Pink Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Hannah Sunderani
May 10, 2017
4 min read

We're getting pretty in pink with this cauliflower crusted pizza! Who wouldn't want to gobble this up?

I've noticed over the past few months that pink hummus on toast has been appearing on cafe menus, instagram feeds and pinterest boards like a new Flo Rida summer tune. Everyone is hooked from the get go! And this pink love flooding photos on #toasttuesday is making me swarm into pink paradise! So I figured, since we love spreading this pink hummus on our toast, why not spread it on pizza!?

If you haven't noticed already I'm a huge fan of cauliflower pizza crust. It's a healthier alternative to the traditional crust being made primarily of vegetables. Although I must admit that it's so tasty I eat 3x the amount of a regular serving size, probably putting it on par with the traditional crust. Meh, a girl can dream right? But cauliflower pizza crust is also SO flavourful being mixed with garlic, onion and nutritional yeast, and it's a great way to use up that leftover almond pulp after making homemade almond milk.

One thing I'd like to mention about cauliflower crust is that it's definitely not going to have the same bubbly and light feel as traditional pizza dough. Because it's plant-based it doesn't generate pockets of air from yeast like how a traditional dough rises when cooked. If comparing it to breads it's sort of more like a flatbread. I'd also like to mention that this doesn't bother me one bit! I love the texture of cauliflower flatbread; with its crunchy outer crust and softer inner. Of course, the crunchiness of the dough also depends on how thin you like to make your crust. The thinner you roll it the crunchier it will be. I typically make mine about 1/4 inch in thickness.

But now back to talking about PINK! This pink pizza starts with a cauliflower crust base, spread with beetroot hummus and topped with sliced avocado and arugula. Then it's sprinkled with chia, salt flakes, sesame seeds and coconut shavings. The combination is cosmic! I love how the creamy flavours of the pink hummus with avocado pair, and the peppery arugula that gives a little crunch on top. It's a match made in pink heaven. I'm telling you, if you're loving the pink hummus and avo toast craze you're going to LOVE this pizza too! So make your pretty in pink dreams come true with this pink pizza. And have a little fun with your food. That's what it's all about right?

Enjoy life. Eat pink pizza.

Pink Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Serves: 3-4 | Prep Time: 45 mins| Cook Time: 20-25 mins

Ingredients:

For the crust:

4 tbsp chia seeds
8 tbsp water
2 cups shredded cauliflower
1/2 cup almond pulp,* or almond meal
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

For the Pink Hummus:

2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more if desired
200g beetroot (one large beet)
pinch salt, plus more if desired
the juice of 1 lemon, plus more if desired

Additional toppings:

1-2 avocados, thinly sliced
1 handful arugula
chia seeds, to sprinkle
sesame seeds, to sprinkle
salt flakes, to taste
coconut shavings, to taste

*Almond pulp is the leftovers from making homemade almond milk. Instead of tossing the pulp, use it as almond meal in this recipe. It can be damp when using; there's no need to dry it out, or pre-bake it. Just try to get out as much of the milk as possible when making nut milk, as I'm sure you will because who wants to miss even an ounce!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Make chia egg by adding water to chia seeds, and let absorb for at least 10 minutes.
In a food processor pulse cauliflower until it's shredded and flour-like. Then add to a large mixing bowl with almond meal, buckwheat flour, chia egg, nutritional yeast, garlic cloves, onion powder, salt and pepper. Knead with your hands to create a large doughy ball. Transfer dough to parchment paper and roll it out until it's 1/4 inch thick.**
Transfer parchment paper with flattened dough to a baking tray. Bake in the oven for approx. 20 minutes, or until golden and crusty. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.
While you're waiting for the dough to bake, make your Pink Hummus: In a food processor add your chickpeas, garlic, tahini, olive oil, beetroot, salt, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add splashes of water, or more olive oil as needed to create a smooth and creamy consistency. Spread hummus onto pizza dough leaving approx. 1 inch for the crust.
Decorate pizza with sliced avocado and arugula, and sprinkle with chia seeds, sesame seeds, salt flakes and coconut shavings.

**Tip for the dough: After transferring the dough to parchment paper begin flattening it with your hands. Flatten dough to be about 2-3 inches thick. Then layer a piece of parchment paper over top of the dough and set your rolling pin on top. Roll pin overtop of the parchment paper to flatten the dough until is 1/4 inch thick. (The top layer of parchment paper will stop the dough from sticking to the rolling pin). Peel off the paper and you're left with a thin pizza crust ready to bake

Approvals: