Pizza is one of those foods that I don’t think I could live without. And this recipe is one of the reasons why. It’s got it all—cheesiness (in a plant-based way!), savoriness, freshness, and crispness. It’s grilled which creates mouth-watering smokiness, too. Surprise everyone; make this grilled mushroom and cashew cheese pizza instead of burgers at your next cookout–or cook-in!

grilled mushroom and cashew cheese pizza

Makes 4 servings: 1/2 of 9-inch pizza each

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 teaspoons white truffle oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 ounces sliced fresh mushroom mixture, such baby bella (crimini), shiitake caps, and oyster mushrooms (4 cups)
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• Pinch of sea salt (optional)
• 14 ounces whole grain or multigrain pizza dough, thawed if frozen*
• 5 1/2 ounces vegan soft goat-style cashew cheese or favorite plant-based Italian-style cheese
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large stick-resistant skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, rosemary, pepper, and (if using) salt and sauté until the mushrooms are just wilted, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Prepare an outdoor or indoor grill, or a grill pan.
3. Divide the dough into two (7-ounce) balls. Rub the dough balls with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Stretch then shape by hand on a large cutting board into two approximately 9-inch round thin crusts. (Note: It’s okay if not perfectly round.)
4. Gently lay the dough on the grill grates over direct medium heat and grill for 5 minutes, then grill over medium-high heat until the bottom has well-defined, charred grill marks, about 5 minutes. Flip over, top each crust immediately with the mushrooms and goat-style cheese, cover, and grill over medium-high heat for 2 min­utes; rotate (to form cross-hatch grill marks), and continue to grill, covered, until the crust bottom is browned, dough is cooked through, and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more. (Note: Grill in batches, if necessary.)
5. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board. Slice each in half or into quarters, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

Per serving (as an main dish): 550 calories, 27g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 770mg sodium, 66g total carbohydrate, 8g dietary fiber, 8g sugars, 21g protein

*Hint: If you have 16 ounces (1 pound) pizza dough, wrap and freeze the other 2 ounces. Or bake it into a roll and save for other use.

(Disclosure: At time of posting, I was a spokesperson/blogger for the Mushroom Council. However, this recipe was not developed on their behalf. I was not paid to develop it for my website.)

Jackie’s Culinary Nutrition Tips!

• The amazing taste provided by truffles—even if just truffle flavored/infused olive oil—is one of the most memorable flavors on the planet; if a recipe calls for truffle anything, just use it (but be very selective … don’t use it on everything on the planet!)
• When topping a pizza with a vegan cheese, make the other toppings the features, like mushrooms; plus select a mixture of mushrooms for more flavor and texture interest if you wish
• Introduce fresh herbs to pizza for freshness, aroma, and eye appeal
• Grill pizza for smoky goodness–and for added fun