A medley of delicious and diverse vegan pizza ideas

When I first considered becoming vegan, I was hesitant. I am, and was, a lover of food. I mean, I really, really like to eat good food, and - like many people - I especially like to eat junk every now and then. So, I thought: if I go vegan, I'll miss out on so much. No more chocolate, no more ice cream, no more pizza...

Pfft! How wrong I was. In fact, becoming vegan has driven my love for food even higher. I'm passionate about making my own meals and have come to savour every bite of what I eat. And what's that about pizza? I eat more now than I ever did as a vegetarian! You don't need dairy cheese to make a damn good pizza pie.

So, without further ado, here is a list I've compiled of awesome vegan pizza recipes from all corners of the internet, with a few of my own ideas thrown in. Bon appetite.

A healthy choice

When we think of pizza, the word healthy doesn't often come to mind. We typically associate pizza with lots of cheese, lots of sauce, and lots of fat. But it doesn't have to be this way. A pizza with a wholemeal base topped with piles of veggies is delicious and packed full of vitamins. Try these toppings on for size:

- Homemade marinara sauce (recipe here)
- Spinach
- Onion
- Pineapple
- Broccoli
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Chia Seeds
- Avocado

A not-so-healthy choice

Healthy isn't always the most important thing. Sometimes, delicious takes centre-stage instead. This three-cheese pizza is made with processed cheese and lots of oil, but it tastes too damn good for me to care. Of course, you should probably avoid eating this too often. If health is a concern, leave this one for special occasions.

You can use any three cheeses you like - including homemade if you prefer a healthier option - but here are some suggested brands that are available in Australian supermarkets.

- Daiya mozzarella cheese
- Shredded MyLife Biocheese, cheddar flavour
- Cheezly (various flavours)

This recipe is very simple, but you could always jazz it up a bit. All you need is a standard pizza base, some store-bought marinara sauce (which is usually vegan) and bake it so the three cheeses melt over the top. Feel free to add any other toppings you enjoy.

Simple vegan pizza (from The Minimalist Baker)

Some people just aren't great at cooking. I'm one of them. Some people also don't have access to expensive or exotic ingredients. I'm one of those people, too. If you fit one or both of these definitions, The Minimalist Baker's recipe is right for you. It's easy to prepare and the ingredients are cheap and widely available.

The Minimilast Baker also offers a 1-minute, homemade vegan parmesan cheese recipe, which looks and tastes awesome on the simple vegan pizza.

Check out the recipe here.



Buffalo chickpea pizza (from Vegan Richa)

Just the title of this one makes my mouth water. I've never heard of anything like it before, but I'm always on the lookout for new flavour experiences!

This recipe is a little more complicated than the others, but I'm sure it's worth it. It's perfect for people who love a lot of flavour. This unique pizza is topped with sriracha hot sauce, olive oil, black pepper, Italian herbs, ranch seasoning, celery seeds, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder... the works! If you're looking for a flavour explosion, this is where you'll find it.

Go here for the recipe.

Spicy Indian-style pizza (from Oh Dear Drea)

Here's another flavour-rich option for vegans who love everything hot and spicy! Indian cuisine is one of my favourites, and I'm pretty much addicted to Naan bread, so this pizza sounds absolutely amazing.

The recipe uses non-vegan yoghurt and non-vegan Naan bread, but these can easily be replaced with vegan alternatives. There are a few brands of vegan Naan bread available in supermarkets, but if you can't find anything, you could always make your own. Here's a recipe for vegan Naan bread.

If you can't handle too much spice, don't fret. The pizza uniquely uses mango as a topping, which should offset some of the spiciness.

Read the recipe here.

White wild mushroom pizza (from Chef Chloe)

Mushrooms are my favourite pizza topping ever. If I could afford it, I'd order ten times the amount of mushrooms on my takeaway pizza. But two dollars per extra topping is highway robbery! That's why it's much better to make your own at home!

The concept of wild mushrooms sounds a little fancy, but the recipe is much simpler than it seems. The outcome, though, looks very professional.

Chef Chloe's recipe can be found here.

Roasted veggie & black bean Mexican-style pizza (from Connoisseurus Veg)

Here is another unique and flavoursome recipe for lovers of spice. This recipe boasts blended black beans, a garden of healthy roasted vegetables and tahini nacho cheese. Have a look at the photos on the website - this pizza looks spectacular.

According to the writer, this pizza is like a plate of nachos in pizza form. For takeaway food lovers, I can't think of anything much better. As an extra plus, compared to your average takeaway pizza or nachos, this recipe is healthy and vitamin-rich.

