Recipe: Greek Pizza with Tofu Feta

As an omnivore, pizza for me used to be crust, sauce, cheese and a topping – pepperoni when I ate meat and mushrooms while I was a vegetarian. Now as a vegan, pizza has become much more creative and flavorful. Who says we need to stick to the rules of using tomato sauce and cheese? Why not put chickpeas and tahini on a pizza? This pizza was inspired by my favorite lunchtime Greek salad. I originally made it with store-bought vegan feta, but when my local grocery store stopped carrying it, I decided that I should create my own cheese, rather than give up on Greek salads and pizzas altogether. I’m quite pleased with the result, and I plan on celebrating Vegan Pizza Day on June 28^th with a slice or two of this pie.

 

Greek Pizza with Tofu Feta 

Ingredients

Tofu Feta

• 1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon mellow white miso
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Tahini Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the Pizza

• 12” or 15” prepared pizza crust
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, diced (about ½ a cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 ounces baby spinach, chopped
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 4 or 5 pepperoncini peppers, sliced
• 2 artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• Sprig of chopped fresh oregano, or a sprinkle of dried

 

Preparation:

For the Tofu Feta:

1. Crumble the tofu into large chunks and place in a shallow bowl or baking dish.
2. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the tofu. Toss gently to combine.
4. Place the dish of tofu in the fridge for several hours or overnight. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.

For the Tahini Dressing:

1. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Set aside until ready to use. Sauce will thicken after sitting for a while. Add water when ready to use, if necessary.

Make the Pizza:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Preheat crust, if necessary.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and cook for just a minute or two more, until it wilts.
3. Spread the spinach mixture over the crust. Layer on the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the tahini sauce.
4. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
5. Drizzle on the tahini sauce, slice into 8 pieces, and then eat ‘er up!