Meatless Monday: 3 Vegetarian Pizzas

I love me some pizza, but plain, cheese-laden pies can be boring and unhealthy. Fortunately, homemade pizza lets us flex our creativity muscles and produce pies that not only taste great, but are also packed with protein and healthy fats rather than calories.

alive’s February issue features three vegetarian pizza recipes inspired by international flavours—just in time for a Meatless Monday-meets-Olympics pizza celebration. Look for basic or gluten-free crusts at your local health food store, or make your own pizza base to really impress dinner guests. Our no-fail recipes will help you craft a crisp, crowd-pleasing crust:

• Basic Pizza Crust
• Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Tips for healthier pizza

• Opt for whole wheat crust.
• Forgo meat toppings in favour of veggies such as artichokes, mushrooms, and peppers.
• Experiment with fruit toppings, from tried-and-true pineapple to crunchy-sweet apple slices.
• Add a sprinkle of nuts, such as chopped walnuts or hazelnuts.
• Halve the amount of cheese in a given recipe.
• Don’t skimp on tomato sauce. Lycopene, an antioxidant in tomatoes, is a cancer-curbing, heart-healthy nutrient that our bodies can more readily absorb when it’s cooked and combined with an oil or fat, such as cheese on pizza.

Ready to step up your pizza game? Try one of these vegetarian recipes that will fill your household with Olympic spirit (and the smell of cooking dough).

Maple Apple Pizza

Go Canada! This patriotic pie deserves a gold medal for flavour. It replaces the toppings we’ve come to expect with Canadian favourites such as maple syrup, apple slices, and caramelized onions.

Tex-Mex Pizza

Craving something a bit more fiery? Our Tex-Mex Pizza adds protein and monounsaturated fats to the mix in the form of pinto beans and avocado. Cocoa powder is the perfect counterpoint to spicier flavours in the mole sauce.

Indian Vegetable and Chickpea Pizza

A pizza without cheese? Yes, please! A blend of chickpeas, yogurt, and spices replaces the mozzarella that can weigh down typical pizzas. This recipe also ups the health factor by featuring a bevy of veggies, including cauliflower, eggplant, and spinach.