¾ cup raw cashews, soaked in very hot water for 10-15 minutes
½ cup filtered water
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic
Vegan Bacon Bits
¼ cup boiling water
¼ cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1 "Not Beef" bouillon cube (from the brand Edward and Sons)
1 tsp vegan and gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tamari
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp maple syrup
3 tbs vegetable oil, for pan frying
PIzza
1 ball of pizza dough (we like to buy the premad dough from Whole Foods)
¾ cup garlic sauce
½ cup vegan cheddar shreds
1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
10-11 ounces vegan chick'n strips, cooked according to package directions (we use the brand from Gardein)
¾ cup chopped cherry tomatoes
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
Ranch (recipe provided)
Vegan Bacon Bits (homemade or store bought, recipe provided for homemade)
Chives
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a pizza stone or baking tray in the oven while it is preheating.
Ranch
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients until fully combined. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Garlic Sauce
Drain cashews and place in a blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Pulse until comepletely smooth (this took me about 1-2 minutes). Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Vegan Bacon Bits
Boil water and bouillon on high heat. Once water reaches a hard, rolling boil, remove from heat and add dry TVP with Worcestershire sauce, tamari, liquid smoke, and maple syrup, mixing to combine. You'll notice the TVP absorbs all the water and this is good because we want to rehydrate it. Set aside and let it rehydrate for 15-20 minutes.
In a small pan on medium-low heat, add 3 TBS of vegetable oil. Once oil is hot enough, add rehydrated TVP and pan fry until it turns dark brown and crispy, resembling real bacon bits, about 15-20 minutes, stirring the mixture every 3-5 minutes or so.
Once the TVP bacon bits reach a color and consistency of your liking, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
Pizza
On a clean and lightly floured surface, roll dough into a cirle about 12-14 inches in diameter.
Spread the sauce around the pizza, leaving about ½" of the edges dry for the crust.
Add cooked vegan chick'n, about ¾ of the vegan bacon bits, and both of the vegan cheeses.
Bake on the middle rack for about 13-15 minutes, or until the crust becomes puffy and turns a golden brown.
Garnish with fresh chopped tomatoes, red onion, the rest of the bacon bits, chives, and a drizzle of vegan ranch.
Serve immediately with addtional ranch.
ENJOY!
Recipe by Eat Figs, Not Pigs at https://www.eatfigsnotpigs.com/the-best-damn-vegan-pizza-chickn-bacon-ranch/