Spicy Black Bean Pizza

This Black Bean Pizza comes with special permission to customize the topping list to your liking.  But only if you use plenty of the spicy black bean puree that's underneath all the toppings -- that's the key!

It also comes with significantly less guilt than meat-based pizza because of its vegetarian nature, which means it's healthy right?!!

And don't fret if you don't have any special pizza gear at home.  You won't need any and you'll still get a crispy, piping hot pizza that is far superior to takeout pizza.

Black Bean Pizza Recipe

The other thing to keep in mind is that this recipe seems to work best when the crust is thin.  Since we're not using a traditional pizza sauce, a thin crust will keep the focus on the toppings and prevent it from tasting dry.

We used a similar approach in this Chicken and Jalapeno Pizza and we'll be using the same dough here.  It's a simple dough recipe from the kitchn.

Start by dissolving 1 teaspoon of yeast in 3/4 cup of warm water.  Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Mix it together as much you can with a spoon and then dump it onto a work surface.

Combine well using your hands and knead for a couple minutes until you have a cohesive ball.   If the dough is sticking to your hands add some more flour.

Ideally this dough would rise for 1-2 hours but I never wait that long.  Luckily this dough always seems to be ready when I am done gathering all the other fixings 🙂

That means it's time to work on the flamboyant star of this pizza:  the spicy black bean puree that's about to take over your kitchen.

Saute 1/2 an onion and 2 garlic cloves in a dollop of oil over medium heat for a few minutes.

Drain and rinse a can of black beans and add them to the onion mixture along with 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup of water (or stock), and some freshly cracked pepper.

I usually scrape out the seeds of the chipotles.  More info on working with chipotles in adobo.

Let this simmer for a few more minutes and then add to a blender or food processor, combining well.  Take a taste for salt level;  I added another pinch to this batch.

You're left with a fiery, delicious black bean puree that can nearly be eaten on its own.  So good!

Since we're not using a traditional pizza sauce, a thin layer of garlic oil on top of the dough works wonders and prevents it from tasting dry.   Mince 2 garlic cloves and add to 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with a pinch of salt.

It only takes a thin layer so a good starting point is 1/2 tablespoon per pizza and adding more if needed.

Okay, time to roll out the dough.  You'll have enough for four thin crust pizzas in the 8-10" range.  I usually make two pizzas and save the other half of the dough, so the toppings listed in the recipe box below will be for two pizzas only.

I usually roll the dough out on parchment paper to make transfer to the oven easier, i.e. just cook it on top of the parchment paper.  So this is 1/4 of our dough rolled out super thin, somewhere between 1/8" and 1/4".

If the dough is sticking add a sprinking of flour to the rolling pin or the dough surface.

I don't have a pizza stone, or a wood burning oven for that matter, so I've gotten best results by baking this dough by itself for a couple minutes before adding the toppings.   This seems to help the center and upper layer of the dough cook properly.

So after baking in a 400F oven for a couple minutes, add a thin layer of the garlic oil.

Along with a layer of black bean puree and the additional toppings.  I used tomatoes, scallions, and plenty of Mozzarella cheese.

This will go back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes, depending on the mood of your oven.  Take it out when the edges are crisping up and turning golden brown.

Cut into quarters and serve immediately.

If all went according to plan you've got a delicious vegetarian pizza on your hands.

I've tried this pizza with additional toppings and even drops of hot sauce, but I usually end up going back to a simple, streamlined version.  The combo of freshly baked dough, garlic infused oil, a black bean puree, and hot melted cheese is good enough to be eaten on its own, everything else is just a bonus and shouldn't take the spotlight off the flamboyant star (black bean puree).

Sound good?

If for any reason the prospect of making pizza at home seems daunting then feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below.  The dough is such a great recipe to have in your arsenal and will instantly give you access to dozens of different pizza recipes.

Buen Provecho.

Spicy Black Bean Pizza

This Spicy Black Bean Pizza relies on a delicious black bean puree and a thin layer of garlic oil to create a vegetarian delight. So good!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 2

Calories: 784kcal

Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tomato (or canned diced tomatoes)
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese

For the pizza dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the black bean puree:

• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 chipotles in adobo
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water (or stock)
• freshly cracked pepper
• olive oil

For the garlic oil

• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pinch of salt

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, add 1 teaspoon of yeast to 3/4 cup warm water. Stir until the yeast has dissolved into the water.  Add 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Combine as much as you can with a spoon.
• Dump flour mixture onto a work surface and knead with your hands until a cohesive ball is formed. If the dough is sticking to your fingers add a bit more flour.  Cover with the mixing bowl and let rise for as long as you can wait. 
• To make the garlic-oil sauce, finely mince 2 garlic cloves and add to 2 Tablespoons olive oil along with a pinch of salt. Smoosh the garlic into the oil using the back of a spoon and set aside.
• For the black bean puree, roughly chop 1/2 an onion and peel 2 garlic cloves.  Saute the onion and garlic in a dollop of oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
• Drain and rinse one can of black beans.  Add the black beans to the onion mixture along with 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1/2 cup water (or stock).  Simmer for a few minutes until heated through.
• Combine the bean mixture in a blender or food processor.  Salt to taste (I added another pinch to this batch).
  
• Tear the dough ball in half, and then tear one of the halves in half. This will be enough dough for a super thin 10" crust.
• Give it a quick roll out with a rolling pin and then let it sit for couple minutes, this will reduce the elasticity. Continue rolling out to your desired thinness. Rolling the dough on parchment paper can be easier as it won't stick as much. You can also bake the pizza directly on the parchment paper.
• Once rolled out, bake the dough by itself for 1-2 minutes in a 400F oven.  (I used a standard baking sheet).  Then add a thin layer of the garlic-oil sauce, followed by the black bean puree, tomatoes, scallions, and cheese.   
• Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown.  Cut into quarters and serve immediately. 

Notes

It takes very little of the garlic-oil sauce to keep the pizza from tasting dry. One Tablespoon per pizza is the upper limit, I probably end up using only 1/2 Tablespoon per pizza.

 

This dough recipe is enough for four 10" thin crust pizzas, but the listed ingredients for the toppings are for two pizzas only.  You can wrap the remaining dough in plastic and foil and it will keep in the fridge for at least a few more days. 

Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

You can use a similar pizza style to make our recent Pickled Tomatillo and Chorizo Pizza. 

And here's our latest vegetarian bean recipe...Black Bean and Rice Cakes.