Vegan Taco Pizza


Vegan Taco Pizza is going to be one of those nostalgic recipes for me. In my hometown we had that one pizza restaurant that everyone went to for birthdays, after we played a softball game or on a Friday night.

As a kid, pizza was pizza, right? I definitely had the toppings I liked but wasn’t too picky–unless it was Taco Pizza. Michael’s Pizza in Urbana, Ohio had the BEST Taco Pizza I have ever had yet it wasn’t over the top elaborate. It was just GOOD.

I have enjoyed recreating this delicious childhood memory while keeping it simple but with animal-free vegan ingredients.

What goodies do you need to turn my nostalgic Taco Pizza into a Vegan Taco Pizza?

1. Pizza Crust. I have not mastered my own pizza dough yet so I suggest using your own recipe or buy premade dough/crust like I do. For this recipe, I have used a whole wheat thin pre-made crust. Here are a few options of premade vegan pizza crust brands:

  • Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust (most chain grocery stores)
  • Pillsbury Thin Pizza Crust (most chain grocery stores)
  • Market Pantry Original Pizza Crust (Target Stores)
  • Simply Balanced Organic Ultra Thin Pizza Crust (Target Stores)
  • Simple Truth Organic Classic Thin & Crispy Vegan Pizza Crust (Kroger Stores)
  • Mama Mary’s Original Pizza Crust (Wal Mart, Shop Rite & Publix)
  • Mama Mary’s Thin & Crispy (Wal Mart, Shop Rite & Publix
  • 365 Organic Rustic White Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust (Whole Foods)
  • Engine 2 Stone Bake 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (Whole Foods)

2. Enchilada or Taco Sauce. This ones up to you. For convenience, you can purchase enchilada or taco sauce or you can make your own. I do both. The enchilada or taco sauce replaces the tomato sauce traditionally on pizza.

3. Vegan Cheese Shreds. My favorite shredded cheese for a pizza is Violife’s Mozzarella Cheese.

4. Taco Meat. For this recipe, I season Gardein’s Beefless Ground with a mix of taco seasonings. You can use your favorite meatless ground, including crumbled tofu or replace it with beans or refried beans. If you have a premade taco seasoning, you can use that. You will need 2 tbsp.

Vegan Taco Pizza

5. Lettuce. I like to use chopped romaine but iceberg or spinach could be an option.

6. Sour Cream. For convenience, you can purchase a vegan sour cream like Kite Hill‘s or you can use the recipe I give here which is my favorite, Tangy Lime Sour Cream. (The sour cream I linked is for double the amount of the one I give you in this Vegan Taco Pizza Recipe)

7. Tomatoes. Dice the tomatoes. You could also use cherry tomatoes. Slice in half or into quarters.

8. Green Onions. Slice thin.

Optional Toppings

You can serve these in addition to the lettuce, tomato and green onions on top of the pizza OR serve in separate bowls to allow your guests to personalize their slice.

  • Hot Sauce
  • Avocado
  • Black Olives
  • Jalapeno slices

Let’s make some pizza!!

Vegan Taco Pizza

Recipe by Jen HortonCourse: Dinner, PartyDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

pizzas
Cooking time

20

minutes
Calories

1260

kcal / 1 thin crust pizza

Ingredients

  • Tangy Lime Sour Cream
  • raw cashews, 1/2 cup soaked for at least 1 hour (up to overnight); then rinse

  • lime juice, 1 tbsp.

  • apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tbsp.

  • sea salt, 1/4 tsp.

  • water, 1/4 cup

  • Taco Meat
  • oil or vegan butter, 1 tbsp.

  • chili powder, 1 tbsp.

  • cumin, 1/2 tsp

  • garlic powder, 1/2 tsp.

  • onion powder, 1/2 tsp.

  • paprika or smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp.

  • salt, 1/2 tsp.

  • oregano, dried 1/4 tsp.

  • black pepper, 1/4 tsp.

  • water, 1/3 cup

  • vegan beefless ground, 390g (1 package of Gardein’s beefless ground)

  • Dough | Sauce | Cheese | & toppings
  • pizza dough, 2. Use your own recipe or purchase pre-made

  • enchilada or taco sauce, 1 cup

  • vegan shredded cheese, 2 cups (I used Violife Mozzarella)

  • lettuce, 3 cups chopped

  • tomato, 1 small chopped

  • green onion, thinly sliced

Directions

  • Tangy Lime Sour Cream
  • In a small blender, add soaked & rinsed cashews and the rest of the Tangy Lime Sour Cream ingredients.
  • Start your blender on low then gradually up to high. Blend until creamy; scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Pour into a storage container or like I did a squeeze bottle.
  • Refrigerate until we’re ready for the toppings.
  • Taco Meat
  • In a small bowl, measure out all of your seasonings, including salt & pepper.
  • Over medium heat, melt butter/warm oil in a skillet.
  • Add seasonings; whisk to create a paste. After about a minute, you should be able to smell the aromas of the spices. Wisk in 1/3 cup water.
  • Once spices are combined with the water, add vegan ground. Combine with the spices. Cover. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated but the ground is still moist.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Baking
  • You will cook the pizza dough according to it’s directions. Preheat your oven to the temperature your directions state.
  • Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on each pizza crust; making sure to cover the entire pizza except it’s edges.
  • Add 1 cup vegan shredded cheese per pizza spread out on top of the sauce.
  • Take half of the Taco Meat and spread it out on top of the vegan cheese; on each pizza.
  • Bake for the allotted amount of time your pizza dough calls for. (my thin crust was 8-10 minutes.)
  • Toppings
  • While your pizza is baking, prepare your toppings. Chop, dice, slice–have them ready next to where you will be topping your pizzas.
  • Let your pizza cool a couple minutes once it’s done then slice it in to pie or square slices. Yes, you are doing this now because it keeps your pizza in tact when serving with all of the fresh toppings.
  • Now it’s time to put your toppings on. Start with the lettuce. Spread it all over.
  • Drizzle the sour cream. (I used 2-3 tbsp/pizza. You will have extra sour cream from this recipe) You could also put it in a bowl and let each person top their own slice.
  • I like to put my smaller toppings on top of the sour cream so you can see them which means now is when the diced tomatoes and green onions get evenly distributed.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • The calorie count is for 1 pizza with the exact ingredients and amounts I have mentioned, including the pizza being a thin crust.
  • Leftovers taste good the next day! 😉

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