Vegan pizza needs no substitutes in showy form: with a good basic dough, a fresh tomato sauce and well-chosen toppings you get plenty of flavour on the plate. We walk through dough, sauce and toppings step by step and offer practical ideas for everyday oven work.
Vegan Pizza Dough: the simple basics
The classic Neapolitan pizza dough is vegan by nature. It consists of flour, water, yeast and salt. Some recipes add olive oil or a little sugar — both are optional and a matter of taste. What matters is clean handling and enough resting time for the dough.
Tomato Sauce: simple, fruity, not puréed
There are several approaches to the sauce: passata, tomato paste diluted with water, or seasoned chopped tomatoes from a can. Many swear by whole San Marzano tomatoes in a can. What matters less is the variety than gentle handling: crush whole tomatoes by hand to avoid damaging the seeds — this keeps the sauce pleasantly fruity.
Practical tip from experience: open a can of polpa (tomato sauce with pulp) — for example Mutti — put it into a bowl, season to taste and use. If you want to go deeper into choosing canned tomatoes, see the blog post on canned tomatoes.
Basic recipe for the tomato sauce
- 1–2 cans of tomatoes of your choice (e.g. San Marzano, polpa or others)
- a generous splash of olive oil
- several basil leaves (see also the basil trick)
Preparation: Place the tomatoes in a bowl, remove the stem ends, crush them by hand, add olive oil and finish with basil. Let sit briefly if desired.
Vegan Toppings: juicy, flavourful, versatile
Vegetables play the leading role on vegan pizza — from Mediterranean classics like peppers, courgette, aubergine and tomato to seasonal options such as cabbage, beetroot or pumpkin. Since cheese is absent as a carrier of fat and flavour, toppings should be juicy and well seasoned.
Practical topping tips
- Vegan cheese preparations can be a quick solution. It doesn’t always have to be “mozzarella-style” — different types bring different flavours.
- Completely without cheese: toss vegetables in olive oil before topping and season with herbs to taste.
- Pre-grilled vegetables develop roasted notes and remain pleasantly juicy on the pizza.
- Pickled ingredients like sundried tomatoes, peppers, olives or capers deliver intensity.
- Small dollops of pesto on the topping or a flavoured oil (e.g. chilli or herb oil) after baking add depth.
More ideas for post-bake toppings can be found in the article How to add a wow to your pizza.
Oven practice: how to keep the crust crisp
- Preheat the oven thoroughly and bring the pizza stone or baking surface up to temperature.
- Spread the sauce thinly and don’t overload the toppings so the dough bakes through.
- Drain moist vegetables (e.g. courgette) beforehand or give them a quick sear.
Conclusion
Vegan pizza thrives on good basic ingredients and fresh ideas. Experiment to find what you like and vary with the seasons. Do you have tried-and-true tips? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments.