A Delicious Protein-Rich Vegan Mistake, Life in canada

Turn a cooking blunder into a tasty meal with this plant-based, vegan red lentil pizza crust recipe that’s both unique and healthy.

I’m unsure if pizza crust made with red lentils is a thing, but my mistake was perfect.

With 18g of protein and 16g of fibre in the pizza crust, you can increase the numbers with toppings.

I started making a protein-rich red lentil hummus recipe when I realized I had messed up badly.

In my mind, I thought it would be ok to soak the lentils and then blend them with hummus ingredients, and it would be delicious.

It tasted unpleasant because I needed to rinse, soak, and cook the lentils first. Oops!

Note: If you want to read about red lentil history, you’ll find it all in the hummus post, so I won’t bother entertaining you again with the same information.

If you make my recipe, please leave me feedback in the comments and share my recipe!

Thanks

Fixing My Red Lentil Mistake

Instead of pouring it in the trash, I did something with the red lentil batter and made a pizza crust.

I lined a 12″ round pizza stone after 10 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees with parchment paper.

Pre-baking the pizza stone is optional and something I always do, but you don’t have to.

If you are using a baking sheet, there is no need to preheat the sheet.

Pouring the lentil hummus batter onto the parchment paper was simple, as it was between a pancake and crepe batter consistency and not as thick as a traditional hummus recipe.

I gently rounded the batter evenly with a spatula, ensuring the middle was not thick so it would bake crispy.

You don’t want the batter to be thick or too thin, so I eyeballed it, and as long as you can’t see the parchment paper below and it is evenly distributed, you’re ok.

I baked it for 15 minutes at 300 degrees until it was lightly golden brown.

Once I removed it from the oven, I topped it with mozzarella cheese, sliced red onions, and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.

I was unprepared to make pizza, so I had no sauce since I was making hummus.

Nonetheless, the red lentil pizza was fantastic, flavourful, and crispy. I was pretty proud of myself.

How To Top Your Red Lentil Pizza Crust

Whether you make a red lentil flatbread or pizza crust, you can add any of your favourite toppings.

After baking the red lentil crust, you can cut it into any shape and rebake it for 5-7 minutes at 300 degrees to make crispy crackers or tortilla-like chips, perfect for dipping.

Here are some of our favourite toppings that we’ve used on the red lentil pizza crust.

• Red onion, mozzarella cheese, and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
• Pizza sauce, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and bacon (not vegetarian)
• Spinach, garlic scape pesto, and crumbled feta

Add whatever you like!

Tips To Make The Perfect Red Lentil Pizza Crust

• Ensure the batter is evenly distributed to the edges around the baking stone/sheet, especially in the middle, so the crust becomes crispy and does not stay soft.
• Line the 12″ pizza stone or baking sheet with parchment paper so it doesn’t stick.
• Bake the red lentil pizza crust on the middle or bottom rack only.
• Season your crust properly so it doesn’t taste like cardboard.
• Bake the crust until it is light golden, as it will bake further once you top it.
• You do not have to let the crust cool before you add toppings. Top the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven, then return it to finish baking.
• Make lentil pizza crusts ahead of time and freeze them until you want to use one.

How To Make Red Lentil Pizza Crust

Explore the benefits of red lentil pizza crust. This unique vegan recipe offers a protein-rich alternative to classic crusts.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
2. Wash and rinse the red lentils with cold water.
3. Add the red lentils and 2 cups of cold water to a large bowl and soak for 15 minutes.
4. Drain the lentils and pour them into a blender or food processor.
5. Add the garlic, tahini, lemon, pepper, cumin, and olive oil.
6. Mix until creamy, taste for seasoning preference.
7. The batter should be runny between a crepe and pancake batter. If not, add a tablespoon of cold water and blend again.
8. Line a baking sheet or 12 12-inch round pizza stone with parchment paper. (I like to heat the stone before I use it, but you don’t have to.)
9. Gently pour the red lentil pizza batter onto the parchment paper.
10. Using a spatula, evenly distribute the batter around the parchment paper into a circle.
11. Ensure the batter is evenly distributed so it crisps nicely in the oven and bakes evenly.
12. Bake the pizza crust on the middle or bottom rack for 12-15 minutes or until golden in colour.
13. Remove from the oven and top with your favorite ingredients, and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes so that the toppings melt and cook through.
14. Remove the pizza and cut as desired. I was able to get six slices, which fed two adults.