Vegan Squash and “Bacon” Pizza

Looking for a delicious yet easy winter dinner? Here’s a delicious savory vegan squash and “bacon” pizza perfect for an easy winter weeknight dinner! Topped with sliced acorn squash, apples, and crispy tofu bacon this pizza is packed with rich seasonal flavor (although it would be delicious year-round!).

The Dough

What makes this pizza so tasty is, in part, the dough. My Easy Weeknight Pizza Dough has a touch of sweetness in it from agave nectar which plays into the sweetness of the caramelized onions, squash, and apples. This pizza’s toppings are sweet, salty, and savory and will have you reaching for “just one more” slice.

Fast & Easy Prep

What’s great about this pizza is that all the prep work can be done while the oven preheats and the tofu bacon bakes. While prepping all the other pizza toppings, you’ll bake the tofu bacon and the acorn squash. To get layers of rich flavor, the onions are caramelized with some olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar. The sugars from the balsamic bring out the sweetness of the red onion which is just perfect here.

The Tofu Bacon

Okay, this ‘bacon’ is seriously amazing. It has so much flavor and the perfect texture. Don’t tell anyone, but I was eating all the ‘bacon’ bits off the top of this pizza while photographing it!

To make the tofu bacon, you’ll want to slice a block of extra firm tofu into thin strips about ½” wide. The thinner the better! This will help the tofu get crispy. The key to getting super flavorful ‘bacon’ here is making sure to marinate the tofu for a good amount of time. I marinate mine for at least 20 minutes. You could also prep this the night before and marinate it overnight.

The key ingredients in the tofu marinade are Chinese 5 Spice, smoked paprika, soy sauce, and vegan Worcestershire sauce. I don’t recommend leaving these out since they add so much unique, smokey, and savory flavor.

Here’s an extra tip for extra perfection: go ahead and drizzle a little olive oil on the crust prior to baking for golden brown deliciousness. This will make your crust crispy on the exterior but moist and fluffy on the inside.

If you’re looking for some more easy vegan dinners, you should check out these scrumptious recipes:

• The Best Vegan BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Super Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese
• Super Cheesy Vegan Stuffed Peppers
• Vegan White Pizza with Garlic and Hot ‘Honey’
• Grilled Flatbread Pizza with Peaches
• Vegan Calzones

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Vegan Squash and "Bacon" Pizza

Yield: 9 slices

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

A delicious savory winter vegan squash and "bacon" pizza. Topped with sliced acorn squash, apples, and crispy tofu bacon.

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Ingredients

Tofu Bacon

• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 ½ tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce  
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• ⅛ tsp Chinese 5 Spice
• Pinch of brown sugar
• ½ block extra firm tofu, cut into thin strips ½” wide
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Pizza

• 1 small acorn squash
• 1 small gala apple, thinly sliced
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Pizza Sauce, store-bought or homemade
• Easy Weeknight Pizza Crust, or store-bought crust
• Vegan tofu bacon, see above
• 1 ½ cup vegan mozzarella, I’m using Trader Joe’s brand here

Instructions

To Make the Tofu Bacon

1. Combine the marinade ingredients (garlic, agave, sesame oil, nutritional yeast, salt, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, paprika, Chinese 5 Spice, brown sugar) in a square baking pan. Lay the tofu in the pan. Marinate for at least 20 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Drizzle the olive oil on the pan. Place the marinated tofu on the pan in a single layer. Make sure there is olive oil coating each piece.
4. Bake for 25 minutes flipping halfway through.*

To Make the Acorn Squash

1. In the same preheated oven (400F), bake the acorn squash whole on a baking sheet for 20 minutes to soften it. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice the squash into thin pieces, removing the skin.

To Make the Pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a small skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the red onion and balsamic vinegar, and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Spread your pizza dough out onto a parchment-lined baking tray. You can make a circle or any shape you prefer. Spread the remaining olive oil on the top of the dough.
4. Spread about 1/4 cup of pizza sauce onto the crust. Add the vegan cheese on top. Layer on the sliced apple, squash, caramelized onion & garlic. Sprinkle the tofu bacon on top.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the crust is golden.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 443mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 9g

Nutritional info is an estimate.

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Categories:

Baked Goods, Comfort Food, Date Night, Fall, Mains, Pizza, Winter,