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    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Vegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas

    Published: May 29, 2020 Last Modified: Jun 27, 2020 by Allison

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    These Vegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas are healthy and easy to make on a weeknight.

    overhead shot of two naan pesto pizzas on a wooden board

    Pita pizza was a lunch staple for me growing up; it was one of the few things I would willingly eat without kicking up a fuss for the longest time. I would do a little inward happy dance every time I opened up my lunch box to find pita pizza lovingly packed in a Tupperware.

    I insisted that toppings be kept to a minimum; tomato sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese were enough to please my immature taste buds. Fast forward one and a half decades, and pita or naan bread pizza is still one of my favourite meals, though I like to think that my taste buds have become a touch more sophisticated. 😉

    I made these vegetarian naan pesto pizzas a few weeks ago when I had very little in the inspiration department, and a few leftover naan breads from the previous night’s meal. I whipped up a parsley sunflower seed pesto to use as the base, and topped them with red onion, red pepper, olives, feta, and roasted chickpeas. I guess you could say they turned out famously, which is why I decided to share the very simple recipe with you today!

    overhead shot of a naan pizza close up to show detail

    recipe features

    • Easy weeknight meal: If you use store-bought naan, these pizzas can be made in under 40 minutes. And if you make the roasted chickpeas ahead of time, they can be made in 20 minutes!
    • Ultra flavourful: Tangy, garlicky pesto, olives, and feta cheese give these pizzas a ton of flavour, despite being so simple to make.

    ingredients you need

    • For the pesto: Parsley, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.
    • For the roasted chickpeas: Chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
    • For the toppings: Red onion, red bell pepper, olives, and goat feta.

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    overhead shot of the pesto, roasted chickpeas, and olives

    step by step instructions

    1. Make the roasted chickpeas: Toss chickpeas with olive oil and spices. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes.
    2. Make the pesto: Add parsley, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to a food processor and turn on the motor. Add the olive oil in a steady stream through the top and process until smooth.
    3. Make the pizzas: Spread about 3 tablespoon of pesto on each naan bread. Top with red onion, red pepper, olives, and feta. Bake until the cheese is slightly browned and melted, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the roasted chickpeas, and enjoy. I love adding some hot sauce and/or chili flakes to mine.
    shot of the naan pizzas fresh out of the oven

    tips and variations

    • I used homemade naan from Gimme Some Oven‘s recipe. However, store-bought naan is fine!
    • If you want a vegan recipe, feel free to use vegan cheese. I have a very old recipe for tofu ricotta (don’t laugh at the pictures, LOL) that would work very well on these pizzas. You can also use store-bought vegan cheese, such as Miyokos or Daiya.
    • To make gluten-free pizzas, use gluten-free pitas in place of the naan.
    overhead shot of a naan pizza sliced in half and quarters

    I hope you love these vegetarian naan pesto pizzas! If you make them, leave a comment and rating below, and tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen if you share a photo to Instagram.

    Enjoy!

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    Vegetarian Naan Pesto Pizzas with Roasted Chickpeas


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    • Author: Allison
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegetarian
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    Description

    Quick and easy vegetarian naan pizzas with pesto and roasted chickpeas. 


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Roasted Chickpeas

    • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 14 oz can) 
    • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
    • ½ tsp smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • ¼ tsp fine sea salt 
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    Parsley Sunflower Seed Pesto

    • 2 firmly packed cups parsley
    • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast 
    • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
    • ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons) 
    • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
    • ¾ tsp fine sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil 

     

    • 4 naan breads or pitas
    • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
    • ½ a medium red onion, thinly sliced
    • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
    • ½ cup crumbled goat or sheep feta cheese

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the spices and salt; toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast the chickpeas for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. 
    2. Make the pesto: Place all of the pesto ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Turn on the motor and add the olive oil in a steady stream through the upper tube. Process until smooth and transfer to a container. 
    3. Assemble the pizzas: Place the naan on baking sheets- you’ll probably need two baking sheets for 4 naan. Spread 3 tablespoon of the pesto on each, followed by the red pepper, red onion, olives, and feta. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned. Garnish the cooked pizzas with roasted chickpeas. 
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 35 minutes
    • Category: Supper, Lunch, Pizza
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: Italian

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    About image for Up Beet Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog with wholesome, nutrient-dense recipes designed to unearth vibrant health and wellness.

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