Check out the recipe on the Connoisseurus Veg website.

P.S. Damn, Connoisseurus Veg is a creative name. I wish I'd come up with that.

Banana Split Dessert Pizza (from Breast Cancer Maven)

Once you've finished eating all your savoury, spicy, cheesy pizza, you'll probably be hanging for something a little sweeter. This banana split dessert pizza from Breast Cancer Maven is exactly what you'll need.

Topped with banana, strawberries, chia seeds and a healthy chocolate ganache, berries, coconut shreds, and anything else you think would work, this recipe is perfect for fulfilling those after-dinner dessert cravings. It's gluten-free, too, and fairly healthy if you top it with a medley of fruits.

See the recipe here.

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I hope you've enjoyed the options I've presented here. Please let me know if you find any other unique and diverse vegan pizza recipes. I want to try them all!

For now, start cooking :)

 

Is being vegan enough, or should we be doing more?

Okay - so you're vegan. You don't eat eggs, honey, meat, dairy, or any other animal derivatives, and you don't touch leather, silk, wool or anything in-between. You're making a real difference. You're being smart with your money and choosing to stand against violence. You've chosen the simplest, most effective way to fight against animal cruelty. But are you doing enough? Is there more you could do?

Of course. There's always more, and we should never stop striving to do better.

Vegans are not automatically perfect people. Many try - but, without doubt, there is always more to be done. A person may be vegan, but they may occasionally make unethical choices regardless. Ethical living extends beyond avoiding animal products.

"Vegans are not automatically perfect people. Many try - but, without doubt, there is always more to be done. Ethical living extends beyond avoiding animal products."

Take animal testing, for example. Veganism, by definition, is about rejecting animal exploitation as far as is practicable and possible. So, while a certain beauty product may contain only plant-derived ingredients, it could be animal tested. A better option, in this case, would be to buy an alternative product that is plant-based and not animal tested. This may seem obvious, but it's something new vegans could easily overlook.

There's also the issue of palm oil. While plant-based, and thus vegan by definition, buying products containing uncertified palm oil is not an ethical choice. It's widely known that palm oil production contributes to deforestation and, consequently, the death of thousands of animals. I'm guilty of this myself: because palm oil is often hidden behind names like "vegetable oil", it takes a little extra effort to avoid it. So, sometimes I'm lazy or forgetful and I don't bother to check. I figure it's still vegan, so I buy it. But now, thinking about it, I know I could do better. And from now on, I will.

This is an important thing for vegans to consider. Sometimes, we are so caught up in the concept of being vegan that we forget about or bypass other important ethical considerations. We think: it's vegan, so it must be ethical. But this is not always true.

Avoiding palm oil is easier than ever before with the new app by Palm Oil Investigations. Similar to the vegan barcode scanner, the POI app allows you to scan products to find out if they contain palm oil. So, for me and others like me, there's no excuse to keep supporting deforestation.

And if you are avoiding animal products, palm oil, and animal tested products, there is more still! Let's never stop striving to do better. While veganism helps animals indirectly, we can also make a direct different in the lives of individual animals.

Could you, for example, sponsor a rescued farm animal? Many farm animal sanctuaries around the world offer this service - for a monthly fee, you will support a rescued animal and receive regular updates about their lives. It's a wonderful way to increase your impact. Or, you could make a direct donation to the sanctuary itself to help all of the residents and their caregivers.



If spending money isn't an option, there are other avenues you can take to reach the same goal. If you can't afford a monetary donation, why not donate your time instead? Many rescue sanctuaries are always in need of a helping hand, even if it's only once or twice a month.

If the resources are available, you could also take a rescue animal into your own home - be it a cat or dog, or someone as small as a chicken or rat, you will be making a genuine difference and saving a genuine life. There's no greater feeling in the world than rescuing an innocent being from the edge of death.

"Of course, for those who are not yet vegan, why not take that first step? Veganism is the simplest way to show your support for animals and take a stand against cruelty."

And of course, for those who are not yet vegan, why not take that first step? Veganism is the simplest way to show your support for animals and take a stand against cruelty. Becoming vegan opens your eyes to what goes on behind the scenes and encourages you to find more and more ways to increase your impact. Take veganism as a moral baseline, and improve upon this baseline as you learn new ways to make a difference.

So let's never stop trying. The animals need our help. For some, being vegan is enough; because for some, veganism is the best that can be done. But if we have the opportunity to do more, we should always take it - in doing so, we'll push the world one step further to the ultimate goal of worldwide peace and compassion.