The Ultimate Veggie Pizza

This Veggie Pizza is absolutely one of my favorite homemade pizzas to date. It comes loaded with fresh mozzarella cheese, roasted grape tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and jalapeños and comes based with a crispy, fluffy crust. It’s just that simple, yet it’s bursting with savoriness and flavor. Perfect for any meatless lunch or dinner meal and is made in under 30 minutes.

It’s not hard to convince me to have a pizza night, especially during the winter months. From Garlic Herb Cheese Pizza to Chickpea + Veggie Gluten-Free Pesto Pizza, I’m here for every kind of pie. I live in New York , after all, where we take our pizza very seriously. This homemade recipe has all the charm and flavor of a classic NY-style slice, from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Secondly, I’ve been so intentional with the New Year and everything lately, therefore, I have been tweaking and re-modeling a ton of things in my life to ensure that they fit perfectly with what they were intended to fit with, including this site. This is why I wanted to hear from YOU about the content that you love and to not much surprise, many of you want more meatless, savory options that are family-friendly. 

So, I hope that this Veggie pizza serves you well.

How to Make an Ultimate Veggie Pizza

The first step in this pizza recipe is to make the crust. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making your own pizza crust. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll see how simple and fun it is to make! After you make the crust, whip up the pesto sauce, roast the veggies, then assemble everything and bake!

Easy Homemade Pizza Crust

But trust me when I tell you that it’s SO GOOD!

The crust is perfectly thin (yet thick enough to hold up all of the ingredients) and the overload of roasted veggies alone adds a nice velvety crunch. Here’s what you need to make the light and fluffy pizza dough:

• All-purpose flour. I use King Arthur organic flour. 
• Warm water. Cold water will prevent the yeast from activating, but hot water can kill the yeast, so it’s important to strike a temperature balance. The water should be warm to the touch, but not steaming. 
• Honey. This feeds the yeast and adds flavor to the dough. You can also use agave. 
• Yeast. Use rapid-rise yeast for this dough. 
• Olive oil. This helps the dough get is supple, elastic stretchiness. 
• Salt

Tips to Making The Perfect Pizza Crust Every Time

When it comes to making the perfect pizza crust, it only really takes a FEW HACKS/TRICKS for this to happen.

Here’s how:

• Make sure that your oven is preheated and is HOT!! This ensures that everything bakes evenly and cooks pretty fast to avoid anything that could possibly cause your pizza to be soggy or undercooked (like the dough!).

• Never EVER use cold dough! Using cold dough changes the hydration and makes it more aggressive to stretch and work out. This isn’t good for your crust at all.

• Always, Always use a Pizza Sheet Pan. For a crispy pizza, I suggest using a pizza pan with holes to allow the crust to bake through nicely. I used the AirBake Pizza Pan, which can be found at Target!

• DO NOT over roll dough! When following the step of rolling out the dough slightly to flatten it, never roll out the dough too much! Be sure to follow the steps of stretching it out with your hands the rest of the way.

• Never add TOO MUCH sauce! This step is super imperative (trust me, I learned the hard way!) and it’s such truth. Never add all the sauce entirely to avoid a soggy middle or crust.

• Precook any toppings that might require a longer cook time! This is especially true for certain veggies (and of course meats) that require a longer cook time that the allotted short amount of minutes that an actual pizza takes to cook. That way you aren’t trying to overcook your pizza because the toppings aren’t fully cooked.

TIPS FOR MAKING NO-RISE PIZZA CRUST

• If your mixture of yeast, water and honey doesn’t bubble after 5 minutes, that may be a sign that your yeast is dead. The crust won’t rise, so it’s best to get a new packet of fresh yeast. 
• Use an electric mixer for the best results. Pizza dough needs to be well mixed and kneaded to activate as much gluten as possible. 
• The dough should be soft, supple and stretchy when it’s done mixing. It shouldn’t be too sticky. If it is, add a bit more flour until it easily pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl. 

