When I was following a vegan diet, I’ll admit, I missed eating pizza. There, I said it. I missed the convenience, the taste, the melange of food groups meeting all in one location. But I got to thinking: to me, pizza is a mix of tomato-y goodness, vegetables, and something in the creamy, savoury, tangy realm, all on some type of crust conveyance. And then it hit me – hummus! Hummus is creamy, savoury, kind of tangy with a bit of that bite flavour- why not use it to replace the cheese, if you’re not eating dairy? And whole wheat pitas could become an easy crust substitute. And so the hummus pizza was born. This pizza is a little unconventional, it’s true – the hummus goes on the bottom, instead of tomato sauce. And the tomatoes go on top, instead of cheese. And the crust is a whole wheat pita. But heck, who cares? If this were a supper court of law, no jury would convict me because this pizza is just that good. Plus this pizza beats any other kind of regular pizza because it contains kale, and kale is like a star witness for the defense. In the supper court of law. You know.

Point being, this is delicious.

And it’s easy too, and can be adapted to your own level of DIY-ness. Make your own hummus or purchase store-bought, your call. Use whatever kale you can find – baby kale, not-so-baby kale. Shred it up and toss it on. Use fresh tomatoes or canned. Roasting the tomatoes first is a nice step that brings out their sweetness, but if you are short on time, just toss them under the broiler for a few minutes before you top the pizza and you get close to the same effect. If you’re gluten-free, consider a gluten-free pizza crust.

Kale and Hummus Pizzas with Roast Tomatoes

Author: Emily Joldersma, R.H.N.
Recipe Notes: vegan, soy-free, oil-free option

• whole wheat pitas
• cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes – whatever works for you
• hummus – red lentil hummus or your favourite brand/flavour
• kale, shredded
• optional: nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, powdered garlic – for topping

Instructions:

1. If roasting tomatoes: pre-heat oven to 425F. Toss tomatoes with a bit of olive oil (optional) and some sea salt (unless canned with salt, in which case, skip the salt) and even a tsp of maple syrup, if desired, and roast until skins are split or juice is starting to bubble and caramelize, about 20 – 30 minutes. Watch closer to the end to avoid the juice burning or smoking. For a quick option, season and place under your oven broiler for 10 minutes for the same effect.
2. Pre-heat your oven broiler (I use the low setting on mine) for the pizzas, if not already on from the tomatoes.
3. Spread 2-4 tbsps of hummus on each pita, depending on how many pizzas you want to make.
4. Top with shredded kale and roast tomatoes, and any desired spices/nutritional yeast.
5. Broil in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, until kale has crisped just slightly.

Eat it up!

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