I always love experimenting with ingredients. Lately, I have been on a buckwheat binge. Buckwheat is gluten free and a great alternative to wheat. Did you know that buckwheat is not a grain? It is actually a seed that is related to rhubarb.
I have an affinity with buckwheat. When I was a little girl, my dad, ever the nutrition conscious chef, used to make us buckwheat pancakes for Sunday morning breakfast. I loved it when my dad cooked. Everything seemed more special, probably because he didn’t do it that often. Mom made beautiful, delicious dinners every night but turn Dad lose in the kitchen and somehow magic was born.
Buckwheat has amazing health benefits. First of all, it’s a great source of Manganese. Why is that important? Manganese helps your body in many ways. It helps keep your bones healthy, and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It supports thyroid function and protects your cells from free radical damage. If that isn’t enough, it also helps maintain healthy nerves.
Buckwheat is also great for your cardio vascular system. What more can you ask for?
Today’s pizza recipe takes advantage of that wonderful seed in it’s crust. I have had many requests for pizza so I finally dug in and made one for you. I must admit, this recipe is a complete winner. The recipe looks long but it you make the crust and mushrooms ahead and it is easy to throw together.
Raw Pizza with Buckwheat Crust
Buckwheat Crust
- 1 cup buckwheat, sprouted
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked 6 hours, drained
- 3 carrots, diced very fine
- 1 teaspoon Italian spices
1. Sprout buckwheat: Soak 1 cup buckwheat in water overnight. Drain (the water will be slimy so drain and rinse a couple of times). Rinse 3 times a day until little tails sprout. Use when tails are the same length as the seed. This will take 1-2 days.
2. Place buckwheat and olive oil in the food process and pulse until a mash is achieved.
3. Add walnuts and pulse until well blended.
4. Add carrots and italian spices, blend well.
5. Form into 6, 4-inch squares on a non-stick dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 140 for 45 minutes. Turn down heat to 115 and dehydrate until the tops are dry. Remove from non-stick sheet to screen and continue to dehydrate until mostly dry. You want these a little soft, not brittle.
Marinated Mushrooms and Onions
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup onions, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Nama Shoyu
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1. Toss together mushroons and onions. Place in glass container.
2. Whisk together, olive oil, Nama Shoyu and maple syrup.
3. Pour over mushroom, onion mix. Stir to coat. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to marinate.
4. Remove mixture, drain. Place on non-stick dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 115 for 4-5 hours.
Marinara Sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- 1/4 cup raisins, soaked
- 1/2 cup soaking water from raisins
- 1 teaspoon italian spices
1. With food processor running, drop garlic in and chop fine.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Process until smooth.
Spinach Walnut Pesto
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 cups spinach
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked, drained and dried
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
1. With food processor running, drop in garlic.
2. Add remaining ingredients and process until a paste is formed.
Cashew Cheese:
- 3/4 cups cashews, soaked overnight, drained
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch Himalayan Salt and pepper
1. Place all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until a cottage cheese texture is achieved. Add a little water if necessary.
Assembly
Place crust on plate. Spread a layer of the marinara sauce, then a layer of the spinach walnut pesto, some of the cashew cheese, the mushroom onion mixture and then top with more cheese and onions.
Serves 6-8 A little goes a long way!
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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
YUM YUM
Now I am craving a raw pizza
That looks amazing! My family will be having this soon.
Are those raw buckwheat groats or buckwheat seeds?
They are groats, but the point being that the groat is actually the seed, not a grain.
wow, when I first saw the photo I could swear you had cooked those onions! Looks great…I once had a dream that I think was telling me to eat sprouted buckwheat….I saw what looked like a little pyramid, and then something popped out of the top! I decided that was about the pyramid-shaped buckwheat seed , sprouting! the fact that they are shaped like pyramids seems like an obvious indicator that buckwheat is very very special… but then I ran into lots of slime trying to sprout them….kind of discouraged me.
Faith…you just need to get past the first soaking.
Ummmmmm yummy!!! I have never made raw pizza, because I tend to gravitate to the simple dishes. But this looks to live for!
Absolutely beautiful. I just made a big batch of sprouted buckwheat crispies, I wonder if they would work ok in your recipe. I’d probably have to add a little more moisture.
Peace & Raw Health,
Elizabeth
This post is perfect! My husband and I were in a pizza mood last night, so we picked up some Pizza Luce (and didn’t opt for the gluten free crust) with their home-made vegan cheese. It was very tasty, but later that night, my wedding ring got stuck on my swollen little finger! That happens when I eat too much gluten. I had to use soap to get it off. I am going to get sproutin tonight… Thanks for the inspiration, Susan!
Is there anything I can use for the crust other than buckwheat?
Jamie,
If you wanted to use another grain for the crust and you aren’t gluten sensitive, I would recommend kamut, wheat berries or barley (sprouted of course). If you are gluten sensitive, maybe corn or spelt?
Paul
i’m so embarrassed to post this but i have no idea what it means when a recipe calls for something sprouted. i’d love to try this recipe but i’m stumped at the first ingredient, 1 cup buckwheat, sprouted.
Step one of the instructions tells you how to sprout the buckwheat.
Looks gorgeous and yummy Susan!!
Just an FYI: I sprout buckwheat all the time. It only requires a 30 min soaking – and there is no slime!
