Red Lentil Pizza

This red lentil pizza is grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free and is loaded with veggies, a creamy cashew “cheese” sauce to dollop onto the crispy base and lashings of pumpkin seed pesto.

I created a grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free take on a midweek treat or Meatless Monday dinner – a red lentil pizza loaded with veggies, a creamy cashew “cheese” sauce to dollop onto the crispy base alongside some lashings of freshly made pumpkin seed pesto.

Red Lentil Pizza

Mira Weiner | www.miraweiner.com

Ingredients

Red Lentil Pizza Base

• 1 cup red lentils, soaked overnight

• ½ cup water

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp olive oil (can omit if oil free)

• Pinch of dried mixed herbs

• Pinch of Pink Himalayan salt

Quick Cashew “Cheese” Sauce

• ½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

• ¼  cup water

• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice

• ½ tsp onion flakes

• ½ tsp pure maple syrup or light agave nectar

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp apple cider vinegar with ‘the mother’

• 1/8 tsp white miso (optional)

• ¼ tsp jalapeno relish (optional)

• Generous pinch of pink Himalayan salt to taste

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

• 1 cup fresh basil

• ⅓ cup fresh coriander

• ½ cup olive oil

• 3 tbsp lemon juice (or more if you like it lemony)

• 2 small garlic cloves

• Generous pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Directions

Quick Cashew “Cheese” Sauce

1. Combine all the cashew cheese sauce ingredients into a blender . Blend until smooth and creamy.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1. Combine all the pumpkin seed pesto ingredients into a blender and pulse until well incorporated. I like my pesto to be chunky for this.

Red Lentil Pizza Base

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the pizza base into a blender. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into a circle on your prepared baking tray.

4. Bake for 20-25 min until the base has firmed up. Remove from the oven and top with your favourite veggies.

5. Place pizza back into the oven for 10-15 min to crisp up. Remove from the oven and add dollops of cashew cheese sauce and pesto across the pizza.

6. Top with fresh basil or greens and enjoy!