Buckwheat Veggie Pizza with Chickpea + Kale Pesto Sauce

This Buckwheat Veggie Pizza with Chickpea + Kale Pesto Sauce is beyond words! It comes perfectly topped over a thick, soft crust + crunchy buckwheat crust, and topped with loads of veggies and a creamy, flavorful kale-spinach pesto sauce. The perfect dinner for the family on any given day. Entirely Vegan. Gluten-Free option available.

Hey ya’ll. So, the weekend has finally arrived and I couldn’t be any more excited to share this recipe with you guys! This week has been a very interesting one for me and I’ve spent a few days doing a bit of self-care, because we all need to take a bit of time, right?

I can admit that I felt a little lazy these past few days and haven’t been posting on social media or anywhere for that matter, much. I do hope that you guys missed me as much as I’ve missed you!

OK, so we’re finally in November (Yay!) and you know that, that means HOLIDAYS are upon us! The funny thing is that I’ve been seeing a lot of debate as to whether putting up Christmas decor and playing Holiday music is TOO SOON! What are you thoughts? Honestly, I felt a little insecure about wanting to decorate this early (tradition is usually the day after Thanksgiving!), BUT a sudden “I don’t care” has come over me and I’m deciding to begin my decorating this weekend! Haha.

Who says that you can’t begin now?

Yeah, so I’ve seen a few people joining in on the early fun, some which have FULLY decked out their homes with Christmas decor since the day after Halloween! Hey—-I’m with ya! Haha. 

Plus, this month is my Hubby’s Birthday and I’m so excited! I’m not sure what I’ll be getting him as a gift, but I’m really thinking about making him a nice dinner and whipping together a grand cake! I mean, why not right? Honestly, I’m stemming towards a carrot cake (That’s his Fave!) or something a little different, BUT it has to be something flavorful!

And let’s not get started on Thanksgiving and all the shopping that most of us will be doing. Personally, I’m only aiming to buy early Christmas gifts if they really are at a bargain. Otherwise, most of this month goes towards my prep for my upcoming PopUp Shop next month!

OK, so let’s talk food! This pizza was super inspired by Dietician’s recommendations that I eat fiber densed foods such as Buckwheat! Before this, I’ve never had Buckwheat, BUT it’s really good ya’ll!

So, for those of you who aren’t too familiar with Buckwheat like myself, there are some really awesome benefits to this grain. Firstly, it’s a nutrient-packed, gluten-free grain. All my gluten-free eaters out there can benefit from using this grain as a great alternative! It has plenty of antioxidants and if considered a “super food”.

It also does the following:

• Increases Heart Health (reduces Cholesterol + Blood Pressure)
• Provides Highly Digestible Protein
• High Fiber Content (which is great for digestion!)
• Can Help Prevent Diabetes
• Is non-Allergenic
• Supplies Important Vitamins + Minerals (also fighting Depression, Anxiety, + Headaches)

Now, you see that you should have at least a cup of this stuff daily or weekly, right?

This pizza in particular wasn’t hard at all to make and was so filling with every bite! Of course, you can top it with other veggies (more of your faves!), but the chickpea, bell peppers, arugula, spinach, onions, and tomatoes, just worked perfectly together and had such a freshness! Yum.

To Make the Crust:

Combine the warm water, pure cane sugar, and yeast to a medium bowl, whisking ingredients together. Set aside and let yeast activate.

In a separate bowl, add buckwheat flour, organic all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt, whisking together also.

With an electric stand mixer of low, add the yeast mixture in with the extra virgin olive oil. Mix a few seconds.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and increase speed to medium-high until fully incorporated.

Form the dough into a ball and let it rise in a lightly oiled bowl for 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly oil a large pizza pan (12-inches). **NOTE: I use the one that has perforated holes at the bottom to make crust crisp and cook through!

Once dough has risen, gently roll out dough using a lightly floured surface and add to pizza pan. Using hands, gently spread dough out to fit entire pan and pinch edges to create a slightly elevated crust.