Can I Make Gluten-Free Pizza?

Absolutely! To make this recipe gluten-free, simply use my easy gluten-free pizza crust recipe. The rest of the ingredients can remain the same. 

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you choose to make this Ultimate Veggie Pizza or any other recipe from us, be sure to follow us on Instagram @orchidsnsweettea_ or tag us at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love!

The Ultimate Veggie Pizza

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Serves: 8 servings

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Ingredients

PIZZA CRUST:

• 2 3/4 cups organic all-purpose flour (See Notes for GF option!)
• 1 cup WARM fresh water
• 1 Tbsp honey or Agave
• 1 packet rapid-rise yeast  (That's 2 1/4 tsps!)
• 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

PESTO SAUCE:

• 1 cup organic spinach  (You can sub w/ kale or arugula)
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp juice of a lemon
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp sea salt + black pepper
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika  (optional)

TOPPINGS:

• 2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese (That's about 4 ozs.)
• 2 cups roasted herb tomatoes
• 2 cups mini bell peppers, roasted
• 1 zucchini, peeled + sliced into rounds
• 2 jalapeños, diced
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

TO MAKE THE PIZZA CRUST:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer (with a dough hook attachment), mix together the warm water, honey, olive oil, and yeast (you might need to use a whisk to ensure that everything combines together well). Let is sit for at least 5 minutes, until yeast begins to activate and foam.
• Slowly add the flour and salt (on low speed!), until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed. NOTE: if dough is too sticky, add 1/2 cup of additional flour at a time)
• Now, increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for about 5 minutes in the mixer. 
• Once done, cover the dough with plastic wrap for 10 minutes, until is rises a bit. 
• Once done, add the dough onto a floured surface and slightly roll out the dough until it’s flat enough to form a flat circle the rest of the way with your hands, about 11 inches in diameter. Lightly grease your pizza pan with extra virgin olive oil and place dough on one end of pan, evenly pressing it and flattening it out to fit the entire pan. Gently use your finger to stretch dough until pan is fully covered and gently pinch the edges of the dough together to form the crust.

TO MAKE THE PESTO SAUCE:

• Add all ingredients into a food processor and process until well blended and broken down. NOTE: If needed, add a bit of water (1 Tbsp), if too thick.

ROAST THE VEGGIES:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
• Add the tomatoes, zucchini, mini bell peppers, and jalapeños unto the baking sheet (in a single layer) and drizzle with olive oil and season with seasonings (salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are charred, wilted, and tender. Remove and let cool slightly.

ASSEMBLY:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and place top rack into the middle of oven. NOTE: be sure to use a great pizza pan to ensure that your crust is crispy and not soggy.
• Brush a generous amount of the pesto sauce over the top of the crust until evenly coated.
• Generously add pieces of fresh mozzarella atop the sauce, leaving a bit of crust bare for the edges.
• Top with chopped kale followed by roasted tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and jalapeños.
• Lightly brush the tops of the edge of the crust with 1 Tbsp of olive oil to ensure that it becomes a nice golden brown.
• Gently transfer the pizza pie to the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until the cheese has melted (and becomes bubbly) and the crust is crispy and golden brown.
• Once done, allow pizza to rest/cool for a few minutes (about 2-3 minutes) so that the cheese sets before cutting into generous slices, using a pizza cutter.
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• PIZZA CRUST: For a crispy pizza, I suggest using a pizza pan with holes to allow the crust to bake through nicely. I used the AirBake Pizza Pan, which can be found at Target!
• STORAGE: Leftover pizza is best kept tightly wrapped in foil paper, refrigerated for 3-4 days for optimal freshness.
• GLUTEN-FREE CRUST: To make your pizza crust GF, see my Easy GF Pizza Crust recipe.
• STORAGE (PESTO SAUCE): Any leftovers can be kept in a tightly sealed jar and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Can also be frozen for a longer period---up to 6 months.

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The Ultimate Veggie Pizza.

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