Cauliflower base pizza is something I’ve been toying with the idea of for a while. I first heard about it when a friend told me she had tried her hand at a gluten-free pizza. After reading up on it I found out that all you needed was cauliflower and egg for the base, which excited me greatly, as I can be a bit lazy in the kitchen. So I figured I’d try my hand at it and see what I could come up with on my own. This recipe is completely gluten-free and can be adapted to best fit your personal tastes. It may sound outrageous, but this has now become my favourite kind of pizza. I would gladly choose it over a regular base any day. Sayonara Dominos! Hello gluten-free heaven!
As a reference, most of the seasoning for this is done to taste so I haven’t used any measurements.
I’ve also recommended some alternatives for those who don’t like spice.
Ingredients:
350g Cauliflower – Frozen or Fresh
50g Mozzarella (approx)
3 Baby Tomatoes
1 Large Egg
Pesto (approx. 1 1/2 tablespoons)
Chopped Spring Onions (approx. 2)
Chilli Powder/Paprika
Dried Basil & Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Clove/s
Parmesan
What you need to do…
Pre-heat your oven to 200c/Gas Mark 7, and line a tray with greaseproof paper.
If you use frozen cauliflower, I would suggest defrosting it/cooking it slightly and squeezing out any excess water. Fresh cauliflower is easier to work with, but I have used frozen in this recipe as it’s just easier to keep a big bag in the freezer.
After you have prepared your cauliflower cook it in the microwave for 5mins.
Let it cool, then place it in the blender, along with the garlic (I used 2 cloves).
Blend this for about 10 seconds, making sure you are left with crumbs, and not a puree.
Add your cauliflower and garlic mixture to a large bowl. To this add the egg, salt & pepper, dried basil & oregano, parmesan and the chilli powder (or paprika if you’re not a fan of spice) – to taste. Mix this together with a large spoon until you are left with a dough like texture. If you think your mixture is a bit wet, you can always add a little gluten-free self raising flour to bulk it up.
Once you have your mixture ready, roll it into a ball and place it on your lined tray. Press down onto the ball and create a large circle, making sure not to thin it out too much – you want a thickish crust. Don’t worry if it looks a bit messy, the rustic charm will add to the look and texture of the base once it is cooked. Place your ‘dough’ in the oven for around 15mins. Sometimes I turn it around halfway through, to make sure it is cooked evenly.
Now your base is cooked, you can garnish it! Spread the pesto evenly over the base – you can add a little tomato puree (gluten-free) here if you like. Cut your tomatoes into quarters and scatter them over the pizza. I like to scatter the chopped spring onions over top of this. Finally, break up your mozzarella and cover the pizza with it.
Bake your pizza in the oven, for around 10mins, until it has browned and the mozzarella has melted.
Cut in half and serve – I like to have it with potatoes or a salad.
This is a super quick and easy recipe that anyone can enjoy – even if you’re not on a gluten-free diet. Trust me! It’s just as filling as a regular pizza, but has a lot less calories and isn’t anywhere near as greasy. It also includes 2 of your 7 a day!
As always, if you do try it out, tweet me or leave a comment here as I’d love to know what you think!
