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Vegan Meatball Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Happy Veganuary! It's high time to impress some plant doubters and what's better to lure them over to the green side than with this vegan and gluten-free meatball pizza! This is how Meatless Lovers are born ;)


These meatless meatballs are a must-try for vegans/vegetarians and anyone who's vegan-curious! I made them with my fail-safe recipe, they're firm, moist, flavorful, and unbelievably "meaty" while having only simple, clean, plant-based ingredients and are packed with plant protein! Instead of making them into a pizza, you can also toss them with some noodles for your classic spaghetti&meatball, or make them into a meatball sub, or even pair them with some veggies for a power lunch bowl. 

For the crust, there're many options, store-bought is always the easiest. For this pizza here I made a cauliflower crust from scratch. Compared to traditional pizza crusts, cauliflower crust is much lighter on the stomach, and crispier on the outside which I love! Besides, who wouldn't love a chance to eat more vegetables and less carb with no sacrifice on the taste.

Let me know if you try this recipe! You might also like Truffled Mushroom Pizza with Figs and Creamed Spinach Pizza.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Meatless Meatballs -
1 15 oz can pinto beans
8 oz shiitake mushrooms
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup rice flour*
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup pizza sauce

For the crust -
1 head cauliflower
1 cup ground oats
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp oregano
Salt to taste
Olive oil as needed

TO MAKE:

- Preheat oven to 375°F;
- Rinse and dry the pinto beans, transfer to a large mixing bowl;
- In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil, add the onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until they're slightly browned and caramelized, add the balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon of tamari sauce, and continue to cook till all liquid is absorbed, set aside to cool down;
- Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms, in the same frying pan, heat another drizzle of olive oil, sauté the garlic till fragrant, then add shiitake mushrooms and the other 1/2 tablespoon of tamari sauce, cook till mushrooms are soft and all liquid is gone, set aside;
- Add pinto beans and onions to a food processor, pulse several times to combine, do not blend, the mixture should be coarsely combined not smooth;
- Transfer the bean and onion mixture to a bowl, add the sautéed mushrooms, rice flour, oregano, thyme, cumin and mix well;
- Drizzle a little olive oil onto your hands, then use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to portion the "meatball" mixture, form into balls with your hands, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, repeat till all mixture is gone;
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, check and flip halfway, the meatballs should be firm and hard on the outside afterward;
- While the meatballs are baking, get started on the crust. Cut cauliflower into small florets, bring a pot of water to boil, cook the cauliflower pieces for 4 minutes, drain thoroughly;
- Quickly process cooked cauliflower into small pieces, you can also hand chop, use a cheesecloth to squeeze as much water as possible, this step is very important! Keep wringing out the water as hard as you can, until none comes out;
- Mix the cauliflower with ground oats and the seasoning, knead into a ball then spread into a round shape about 1/2 inch thick, put a little olive oil on your hands so the dough doesn’t stick;
- Bake the crust at 375°F for 20 minutes;
- When the 20 minutes is up and the meatballs are ready, take out the crust, brush on your tomato sauce or pizza sauce of choice, half the meatballs and place them on the crush, brush more sauce on the meatballs;
- Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes;
- Garnish with fresh basils, enjoy!

Notes:

For more detailed step by step instructions, check out the post on the meatless meatballs and the cauliflower crust pizza. 

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