Caramelized Onion Pizza with Vegan Basil Ricotta

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon organic brown sugar

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup raw cashews, (soaked in water 4-8 hours, rinsed and drained)

1/2 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk

7 ounces firm or extra firm tofu

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh basil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound whole wheat pizza dough, (or store-bought dough)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons cornmeal

2 cups baby arugula

Directions

To Make the Caramelized Onions

Place the onions, oil, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in to a large skillet. Stir everything to distribute the sugar and salt.

Place the skillet over low to medium low heat and cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they become very soft and brown, about 1 hour.

When the onions have caramelized, stir in the balsamic vinegar and raise the heat slightly. Cook the onions for a minute or two until the liquid from the vinegar has cooked off.

Remove the skillet from the heat and season the onions with salt to taste.

To Make the Vegan Ricotta

While the onions caramelize, place the cashews and milk into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend them to a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the tofu, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper to the food processor bowl and pulse until the mixture takes on a chunky, ricotta-like texture.

To Make the Pizza

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and sprinkle it with a tablespoon or two of cornmeal.

Roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle and place it on the oiled baking sheet. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle the edges with cornmeal.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake the crust for about 10 minutes, until puffy but not yet browned.

Remove the crust from the oven and spread the ricotta over the top. Distribute the onions over the ricotta.

Return the crust to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes more, until the crust has browned a bit around the edges.

Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with arugula.

Slice and serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice (1/6 of pizza)
• Calories: 495 kcal
• Total Fat: 27 g
• Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
• Sodium: 806 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 54.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.5 g
• Total Sugars: 8.2 g
• Protein: 12.2 g