Vegan Thai Inspired Pizza (oil-free!)

Vegan Thai Inspired Pizza
Makes: 1 (12 inch) pizza • Total Time: 40 minutes • FODMAP rating: medium

Pizza is traditionally decked in cheese but you might be surprised how delicious pizza can be without animal-based products like cheese and sausage. This pizza is inspired by the rich spices and flavors from Thai culture using pantry staples.

Ingredients
Crust
1 ¾ - 2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sweetener of choice, preferably maple syrup or honey
¼ teaspoon salt

Sauce
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, optional

Toppings
½ cup of broccoli, chopped
¼ cup of green onions, diced
½ cup of carrots, shredded
¼ cup of roasted peanuts
½ cup of red bell pepper, diced
handful of chopped cilantro

Instructions
Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a flat baking sheet or pizza pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of warm water, yeast, and honey or maple syrup. Let it bubble for 5 minutes. If it doesn’t, use a new packet of yeast and start again.
In a medium bowl, mix together 1 ¾ cups of flour and salt then use a wooden spoon, slowly mix in the yeast mixture.
Once it forms a ball of dough, put it onto a floured surface and knead in enough of the ¼ cup of flour left until the dough form a round smooth texture.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes then roll it out into a pizza and bake for 8 minutes before adding the sauce and toppings.
Sauce
In a saucepan on medium heat, add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, peanut butter, maple syrup, garlic clove, salt, and red pepper flakes, if using, and simmer for 3 minutes or until thick.
Remove from heat and spread it evenly onto the crust and add toppings and continue baking for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

*Don’t forget to preload on vegetables before you eat!
*Make ahead: Make the pizza dough ahead of time and cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours and allow to reach room temperature and have a rise (about 1 hour) before rolling out the dough to bake. Sauce can be made and refrigerated.
*Gluten-Free: Swap out for all-purpose gluten-free flour blend and add 2 teaspoons xantham gum if blend doesn’t include it; add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to achieve nice flavoring and texture.
*Nut-Free: Use tahini or a seed butter instead of peanut butter
*FODMAP Swaps: Start with a handful of red peppers or swap out for another color variety; avoid using the whites of scallions or use chives instead