Red Lentil Pizza
While not a traditional pizza (you might need to issue a disclaimer to prevent disappointment upon first bite), you get a crust packed full of protein, fiber and a ton of other essential vitamins and minerals. This is a great recipe to make for date night or as a family. One person can prepare the crust while another prepares the toppings. Once all crusts are cooked, each person can put on the toppings they prefer on their pizza to customize it to their tastes.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups dried red lentils
- 1-2 cloves garlic (depending on taste)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups water
Toppings
- Pizza sauce
- Cheese of your choice
- Toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Place all crust ingredients in a blender (you do not need a high-speed blender). Run blender for a minute to begin to break down the lentils and garlic cloves. Allow to sit for a few minutes while you start preparing the toppings. Blend again, taking time to rest a few minutes and then process until lentils are mostly broken down.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat a 10” cast iron skillet* over medium heat. Lightly grease with olive oil. Add a scant ¾ cup of the crust mix to the skillet. Use a rubber spatula (not the spatula you will be using for turning) or the back of a spoon to spread out the crust mixture. Your crust should come to the edges of the skillet if you are making 10” pizzas.
- Once the crust looks fairly dry on top (3-5 minutes), gently loosen it from the skillet and flip it over to finish cooking on the other side (2-3 minutes). Once the crust is cooked, place it on a baking sheet. Continue cooking your crust mix until all crusts are made (should make four 10” crusts).
- Add your toppings - I prefer to add pizza sauce, cheese and then additional toppings, but the beauty of this recipe is the ability to make the pizzas your own! Layer on your topping in any order that you prefer.
- Once all pizzas are topped, bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until all toppings are cooked. Slice and serve hot.
Notes
*You do not need to use a cast iron skillet, I prefer it because of the even heat and non-stick nature of well seasoned cast iron. You can use any non-stick skillet or griddle, and your crusts can be any size/shape you would like. I find 10” to be a good size for an individual adult dinner, but you might want to make them smaller for easier flipping or more topping variations.
This crust does not taste great cold, however, I reheat them in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to bring a little softness back to the crust which makes any leftovers a great breakfast or lunch the next day.