BBQ Cauliflower, Caramelized Onion & Arugula Pizza

Have you ever come across a flavour combination that made you stop and say, “wow this is a real knee slapper?” Okay, well maybe you wouldn’t say that exactly, but you might think or say “THIS IS DELICIOUS!”, which is what I thought when I made this pizza for the first time. I was so impressed!

Confession: some of the ingredients that landed on this pizza were sort of an accident. What I mean by that is, while I set out to make a BBQ cauliflower and caramelized onion pizza, I didn’t mean to add on greens, dressing or chili flakes. Turns out I had some living arugula sitting on my kitchen counter begging to be used up, and I also had some leftover homemade vegan caesar dressing in the fridge that was searching for its life purpose. Both ended up being fortunate additions to this pizza – they complemented it perfectly!!! (Aesthetically and taste-wise).

Could you order a pizza like this from a box-chain pizza restaurant? Heck no. This isn’t your average pep and cheese pizza. This pizza is 100% different, 100% creative and fun, 100% vegan and 100% delicious AF. I hope you love it as much as I do! Happy pizza eating, or devouring.

BBQ Cauliflower, Caramelized Onion & Arugula Pizza

Vegan or Vegetarian Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 1 medium/large pizza or 8 slices of pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of pre-made pizza dough

• 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces

• 1 small white onion, cut into slices

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2-3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (your favourite kind)

• a pinch or two of red pepper flakes

• salt and pepper

• handful of fresh arugula, quickly chopped

• 2 tablespoons of vegan Caesar dressing (homemade or store-bought)

Homemade Vegan Caesar Dressing:

• 2 small garlic cloves, finely minced

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup vegan mayo

• 1/2 cup vegan parmesan (Parma! or Parma-Veg brand are great)

• sea salt

• black pepper

Directions:

1. Be sure to get your dough to room temperature before you bake it. Also, if you plan to make your own vegan caesar dressing, do that before you start. Simply combine all ingredients in a Nutri-Bullet or a small blender until dressing is smooth.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl combine cauliflower, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Sriracha, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to evenly coat your cauliflower. Spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the cauliflower halfway.

3. While cauliflower is baking, make your caramelized onions. In a pan over medium-high heat, add the sliced onions. Once onions start to brown, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and stir. Add more water when the onion starts to stick to the pan. Remove from heat once desired softness is achieved.

4. Once cauliflower is done baking, remove from oven. Throw cauliflower back into large bowl with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce. Stir to evenly coat.

5. Increase oven to 475 degrees to bake pizza. Roll out your pizza dough and placed on an oiled baking sheet or a pizza stone. Stretch to desired shape.

6. First top pizza dough with BBQ cauliflower. Next add the caramelized onions, and a pinch or two of red pepper flakes (only if you desire extra heat).

7. Bake pizza for approximately 15 minutes. Once pizza is done baking (golden brown on the bottom), remove from oven and throw a handful of arugula on top.

8. Top with vegan Caesar dressing. Slice and enjoy!

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