comments
  1. Hi there, I am interested in making this but curious – did you mean 6 inches thick or 6 inches in diameter? thanks!

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