Happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day is spent doing something you love with someone you love. Rather than doing another red and pink dessert recipe, I decided to take this heart-filled-holiday opportunity to post something that will not only make your heart happy but also make your heart healthy. As promised, this pizza provides the perfect opportunity to make excellent use of the Superseed Pesto recipe I posted on Monday.
This vegan + gluten-free pizza's crust is created by blending soaked quinoa with a variety of spices. When I first heard about the quinoa pizza crust trend, I was a little reluctant to give it a whirl. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, right? However, this is one of those times when the cliché just doesn't ring true. Thank goodness.
The result is a study yet tender pizza crust that humbly and happily supports any toppings you decide to toss in its direction. The quinoa adds a protein-packed punch and renders the entire pizza a gluten-free-carb-lover's dream. You could honestly top this pizza with any and, let's be honest, ALL of your favorite pizza ingredients, but if you're looking for some inspiration, I highly recommend this pesto, arugula, cherry tomato, and pepita combination. It's that perfect balance of refreshing/light/bright + hearty/filling/satisfying. De.lec.ta.ble
I hope you all have a fun-filled weekend! Dan and I are heading to Santa Barbara to soak up some sun and take in some fresh California food + wine this weekend, so I'll be sure to fill you in on our adventures when we return. However, if you are itching to keep up-to-date with the adventures as they happen, be sure to follow me on Instagram at @blissfulbasil. I'd love to connect with you all!
- 1 cup white quinoa
- 2 ⅛ cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup superseed pesto (see post from February 10, 2014)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup arugula
- 2 tablespoons raw pepitas
- small handful fresh basil, chopped
- Soak quinoa in two cups water for 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain and rinse the soaked quinoa.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the quinoa, 2 tablespoons water, olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Process until mixture is smooth and resembles a thick batter (approximately 2-4 minutes).
- Pour batter into a well-greased, 10-inch tart pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and set.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Pop crust out of pan and spread pesto evenly across the crust. Top with tomatoes, pepitas, arugula, and basil.
- Cut and serve immediately.
Julia says
Hi Ashley - thanks for this recipe - I love trying new gluten free pizza crusts, and I had never thought of making one with blended soaked quinoa:) your pictures are beautiful!
Rachel says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I was wondering, do you have to have a food processor to make the crust? I have a blender but not a food processor.
Ashley says
Hi Rachel! You should be okay with a very high-powered blender, but I can't vouch for the results for certain as I haven't tried it with a blender yet. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it goes!
Kayti says
Hey Ashley, love this recipe! I was planning on trying it out today, but I couldn't find nutritional yeast anywhere! I live in Australia and I visited all the health food shops around me but had no luck. Is the tablespoon of nutritional yeast vital for the crust to work out? Or could any ingredients work as a substitute? Thanks in advance :)
Ashley says
Hi Kayti! The nutritional yeast just adds a bit of a cheesy flavor, so the crust should work out just fine without it. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
RawDeb says
Hey Kayti,
IF you have a local GO Vita store - ask them to order in specially for you. Otherwise you can get by mail order: https://www.organicbuyersgroup.com.au/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=575
others will come up if you google nutritional yeast. Deb:-)
Annie @Maebells says
This makes such a lovely presentation! I love arugula on pizza!
Ashley says
Thanks, Annie! Arugula is a weakness of mine, albeit a healthy one to have -- I can't get enough of its peppery bite!
Raquel says
A couple of months ago, I also shared a quinoa crust recipe on my blog! Isn't it amazing? Love yours :)
Ashley says
Hi Raquel! Quinoa pizza crust is just plain awesome, isn't it? Full of protein and so delicious. Plus, I love how it holds up even with some hefty toppings. I just checked yours out and it looks amazing! I'll definitely have to try your recipe out sometime very soon!
Marielle says
Hello,
I just tried this recipe and although the taste was delicious, my crust was so stuck to the pan that it all got kind of destroyed. I did grease the pan with butter before hand but it didn't seem to do any good. Any suggestions on how to resolve this?
Ashley says
Hi, Marielle! I'm glad you enjoyed the flavor but so sorry that it stuck to the pan. That definitely shouldn't happen but I've never used butter to grease the pan before. I usually use a nonstick cooking spray as it prevents sticking a bit better. If you don't have/use cooking spray, I would recommend lining the bottom of the tart pan with a circle of parchment paper next time and then grease the sides. Parchment paper will definitely prevent any sort of sticking issues. I hope you give this one another try!
Haley says
If you forgot to soak the quinoa before and you want the pizza for a couples hours from now, is it okay to just cook it normally??
Ashley says
The quinoa really needs to be soaked or you'll end up with a crunchy pizza crust!