Thursday, May 28, 2009

veggie and kraut pizza

pizza has long been one of my favourite foods. another one my favourites is sauerkraut, and when i went vegan, i found that kraut made a tasty substitute for cheese on pizza. it's not exactly apples to apples in terms of taste, mind you, but it's really worth giving it a shot (if you like kraut). the best part - it crunches up perfectly on the edges.


  • 1 batch of pizza crust
  • 2 handfuls baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 tomato, sliced and halved
  • 5-6 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup vegan sausage crumbles
  • 10-15 black olives, chopped
  • 1 cup of sauerkraut, drained
for the pizza sauce:
  • 1 small can tomato paste (6oz)
  • 3/4 small can tomato sauce (6oz)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
  • pinch of salt
jessy of happyveganface recently blogged about her whole wheat pizza dough and i had been dying to give it a shot. the verdict - absolutely perfect! i will definitely use this dough more often.

the pizza sauce recipe listed is my go-to recipe when i haven't really 'planned' on making pizza. i prefer a nice combination of fresh and sun dried tomatoes for my sauce, but sometimes a girl just doesn't have all the fresh ingredients she needs. and it's simple - just whisk up all the ingredients in a bowl. also, i really love black pepper in my sauce. i learned this from my italian grandmother, who i once watched make pizza sauce with a heavy hand of black pepper. her sauce tops mine of course, but i haven't forgotten the special black pepper ingredient. :)

i think everyone knows how to make pizza, so i'll just skip to the best part. after layering your sauce and veggies, drain and hand-squeeze your sauerkraut. spread it thinly over the top of your pizza - much like you would with shredded cheese. if you want the kraut to crunchify, make sure you can still see the veggies below. i've tried it both ways, and i say 'thin to win'...

pop it in the oven at 425°f, and let cook for at least 12 minutes. usually i just eyeball it after this, depending on how thick it is, and how crispy you like it.

19 comments:

Lauren said...

I love kraut on anything!!! :) YUM!!!!! I will have to give it a try on pizza!

GreenDogWine said...

you know i'm a sucker for kraut! that looks AMAZING! LOVE THE IDEA!

Bianca said...

Oh wow! I'd have never thought to put kraut on a pizza. But I think I would LOVE this!

veggievixen said...

mmm that pizza dough did look delicious. kraut pizza...score.

Sindy said...

Wasn't a big fan of kraut before I became vegan, but hey- it's worth giving it another shot-especially on pizza!

Vic Robinson said...

Wow. There is a ton of action on that pizza! Looks yummy!

VeganCowGirl said...

What!!!???? I never EVER would have put this together! Love your adventures in pizza and krut...totally wicked.
happyveganface's breads are SOOOOO good (and the recipes are always so reliable!)
Pizza looks great!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

WHAT?! I love kraut & was recently told to cut back my soy intake, this is perfect! yum.

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

yum, great idea! i love pizza, i haven't made any for ages so i know what i'm making for dinner this weekend!!

East Village Vegan said...

Hmm. Sauerkraut on pizza. Never thought of that combination. How creative:)

Hannah said...

That pizza looks like it's just loaded with goodness! I've never tried kraut on a pizza before, but it's definitely an intriguing idea...

jessi said...

mmmm saurkraut is one of my favorite foods . . . this looks soooo goood!!!!

Anonymous said...

Holy Pizza Goodness! This looks awesome and I :heart: sauerkraut!

Amy said...

I have never tried kraut. For some reason it has always scared me just a little (you know how some foods just seem...scary?). This pizza looks absolutely fabulous though!! And I think I'm going to have to give it a try for sure. Yum!

Anonymous said...

Oh Yum - great idea! We make pizza nearly every Friday night- I need to round up some kraut for next time!

Anonymous said...

that's really interesting how you put sauerkraut on the pizza! cooool

jessy said...

i have never had kraut on pizza before, miss v! and i don’t know why i never have before – i loooooove kraut! next pizza we make i’m putting kraut on mine, fo ‘sho! mmmmmmmmmmmm! we’re so superhappyfaced that you like our pizza dough recipe! thanks for the shout-out! you rock, miss v!

Anonymous said...

A very unique pizza creation! Love this recipe!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this! I just made a sauerkraut pizza and it added a great new flavor.