Mushroom zucchini and baby kale vegan pizza (oil-free)

Who said pizza has to be full of dairy and fat? There are customs and beliefs, or simply habits which repeat themselves to make a civilization. As the environment evolves, new civilizations emerge, or those which already exist can also evolve. Essayist Aymeric Caron made this very point during a debate on plant-based nutrition, and I find it to be true. A civilization can evolve. In big steps, with plant-based nutrition, and in small steps along with the way, with the oil-free, dairy-free and meat-free pizzas.

This mushroom zucchini and baby kale vegan pizza (oil-free) tastes absolutely delightful, especially with a side of balsamic vinegar and hot sauce.

Advantages of cooking your pizza at home

Like many recipes, cooking at home can be time consuming and complicated. Or it can be quick, simple, and meet your nutritional goals because you know the ingredients which go into your food. I am taking a shortcut here by choosing a good quality whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe’s. You can find one near you that is either fresh like this one, or frozen. Read the ingredients at the back to make sure there isn’t anything you don’t want too much of.

For the rest of the ingredients for this mushroom zucchini and baby kale vegan pizza , I picked a tomato sauce which contained not too much salt, and of course no dairy. I was at a restaurant a month ago, trying to customize a pizza order to be vegan, and the waiter told me that the only option they had for tomato paste already had some parmesan in it. The US has a long way to go to get rid of this animal product eating habit, but given enough time, everything that has to happen, happens. That’s why cooking at home is such a privilege. You pick what goes into the dish in a way no restaurant can.

Fresh vegetables with raw baby kale on top

In addition to a tomato base, I added mushrooms, zucchini, onion, garlic, and a touch of dry oregano before baking. I wanted the baby kale to stay intact, or it would come out dry and brown, so I added it after taking the pizza out of the oven.

Substituting oil with balsamic vinegar

As a substitute for oil on pizza, given the vegetable toppings, balsamic vinegar provides a very compatible flavor and alternative. One of the reasons people use oil is that it traps moisture and keeps the food from drying out. Adding balsamic vinegar after baking gives the pizza a similar benefit, and it does not contain any fat in it.

Finally, I added hot sauce (Tabasco, Sriracha etc) to each slice to give the flavor an extra kick. Who doesn’t like spice on a pizza slice? Do you want even more spice? Check out the sister recipe, vegan BBQ pizza with eggplant and bell peppers.

Let’s move on to the recipe.