This pizza is out of this world! Topped with pesto, charred leeks and charred corn, dollops of melty vegan mozzarella, and crispy coconut bacon (aka the pizza’s raison d’être). All over a pillowy pizza dough, baked up to hot, chewy perfection. It’s the kind of pizza you’ll want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If only because a couple of slices at one meal just isn’t enough! It’s perfect for the transitioning seasons, making the most of seasonal produce. Leeks are prime spring season, and we’re just starting to see some of summer’s ripe corn. The basil in my porch herb garden is growing like crazy, and I’m pretty sure it’s always coconut bacon season. ? I was inspired by the veritable bounty of the fresh foods in my fridge and garden. But, the driving force behind this pizza was the desire to make the most of my oven before my AC turns on for the season. I bake my pizzas in threes, so we still have a little left of these pies, but I’m already plotting the next round! Making pizza is so simple! If it’s not part of your cooking rotation, you should add it! Whether you start with homemade pizza dough, store bought dough, or a pre-made crust, this pizza is sure to be a hit!
For the base of this pizza, I used a simple herb stuffed pesto.
My homemade pesto used a combination of toasted walnuts and pine nuts for the base along with some fresh garlic. For the herbs, I used mainly basil, but added a bit of fresh thyme and a handful of fresh parsley to amp up the flavor. Last I added extra virgin olive oil, a bit of sea salt, and the juice from one lemon to brighten up the herbal flavors. Any pesto recipe would be delicious on this pizza, and you can certainly purchase one at the store (check the ingredients for parmesan cheese, it’s often in store bought versions!). The pesto should be on the runny side so it can be easily spread over the dough. While I used plenty of olive oil in my pesto to achieve this–nothing like pizza dough and olive oil, you can always substitute some of the olive oil for water.
Next we have the pizza toppings.
I lightly charred the leeks and corn over a hot, oiled skilled to get some spots of blackened color. I used corn on the cob, but to be perfectly honest, I only bought out of season fresh corn for the photo styling. Frozen corn is more than ok! Leeks on the other hand are so in season, you’d be crazy to not use them! That being said, if you’re reading this post outside of spring season, you have my permission to use out of season leeks. For the cheese, I used some fresh mozzarella style vegan cheese. Other options would be some homemade almond cheese or a vegan feta. There’s so much delicious flavor going on with this pizza that I recommend going light on the cheese, just some dollops here and there, or a light layer of shredded vegan cheese. You can even skip it if you prefer! Bake the pizza with these toppings, then add the coconut bacon once it’s out of the oven!
Making the coconut bacon:
If you’ve never had coconut bacon, it’s bound to become one of your top vegan bacon options! It’s so simple to make. Toss large flakes of desiccated coconut in a smoky, salty, and sweet marinade. Then bake them to absorb the marinade, and turn crisp. Coconut bacon is salty, savory, the perfect amount of sweet, and smoky. It’s rich and flavorful, and the perfect accompaniment to this savory vegetabley pizza! If you’d prefer to use a store bought vegan bacon, you can use a tempeh bacon, seitan bacon, or soy bacon, but you’ll want to add it to the pizza before it bakes. You may even want to crisp it up in the pan (not necessary for my homemade tempeh bacon) before topping the pizza! This pizza turned out extra delicious and special. It was the first time I’ve put corn on one of my homemade pizzas, and I’m sure to repeat that soon! The last time I had corn on pizza was at this restaurant in Romania, and we ordered what was called a Mexican pizza (which, I know, bad call). It came out with cheese and like those frozen mixed vegetables on top. So corn, green peas, diced carrots, lima beans.. you know the one. It was let’s say, an experience I didn’t care to repeat anytime soon and swore me off the idea of adding corn to pizza for years! I’m glad I got over it, because wow! I think this is going to be the summer of corn on pizza! I hope you enjoy this tasty pesto leek pizza as much as we did! If you make some pesto leek pizza with coconut bacon and charred corn, leave a comment below and rate the recipe on the recipe card. And please share your photos with me on Instagram, tag @thecuriouschickpea and #thecuriouschickpea. I love seeing your recreations! For pizza shaping, baking, and transferring to the oven tips, please read my Easy Overnight Pizza Dough post.
Baking Steel - The Original Ultra Conductive Pizza Stone (14"x16"x1/4") Ironwood Gourmet 28214 Napoli Pizza Peel, Acacia Wood Lets Do Organics: Organic Coconut Flakes, 7 oz (3 Pack)
