The right slice

photo by pwisenberg

When we ate here in NYC, I was thrilled to see this vegan pizza on the menu- so thrilled, in fact, that I decided to recreate it myself! The super thin crust (recipe here) is topped with a sweet balsamic reduction, creamy homemade hummus and chewy sun dried tomatoes. Add a generous sprinkling of fresh basil and it's time to feast!

Guilt-free vegan pizza
Makes 2 large or 4 medium-sized pizzas

homemade pizza dough
hummus recipe (see below)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cornmeal
salt and pepper to taste

Hummus
Makes enough for the pizzas with lots left over

2 can chickpeas
3/4 cups tahini
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine hummus ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy (adding the olive oil slowly as you blend). Roll pizza dough as thin as possible and place on a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil, making sure not to forget the edges- this will help the crust to become golden brown. In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic over low heat until it has thickened and reduced by about one third. Drizzle onto the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around, and season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Next, add a thick layer of hummus, followed by the sun dried tomatoes. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Top with fresh basil and cool slightly before slicing.

Happy first day of spring everyone!

P.S. My apologies for the overabundance of hummus/chickpea recipes lately, it's gotten a bit out of hand! I'll try and mix it up more from now on, I swear...