Chipotle Tempeh Pizza with Herbed Cashew Cheese Sauce

Pizza night just got a tasty makeover with this spicy Chipotle Tempeh Pizza with Herbed Cashew Cheese Sauce!

Many people have told me that they couldn’t go vegan because they couldn’t give up pizza. I usually respond by telling them that I eat pizza all the time. “Yeah, but it’s not the same”, is usually their response. The truth is it’s not.

When I was an omnivore, I used to eat pizza that was made with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. When I went vegetarian I switched from pepperoni to mushrooms. Sometimes I would get creative and use broccoli and cheddar cheese instead.

When I went vegan 13 years ago, I really didn’t much pizza, and when I did, it was usually covered in sauce and dried vegetables that had been in the oven too long. When meltable vegan cheeses started to be readily available, I began mimicking my favorite omnivore pies, and while they were very tasty, there wasn’t much thought put into them. In the past few years, vegan pizza has turned into an art form, with just about every type of pie you can imagine being created in kitchens across the U.S. Some of my favorites include taco pizza (made with leftover taco filling, of course!), potato and zucchini pizza, sweet potato and kale pizza, and my own Green and White Pizza recipe. So no, vegan pizza isn’t the same. It’s much, much better.

I originally made this spicy Chipotle Tempeh Pizza after I was sent some vegan bleu cheese to try. Unfortunately I can’t find the cheese locally, but that doesn’t mean I have to give up this tasty pie. I’ve updated the recipe and added a cashew cheese sauce to cool down the spicy tempeh. June 28^th, is Vegan Pizza Day, and I’m hoping to celebrate with a slice or two of this spicy pie.

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Chipotle Tempeh Pizza with Herbed Cashew Cheese Sauce

Yields 4 servings

Author Dianne Wenz

Ingredients

For the Tempeh

• 8 ounce block of tempeh cut into cubes
• 1 chipotle pepper from chipotles in adobo sauce minced
• 1 tablespoon sauce from chipotles in adobo sauce
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

For the Tomato Sauce

• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 14- ounce can crushed tomatoes
• A few fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

For the Cashew Cheese Sauce

• 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked for two hours, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 water
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped fresh herbs such as dill, cilantro or parsley

For the Pizza

• 12 ” or 15” prepared pizza crust
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small red onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper chopped

Instructions

For the Tempeh and Veggies

1. To make the marinade, mix together the chipotle sauce, garlic, onion powder, tomato paste, red pepper flakes and broth. Place tempeh in a shallow dish along with the marinade and let sit for 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a pan over medium heat, and cook the tempeh, turning frequently so that most of the sides brown. Add leftover marinade a spoonful at a time to the pan for the tempeh to absorb. Reserve a little marinade to cook the vegetables with.
3. After the tempeh cubes have absorbed most of the marinade, remove them from the pan and set aside.

For the Tomato Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook for about 15 minutes, until heated throughout.
2. Set aside until ready to assemble the pizza.

For the Cashew Cheese Sauce

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time.
2. Set aside until the pizza is ready.

Assemble the Pizza

1. In the same pan the tempeh was cooked in, cook the garlic, onion, and bell peppers and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables become fragrant and start to brown. Add a little of the tempeh marinade if the pan dries out.
2. To assemble the pizzas, spread the tomato sauce on the crust and then layer on the vegetables. Top with the tempeh.
3. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the crust turns golden brown and all of the toppings are hot.
4. Drizzle on the cashew cheese sauce, slice and enjoy!