Vegan Pizza Dip

Ingredients

• 12 oz jar pizza sauce (see quick sauce recipe below)
• 1 tomato thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced olives
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion
• 8 oz sliced white or cremini mushrooms (or a combination with portabella and shiitake)
• 1/4 tsp dreid thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt or more salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper flakes
• 1/3 heaping cup raw cashews (soaked for 5 mins in warm water if needed)
• 1.5 to 2 tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 cloves roasted garlic (or 1 small raw garlic clove)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp white miso (use chickpea miso to make soy-free or omit)
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp or more nutritional yeast
• 3/4 cup + water

Steps

1. 1

   Make the mushroom onion saute: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and toss well. Cook partially covered for 7 minutes. Add thyme, salt and pepper flakes and mix well. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until golden.

2. 2

   Drain the cashews if soaked. Blend all the ingredients under mozzarella cream, Taste and adjust salt and tang and set aside. If you omitted the miso, you might need to add more salt. Prep the rest of the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200ºc.

3. 3

   In a loaf pan, or other small baking dish, Add some of the pizza sauce and spread it out, then a some of the mozzarella cream. Distribute the mushroom mixture over the cream.

4. 4

   Add another layer of pizza sauce, another layer of mozzarella cream. Sprinkle olives all over.

5. 5

   Place tomato slices on top. Sprinkle salt, thyme or oregano.

6. 6

   Bake at 400 deg F / 200ºc for 25 minutes.

7. 7

   Sprinkle fresh basil and pepper flakes on top. Serve hot with crusty bread, garlic bread or pita bread. I use mini wheat pitas that have been warmed in the oven in the last 5 minutes of the dip bake time.