We love figs. We also love lemon. And we definitely love pizza, so we decided to create one that incorporated these distinctive ingredients. We opted to use balsamic reduction and a creamy cashew cheese sauce to give it a savory element to contrast the sweet figs. All of these very powerful flavors are tamed by the creamy texture and hint of garlic from the “cheese sauce.” Then, we finished it with fresh seasonal microgreens for a nice crunch.
The preserved lemon gives the pizza a nice sweet and slightly bitter taste. That being said, our love of lemon might not be yours, so we recommend slicing the lemon as thin as possible and also maybe quartering it as well.
This wonderfully fresh and flavorful pizza might not be for everyone but is a perfect combination for fresh summer produce. It will score high marks when served as bite sized appetizers or with a glass of wine on a hot day.
- 1 Whole wheat pizza dough
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in water for 2-8 hours
- 1 lemon very thinly sliced
- 5-6 fresh figs thinly sliced
- 1 bunch micro greens
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt separated
- 2 Tbsp sugar we used coconut sugar but white sugar works too.
- 1 tbsp balsamic reduction
- Place the cashews in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak for at least 2 hours but overnight is preferable.
- Wash and slice all produce as directed.
- Place the thinly sliced lemon in a bowl with the sugar and 1 tsp of salt. Let sit for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Drain the cashews and place them into a food processor with the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, pepper and the other tsp of salt. Blend until completely pureed into a thick sauce. If the consistency is too dry add a small amount of soy milk (or coconut milk) until desired consistency is obtained. Careful not to add too much liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out your dough into desired shape on a clean pizza stone or directly in a greased sheet pan if you do not have a pizza stone. Place the dough into the oven for 10 minutes to begin cooking.
- After the dough has pre-cooked take it out and spread a layer of the cashew cheese sauce on top. Arrange the lemon slices on top of the sauce. Place back into the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- After the pizza has cooked completely take it out and finish your toppings. Add the figs and micro greens onto the pizza. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and serve immediately.
