Vegan Pizza Burger

A staple of early 80’s Midwestern school lunch, I was first introduced to the pizza burger in first grade. Over the summer, I mentioned it to my husband, who mostly grew up on the U.S.’s east coast. He told me, “Yeah, I don’t know that one.” So, I made it my mission to bring yesteryear’s school lunch into the present and make it plant based. And I’m glad I did! And after a few rounds of testing, we have what feels like a winner on our hands–an absolutely delicious vegan pizza burger recipe with textured vegetable protein (TVP), tomato sauce, Italian herbs and spices, mushrooms, green pepper, red onion, black olives, ciabatta rolls and more.

This recipe makes ~4-6 vegan pizza burgers, depending on the size of your ciabatta buns.

A few things…

• I used TVP in this recipe, but you could try another vegan ground substitute. Just make sure to properly cook it through according to the directions for handling it.

• If you want to substitute your favorite pizza seasoning for all the herbs and spices listed in the ingredients, it would also probably work just fine. Add to your taste.

• This vegan pizza burger recipe is meant to conjure the toppings on a supreme minus the pepperoni. But much like pizza, it’s open to interpretation. Get creative with the “toppings”. I, and likely your fellow recipe enthusiasts, would love to hear what your version includes and how it worked out!

• You can easily make this gluten free. I list some swaps in the recipe below.

Please enjoy! And discover other UVK recipes, like Italian White Bean Burgers, Southwestern Jackfruit Pizza, Chickpea Pizza Salad with Marinated Mushrooms and Black Olives, Vegan Pizza with Wild Mushrooms, Fennel and Almond Ricotta, Vegan Taco Pasta Casserole, Vegan Tofu Burger with Indian Spices and Green Peas and more.

Vegan Pizza Burger

⅔ cup dry textured vegetable protein (TVP) + ⅔ cup water

2 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup diced red onion

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup diced green pepper

4 white mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp dried marjoram

A generous pinch (or 2) of ground fennel

½ tsp dried minced onion

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (OR gluten free tamari)

8 ounce can of no salt tomato sauce

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil – optional

2 Tbsp sliced black olives

Salt, to taste

2-3 ciabatta rolls, horizontally sliced in half (OR use gluten free ciabatta rolls)

Shredded vegan mozzarella cheese, to taste (I used Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Mozzarella Shreds)

Finely chopped parsley, to top

1. In a bowl, add the TVP and water. Set aside.

2. While the TVP hydrates, work on the filling for the vegan pizza burgers. In a medium skillet, add olive oil, onion and a dash of salt. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onions are soft.

3. Add the green pepper, mushrooms, oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, ground fennel, dried minced onion, red pepper flakes (to taste) and black pepper (to taste). Sauté for ~3 minutes over medium-low or until soft.

4. Squeeze and drain the TVP. Then, add it to the skillet along with the soy sauce. Sauté over medium-low for ~2 minutes.

5. Remove the vegan pizza burger filling from heat. Stir in the tomato sauce, fresh basil (if using), and black olives. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed (more salt?).

6. Line a cookie sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Place the sliced rolls on top of it in a single layer. Spoon the vegan pizza burger filling onto one of the slices. Repeat this process until the filling is evenly distributed. Top with vegan cheese (to taste). (See photo below)

7. Broil in the oven on HIGH until the vegan cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove and top with with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.