This vegan Asparagus Pizza has a crispy, flaky puff pastry crust layered with a creamy, cheesy vegan bechamel sauce and tender asparagus spears.
This easy vegan asparagus pizza is one of the easiest dinners you can make, with barely any hands-on time required. It’s delicious and kid-friendly and your only gripe might be that you wished you’d made more!
The crust, which comes right out of a box, is made with puff pastry. A super-creamy, easy vegan bechamel sauce goes on top. Finally you layer all this goodness with tender asparagus spears that cook into even more tender deliciousness in the oven.
Spring is the best time of year to eat asparagus. These nutty, delicious and nutritious stalks are at their peak and they can be added to so many delicious recipes, like this vegan potato and asparagus tart, garlicky roasted asparagus and potatoes, and vegan asparagus risotto. They are just as amazing in this vegan asparagus pizza.
The puff pastry makes this a very kid-friendly dinner, although if you have children who don’t like asparagus, I get it. You can sub other quick-cooking veggies in this recipe, including mushrooms, cauliflower, and even cooked, sliced potatoes.
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Why you will love this recipe
- Delicious. The textures and flavors of the crispy crust, creamy bechamel and tender but slightly crunchy asparagus work magic together.
- Easy. The bechamel sauce takes all of five minutes to make, and after that all you need to do is layer on the ingredients. Bung the pizza into the oven and wait just a few minutes for it to cook to perfection.
- Versatile. This pizza makes a wonderful light lunch or dinner. But if you want to serve it for breakfast or a snack, what’s stopping you?
- Vegan, soy-free and nut-free. Can be gluten-free. If gluten-free, use a gluten-free puff pastry and use rice flour in the bechamel sauce instead of all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
- Vegan butter. Olive oil is fine too.
- All-purpose flour. You can use gluten-free flour or rice flour.
- Nutmeg. This is for flavoring the bechamel.
- Red pepper flakes. These are optional as we will also add some black pepper to the sauce.
- Vegan mozzarella cheese shreds. You can leave these out altogether and use just the bechamel sauce and asparagus to layer the pizza, but the cheese shreds make the pizza a bit more kid-friendly and perhaps even more adult-friendly.
- Puff pastry. I use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, which is vegan. You can use any brand and most are vegan, but be sure to check the labels for ingredients.
- Asparagus spears. Choose spears that are firm and plump with the tips tightly closed.
- Extra virgin olive oil
Variations
- Use other quick-cooking veggies, including mushrooms, cauliflower and even cooked potato slices instead of asparagus.
- To make the pizza gluten-free, use gf puff pastry and rice flour or gf all purpose flour for the roux.
- If you want a cheesier flavor for the bechamel, stir in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
How to make vegan asparagus pizza
Melt vegan butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and saute for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
You’ll know when the roux is done when it smells aromatic and loosens up. It will be lightly blonde in color.
Stir in the milk slowly, mixing or whisking as you go, to keep lumps from forming. Once you have a smooth sauce, stir in nutmeg, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Mix.
Cook the sauce a couple more minutes until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the vegan cheese, reserving some shreds for the top, and mix in. Add salt to taste. Turn off heat.
Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. It should be approximately 14 inches long and 9 inches wide. Transfer the puff pastry carefully to a baking sheet
With a knife, carefully score a one-inch edge along the border of the puff pastry, taking care not to cut all the way to the bottom. Spread the bechamel sauce evenly inside the scored border.
Layer the trimmed asparagus spears on the bechamel sauce. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.
Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and puff. Cool on a rack for five minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Storage instructions
- This pizza is best eaten right after you make it. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven until puff pastry is crispy again.
More savory tart recipes
If you love this easy vegan asparagus pizza, be sure to check out more vegan main dishes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Vegan Asparagus Pizza
Equipment
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Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (or olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (can sub with gf flour for a gluten-free pizza)
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk. Use any plant-based milk of choice, including almond milk, soy milk and cashew milk).
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (add more if you want a spicier sauce)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 4 ounces vegan mozzarella shreds (plus more for sprinkling on top)
- 1 sheet puff pastry (use gluten-free puff pastry if you want to make this gf)
- 8 ounces asparagus spears (tough ends trimmed)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
-
Melt vegan butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and saute for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. You'll know when the roux is done when it smells aromatic and loosens up. It will be lightly blonde in color.
-
Stir in the milk slowly, mixing or whisking as you go, to keep lumps from forming. Once you have a smooth sauce, stir in nutmeg, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Mix. Cook the sauce a couple more minutes until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon.
-
Stir in the vegan cheese, reserving some shreds for the top, and mix in. Add salt to taste. Turn off heat.
-
Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. It should be approximately 14 inches long and 9 inches wide. Transfer the puff pastry carefully to a baking sheet.
-
With a knife, carefully score a one-inch edge along the border of the puff pastry, taking care not to cut all the way to the bottom. Spread the bechamel sauce evenly inside the scored border.
-
Layer the trimmed asparagus spears over the bechamel sauce. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. You can also sprinkle on a few more cheese shreds over the asparagus at this time.
-
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and puff. Cool on a rack for five minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Use other quick-cooking veggies, including mushrooms, cauliflower and even cooked potato slices instead of asparagus.
- To make the pizza gluten-free, use gf puff pastry and rice flour or gf all purpose flour for the roux.
- If you want a cheesier flavor for the bechamel, stir in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
Storage instructions
- This pizza is best eaten right after you make it. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven until puff pastry is crispy again.
Nutrition
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