Lightly brush top and edges of dough with extra virgin olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until slightly crisp.

To Make Kale-Spinach Pesto Sauce:

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until sauce becomes creamy. **NOTE: If needed, add a bit more lemon juice or water (1 Tbsp at a time), until desired consistency is met.

To Make Pizza:

Remove from oven and add toppings: Kale-Spinach pesto sauce (spreading it around using a spatula until crust is fully dressed), bell peppers, red onions, spinach, arugula, roasted chickpeas, jalapeños, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and bake for another 15 minutes or until crust becomes golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Slice, sprinkle a bit of vegan parmesan atop, and eat!

Bon appetite!

5 from 5 votes

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Buckwheat Veggie Pizza with Chickpea + Kale Pesto Sauce

This Buckwheat Veggie Pizza with Chickpea + Kale Pesto Sauce is beyond words! It comes perfectly topped over a thick, soft crust + crunchy buckwheat crust, and topped with loads of veggies and a creamy, flavorful kale-spinach pesto sauce. The perfect dinner for the family on any given day. Entirely Vegan. Gluten-Free option available.

Course: Main Course

Keyword buckwheat, dairy-free, gluten-free, healthy, pizza, vegan, veggies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 1 Large Pizza

Creator Shanika | Orchids + Sweet Tea

Must-Haves:

To Make the Crust:

• 1 cup organic all-purpose flour (For GF option, See Notes!)
• 1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour
• 1 Tbsp pure cane sugar
• 1 packet Instant Rise Yeast
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup warm water, NOT Hot!
• 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil

To Make Kale-Spinach Pesto Sauce:

• 1 cup fresh kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• pinch of sea salt + black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

To Make Pizza:

• 2-3 cups oven roasted chickpeas (See Notes!)
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh arugula, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 Jalapeno, diced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Vegan parmesan, optional

Instructions:

To Make the Crust:

1. Combine the warm water, pure cane sugar, and yeast to a medium bowl, whisking ingredients together. Set aside and let yeast activate.

2. In a separate bowl, add buckwheat flour, organic all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt, whisking together also.

3. With an electric stand mixer of low, add the yeast mixture in with the extra virgin olive oil. Mix a few seconds.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients and increase speed to medium-high until fully incorporated.

5. Form the dough into a ball and let it rise in a lightly oiled bowl for 30 minutes or so.

6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly oil a large pizza pan (12-inches). **NOTE: I use the one that has perforated holes at the bottom to make crust crisp and cook through!

7. Once dough has risen, gently roll out dough using a lightly floured surface and add to pizza pan. Using hands, gently spread dough out to fit entire pan and pinch edges to create a slightly elevated crust.

8. Lightly brush top and edges of dough with extra virgin olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until slightly crisp.

To Make Kale-Spinach Pesto Sauce:

1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until sauce becomes creamy. **NOTE: If needed, add a bit more lemon juice or water (1 Tbsp at a time), until desired consistency is met.

To Make Pizza:

1. Remove from oven and add toppings: Kale-Spinach pesto sauce (spreading it around using a spatula until crust is fully dressed), bell peppers, red onions, spinach, arugula, roasted chickpeas, jalapeños, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and bake for another 15 minutes or until crust becomes golden brown.

2. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Slice, sprinkle a bit of vegan parmesan atop, and eat!

4. Bon appetite!

Tips | Notes:

Roasted Chickpea: Add 1 (15 oz.) can of chickpea (drained + rinsed) to a baking sheet. Season with 1 Tbsp of each: smoke paprika, dried parsley, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp of cumin, black pepper, and sea salt. Toss chickpeas with seasoning until evenly covered. Add to a preheated oven on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, tossing at the half-way point. Once crisp, remove from oven and set aside.

For Gluten-Free option: Instead of all-purpose flour, use 1 cup Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour + 1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder. 

Buckwheat Veggie Pizza with Chickpea + Kale Pesto Sauce.