Inspired by hot weather, this delicious Mediterranean-inspired puff pastry pizza is easy and delicious. I’ve topped it with lots of tasty vegetables and flavour, which makes it the perfect meal for Summer.
If you don’t have time to read the recipe for this puff pastry pizza now, then PIN it for later!
Why should you add puff pastry on your next food shop?
Apart from its lovely light, flaky texture and buttery flavour, puff pastry is incredibly versatile in cooking.
It’s fantastic for creating delicious bakes and sweet treats, but it’s also great for savoury dishes. It’s freezer-friendly too, which makes it a convenient addition to your food shop.
One of my favourite ways to use it is for making pizzas as it’s an easy alternative to making homemade pizza dough. It also means you’ll leave the dinner table feeling lighter and less bloated in comparison.
You can buy puff pastry frozen or chilled in ready-rolled sheets, or you can buy it in a block which you can roll out yourself. The latter would be a good option if you wanted to make a large puff pizza.
How do you make vegan puff pastry pizza?
As you’ll know, traditional puff pastry recipes aren’t vegan. They require butter, but you can easily sub this out for a dairy-free alternative.
There are plenty of benefits to going dairy-free – if you fancy reading more, then check out this article.
The Naturli vegan block would be perfect for making your own puff pastry as it has a gorgeous buttery flavour – you can find this in Sainsbury’s (UK). Also, Stork’s Original Baking Block (not their margarine) is vegan.
As much as I love to get into making pastry, sometimes I just can’t be arsed (haha). So, if you’re like me and want a short-cut, then my favourite is pre-made puff pastry sheets. Jus Rol and many supermarket-own brands are vegan – just double-check the label when you’re next shopping.
How healthy is my Mediterranean puff pastry pizza?
Topping puff pastry pizza with a variety of vegetables incorporates additional nutrition and essential vitamins as well as FLAVOUR.
Tomatoes are a brilliant source of vitamin C and Lycopene.
Lycopene is a red pigment found in tomatoes which increases in volume when tomatoes are cooked. It’s also found in fruits such as watermelon, guava and papaya. Studies have shown that high consumption of lycopene is associated with a lower risk of cancer and heart attacks.
Courgette and aubergine are both excellent sources of fibre and antioxidants. Both are also great examples of low-glycemic foods which means they have minimal effect on your blood glucose levels and will keep you fuller for longer.
Why do you par-cook the vegetables before topping them on the pizza?
Firstly, roasting vegetables is a great way to savour their nutrients. For example, boiling vegetables may cause vital nutrients to leach into the water, leaving you with less in your dinner.
Aubergine, courgette and red bell pepper are well suited to roasting – they become soft, juicy, and taste lovely once topped and cooked with the puff pastry.
Secondly, these veggies take longer to cook through in the oven than the puff pastry. Therefore, roasting them beforehand allows them to par-cook and soak up some seasoning. Especially the aubergine. Then they’ll finish off cooking as toppings on the puff pizza. If you don’t par-cook them, they won’t cook through by the time the puff pastry cooks, and you’ll find each bite too hard. Whereas, par-cooking provides an easy bite bursting with flavour.
Can I adapt this dish?
Of course!
Feel free to use an array of toppings which suit your taste and food stocks. A few other ideas which suit the Mediterranean theme include:
- Olives
- Butternut Squash
- Mushrooms
- Chickpeas
- Other leafy greens e.g. spinach/kale
- Nuts and seeds e.g. walnut would taste lovely roasted with red onion and vegan feta
- You could even fry off some vegan meat too e.g soy pieces
- Oregano, Rosemary and parsley all work too if you don’t have mixed herbs.
TIP: If you would like to cut your puff pastry, say if you’re making 2-4 individual pizzas from one sheet, then cut the pastry while it’s still chilled.
This is a very versatile meal which you can put your own stamp on, and the basic ingredients are store-cupboard friendly. That’s why it’s part of my IGTV recipe series, Vegan In Lockdown. You can watch the series here – I’ve released a new episode every week for the first 10 weeks of lockdown in the U.K:
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I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments once you’ve tried my Puff Pastry Pizza with Roasted Meditteranean veggies. I’m sure you will adore the taste and be delighted by how yummy a Life Without Meat can be.
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Much love,
G
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Puff Pastry Pizza With Roasted Mediterranean Veggies
An easy, delicious and versatile puff pastry pizza topped with roasted Mediterranean veggies – perfect for summer!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of vegan puff pastry pizza
The roasted veg:
- 1/2 large courgette
- 1/2 aubergine
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of sea salt
- black pepper
Tomato sauce:
- 100g passata
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp garlic puree
- small pinch of salt
- black pepper
Other toppings:
- 1 vine tomato, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- vegan feta cheese (often labelled as vegan 'salad cheese' or 'greek-style')
- vegan mozzarella
- Rocket
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C.
- Use the waiting time to prep your vegetables. Slice up the courgette, aubergine and red bell pepper and place them on a baking tray. Then in a bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp mixed herbs. Drizzle this over the vegetables and evenly coat. Sprinkle over some sea salt and black pepper. Then bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Use their cooking time to prep the rest of your toppings and homemade sauce. Combine the tomato sauce ingredients (listed above) together in a bowl and set to one side.
- Then slice your tomato and red onion.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven once done, but keep the oven on.
- Roll out your puff pastry onto a baking tray. Then spoon over the tomato sauce (leaving a gap around the edge), the roasted veggies, tomato and red onion. Crumble over some vegan feta and a couple of handfuls of vegan mozzarella. Plus some chilli flakes if you fancy.
- Bake the puff pastry pizza in the oven for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. You can use its cooking time to clean up and set the table.
- Once cooked, you can top with fresh rocket. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Allergens: Gluten
You can buy gluten-free puff pastry.
Allergens in vegan cheese may vary depending on brand.
