Raw Pizza Salad Recipe

Back in my omnivorous (and newly vegetarian days) I had tons of kitchen gadgets. I have always enjoyed cooking, and I’ve always made everything from scratch. Now that I’m mostly raw vegan, and figured out how to make mostly everything I eat with just my blender and food processor, I don’t own many kitchen appliances and gizmos. And so, I get super excited when something that’s useful to me for the kitchen catches my eye.

While browsing online at some kitchen shops, I came across a set of Scanpan bamboo chopping boards at Kitchenware Superstore I immediately decided I needed. I have no problem admitting I am a complete Germaphobe – especially when it comes to the kitchen. I hate cutting on plastic chopping boards and usually revert to chopping on plates. These are hardly ever large enough and make for a lot of dirty dishes. BUT these bamboo chopping boards come in three sizes, are really durable, and are a renewable resource – making for a happy planet and a happy me. Bamboo doesn’t retain water easily, so juicy fruits and veggies don’t seep in and cause bacteria to grow. Bamboo also doesn’t absorb germs from foods that naturally carry or contain bacteria (not that I eat those sorts of things, i.e. meat).

I also bought a new Scanpan knife. It’s yellow, and it’s sharp. It is made of nonstick steel, and it cut beautifully through everything – even tomato skin.

These new kitchen tools, as well as another I’ll get to later, came from Kitchenware Superstore. This place carries everything anyone would ever need in their kitchen. They have great prices and even offer a best price guarantee. Shipping was super quick even using their standard method, and it’s free Australia-wide if you spend over $150.

I like to use new things right away. I’m not one of those people who save things to keep them new and shiny or until the old is worn out. And so, I got right to chopping!

I came up with a Raw Pizza Salad recipe to share with you. Being from New York, I’m quite the pizza (and bagel) aficionado (know-it-all), and I can tell you that the pizza here is not worth the diet breach. So I’ve taken the flavors of a New York “slice of regular” and added them to a healthy bowl of greens.

Raw Pizza Salad
makes two meal-sized salads

2-3 cups greens
1 tomato
1 red capsicum/bell pepper
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup onion
¼ cup mushrooms
1 Tbsp each: fresh basil, oregano, parsley, thyme (or ½ Tbsp if dried)

Mozzarella cheesy dressing:
½ cup cashews, soaked 2-3 hours
2-3 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
¼ cup water
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Other optional add-ins:
pine nuts
pineapple
chilli peppers
pumpkin
broccoli

• Shred lettuce and dice vegetables. 
• Chop herbs (if using fresh).
• Divide salad contents evenly into serving bowls and toss to mix.
• Strain and rinse cashews.
• Add dressing ingredients to food processor and purée until smooth. Add water as necessary to achieve somewhat runny consistency.
• Pour dressing over salad and “Mangia!”