Two of America’s favorite foods are barbecue and pizza.  Now imagine them together for the ultimate in delicious comfort food.  This version is vegetarian, using tofu, crumbled and browned with barbecue sauce, in place of more traditional chicken with pretty great results.  The barbecue sauce, smoked cheddar, mozzarella, purple onion and fresh tomatoes all melted together into quite a tasty pizza. My guests actually didn’t believe that it was tofu at first but they quickly became believers…

I used a very spicy barbecue sauce that has a slightly smoky flavor, so I used it sparingly.  I didn’t want the pizza to be so hot that people couldn’t eat it. I may have used a layer of tomato sauce if I had it but used fresh tomatoes instead. Next time I will do both or use a milder barbecue sauce. I also doubled down on the smoky flavor by using a combination of mozzarella and smoked cheddar.  Vegans can easily swap out the cheeses for any combination of vegan cheeses. There are many good ones available now.

TIPS:  A good shortcut is to use a ready made pizza dough, preferably whole grain (that’s just my preference). If you are interested in making your own, click on the link above for a good recipe for pizza crust using white whole wheat flour. Just keep in mind that once you roll out the dough into a circle or rectangle, the longer you allow it to sit, the more it will rise and thicken.  So for a thinner crust, don’t let it sit more than an hour.

Your barbecue sauce will determine how well your pizza turns out, so choose one that is tried and true or make your own.  Some of the store bought sauces are truly awful and some are delicious.  Taste first…

BBQ TOFU PIZZA

1 ball pizza dough (see link above)
1/2 cup olive oil (divided)
1 block extra firm tofu
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup tomato sauce or barbecue sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup smoked cheddar
2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 purple onion
1/4 cup cilantro or parsley
olive oil spray (optional)

• Place the ball of pizza dough on a floured surface and roll out into desired shape. (Will be determined by your pan).  Place on parchment paper and transfer to baking sheet. Put it in a warm place and let sit covered with a kitchen towel.

• Drain tofu and cut into small cubes.  Lay cubes on double paper towels, cover with another double layer and set something heavy on top. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet on medium high and cook tofu until lightly browned.  Using the spoon break the tofu up into large crumbles. Reduce heat and stir in 1 cup barbecue sauce.  Cook another couple of minutes and remove from heat.

• Chop tomatoes and cilantro and mince red onion.

• Spray or brush pizza dough with olive oil, especially the edges. Spread 1 cup of tomato or barbecue sauce evenly over top (optional).  Sprinkle cheeses over the top.

• Top with tofu mixture, red onion and tomatoes.  Spray with olive oil (optional)

• Cook at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the cheeses are browned and bubbling and the crust is golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro.

• Slide pizza off of parchment paper onto serving platter or cutting board and cut into wedges or squares. Serve hot or room temperature.