A certified Rooted classic! Our vegan Pizza Bowl was one of the first recipes we launched in the original Rooted kitchen, part of a wider catalogue of meals that straddled the line between tasting delightfully naughty while actually being (gasp) healthy. We wanted to capture all those flavours that were reminiscent of that 2am Friday night takeout we’d look forward to after a big night out. So, we came up with a way to be able to eat those flavours, day in day out.
With a tomatoey base, your favourite toppings and an ooey-gooey cheese sauce, our Lentil Mince Pizza Bowl will scratch that itch to get you through your midweek cravings. You’re probably wondering, how do we make lentils and veggies taste like pizza? Read on to find out.
What you need
TOMATO QUINOA
2 cups quinoa
4 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp. tomato paste
LENTIL MINCE
1 can lentils, drained
1 beef stock cube, crumbled
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. tomato paste
½ tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. paprika
3 tsp. dried mixed herbs (oregano, parsley, basil)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
½ onion, diced
1 tbsp. neutral oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
TOPPINGS
6 small mushrooms, sliced
½ green capsicum, diced
½ red capsicum, diced
1 brown onion, diced
⅓ cup sliced olives
1 tbsp. olive oil
Pinch of salt
½ cup fresh basil leaves
CHEESE SAUCE
½ cup cashews, soaked
½ potato, steamed
1½ tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1½ tsp. miso paste
½ cup nutritional yeast
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. smoked paprika
3 tbsp. canola oil
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Step 2
Prepare the quinoa as per packet instructions, but swapping out the water for chicken stock. When cooked, add the tomato paste and stir through. Pop lid back on and let sit until the rest is ready.
Step 3
For the cheese sauce, put everything in a blender or food processor except for the oil and process for about 3 minutes until a paste is created. If the blender gets stuck, add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it up. Then, slowly drizzle the oil in whilst blending for another 2 minutes so the sauce emulsifies. Set aside.
Step 4
For the toppings, cover the mushroom, capsicum and onion in a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread out onto a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes or until roasted (but not crispy!).
Step 5
For the mince, saute the onion in the oil for 2-3 minutes until translucent, then add the rest of the ingredients in. Cook down for 10-15 minutes or until your lentil mixture resembles a crumbly mince.
Step 6
To assemble the bowls, put about a cup of tomato quinoa on the bottom followed by ½ cup of lentil mince. Drizzle 2-3 tbsp of cheese sauce on top (or however much you like) and then sprinkle your toppings directly over the cheese sauce. Top with a few basil leaves. Enjoy!
✨ RECIPE NOTES ✨
- Toppings: Margherita your favourite pizza? Top your bowl with basil, cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes. Fancy a Hawaiian? Go nuts on the pineapple.
- Freeze: We mass produced this recipe for our Rooted meal delivery service, where we would make hundreds of portions in a week. Our meals were then flash frozen and delivered to our clients – so this recipe was made to be frozen! Make a little extra and see for yourself – you’ll thank us the next time you feel like pizza for breakfast and remember to pull out this little baby.
