Gluten-Free Chickpea Pizza With Beets and Greens

If you're vegan—or avoid dairy for any other reason—you know you need to get your calcium elsewhere. And if you didn't know that, I'm glad you stumbled onto my blog.

In the vegan world, protein tends to get all the attention. Sometimes we're so busy worrying about it that we forget our bodies need other nutrients, too. Calcium is a big one: this mineral supports healthy bones, helps muscles contract, and activates many enzymes.

Calcium is especially important from ages 9 to 18, when kids and teens go through such dramatic growth.

So this week's post, along with my Facebook Live broadcast, is all about calcium.

Where can vegans get calcium?

Vegetables:
Mostly green vegetables, including spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, beet greens, okra, broccoli, artichokes, scallions, celery, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, asparagus, and kohlrabi. Tomatoes, pumpkin, and carrot juice contain calcium, too.

Legumes:
Black-eyed peas, beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils, and, of course, – soy and soy foods, including soy milk, soy cheese, tofu, and miso.

Fruit:
Papaya, oranges, raisins, dried figs, dried apricots, grapefruit, and blueberries.

Fats:
Almonds, Brazil nuts, other nuts, pistachios, tahini (preferably made from whole, unhulled sesame seeds), and halva.

Bread and grains:
Barley, oats, and calcium-fortified breakfast cereals.

That brings us to this gluten-free pizza. It's rich in calcium thanks to the chickpea flour, broccoli, green peas, and tahini. It's also high in protein and low in fat, making it a dinner option for your vegan teen—and the parents, too.

Nutrition per serving (2 slices)

382 calories, 35 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 15 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat), 11 g fiber, 4.5 mg iron, 210 mg calcium, 342 mcg folate.

With contributions from Noam Bachar (an Israeli nutritionist and fitness instructor).

I want this as my screensaver.

Gluten-Free Chickpea Pizza With Beets and Plenty of Greens

A quick gluten-free pizza that makes a great dinner with a big salad. Rich in protein and calcium, low in fat, and loaded with colorful vegetables.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Yield 2 servings

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 teaspoons chopped thyme
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Pinch ground turmeric optional
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Sauce

• 0.5 cooked beet store-bought vacuum-packed beets work, too
• 1 tablespoon whole-sesame tahini paste
• 2 tablespoons cooked white beans
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

For the Toppings

• 4-5 blanched broccoli florets
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 tablespoon green peas frozen is fine

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven on the broiler setting to high heat—at least 220°C (425°F).
2. In a bowl, mix the crust ingredients until you have a smooth, lump-free batter, reserving the olive oil for the skillet.
3. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet.
4. Once the oil is hot, pour in the batter. Cover the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned underneath. No flipping required.
5. Transfer the crust to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. For the sauce:
7. Blend all the sauce ingredients—the beet, white beans, tahini, and garlic—in a food processor until you have a thick, pink sauce.
8. Use a spoon to spread the sauce over the cooked crust, then arrange the toppings on top.
   
9. Place in the hot oven and cook for about 10 minutes.

A Few Notes

You can replace the chickpea flour with the same amount of lentil flour or another flour you like.

You can also replace the cooked beet with the same amount of tomato.