S
I am sprouting until the small tail appears. That is when the nutrients are really high…
Sorry, I should clarify. I don’t need to soak them overnight. I just soak them 30 mins initially and then let them sprout for about 2 days, with a water rinse twice a day. If they sprout longer than 2, max 3 days, they get too bitter for me.
I am going to start sprouting some seeds tonight! Can’t wait to try this.
S
I soaked my buckwheat overnight, rinsed very well and continued to rinse 3 times a day since. I’ve waited…and waited…and waited. No sprouting has occured after 3 days (on my kitchen counter). I don’t have mold like someone else had commented, but nothing is happening. I plan on making pizza tomorrow night…is it still going to be ok to use them?
You can try as long as they haven’t spoiled.
I made this last night and it was FANTASTIC!!! Susan, I love how you use such few ingredients and that your recipes are easy to follow. MMM!
Thanks so much for the wonderful comments. I have to admit, that pizza has become one of my favorite recipes!
Just wanted to say thanks so much for the fabulous recipe! I’m trying out raw for the week and this is definitely a favourite. I made a few small mods based on what I had at home and it still turned out : )
Yay!! I finally made it. Hit a few speed bumps along the way, but overall, it came out GREAT!!
The only trouble I had was I over-marinated the onions and mushrooms and boy oh boy, where they strong!! Phew!! And then there was a minor problem with my crust … it crumbled!! So I soaked some golden flax seeds and mixed them with the crumbled crust and re-dehydrated and that worked. My marinara sauce is darker than yours but dang, that stuff is delicious!!
Now that I have experience with this recipe, I’m confident the next batch will be FANTASTIC! But seriously, it really can’t get much better. This is a WINNER!!! Thanks Susan!! YOU RAWK!!
**First timers tip** Highlight all the items that need soaking so you won’t miss any. It’s no fun to be in the middle of a recipe and realize you have to soak something for six hours! UGH!! =D
Lol…or you could read through the recipe, first… Glad you like it!
Ha ha… I DID read through the recipe first – actually a couple of times – but I STILL missed 1/2 cup of walnuts!! Too eager after 31 days of juice, I suppose! lol. I didn’t like it! I LOVED IT!! Still having some everyday after work! YUMMMMMM!!!!
What is a good substitute for walnuts? My husband is allergic to walnuts, but I sooo want to try this pizza recipe.
Thanks!
In this recipe you could try almonds or Brazil nuts.
This looks great! I love the idea of pairing soaked almonds and buckwheat to make the crust. I’ll have to try this one!
About how long does the crust take to dehydrate?
Hi. Just made the recipe as described. Crust also crumbled. Any other suggestion other than adding flax seeds? What is it I could have done wrong? Too long in the dehydrator? Too thin? What else?
I loved it anyway! It is fantastic!
Fantastic! I’ve been wanting to try your recipe for so long and so glad I finally did! My one cup of buckwheat turned into 3 once sprouted to I doubled the crust recipe. Good think I did because I have loads of sauce and pesto leftover!! Next time I will have to play with the crust, perhaps add some flaxseed like mentioned before. Mine crumbled all over the place! The marinated onions and mushrooms were amazing! My husband was eating them off the tray!!
Hi Susan, First I would like to say “THANK YOU” for all your wonderful recipes. I’ve been enjoying eating raw and have found your website so informative and the recipes are fantastic. I have a question though. I bought buckwheat and play to sprout it to try this recipe. I went to a Raw Vegan Recipe and had their pizza with a buckwheat crust and LOVED IT. Is there a difference between buckwheat and buckwheat for sprouting? I bought both kinds and was just wondering if they will both work.
Thanks again.
D
If your crust seems crumbly, you can add more water when you make it. I did not have that problem with mine. Cheers!
I attempted this but unfortunately mine have just gone completely crumbly! Not sure what I did wrong… I used almonds instead of walnuts and dehydrated for about 8 hours. How long do you leave them in there? Thanks
Hi Susan,
I’m new to eating raw and unfortunately do not own a dehydrator. Could I use my own oven to make the crust?
Ok, just made this and WOW! I won’t make it often because it’s very involved but I’m SO glad i made it! Not only is it eye catching, but it’s delicious as well! Def two thumbs up!
What can you suggest instead of mushrooms in this and lyger recipies? Unfortunately I cannot eat mushrooms.
Kind regards, Sigrid (Norway)
Sorry, autocorrect made “other” into “lyger”…
Sigrid, what do you typically substitute for mushrooms?
This is a fantastic dish, but quite a bit of pre-prep. Definitely need to plan ahead! Wonderfully delicious recipe, I found the mushroom/onions my favorite aspect. I have made this a few times, most recently I skipped the pesto and added a ton of sun sprouts instead. Super versatile recipe, you can pile anything on top!
One note: I found that the buckwheat crust (while sooooo yummy) is a tad on the crumbly side when out of the dehydrator; I added some ground flaxseed (1 T) to the batch for the second round of “crust” and it worked very well in binding it a bit more.
I have always avoided recipes with mushroom so I was wondering if you might have any suggestions. Some of your recipes have mushroom and they look so good, but it seems like mushroom is sometimes an important ingredient that cannot be omitted?
Sigrid, Mushrooms are pretty distinct in their flavor and texture. It would be difficult to suggest something that would work across the board. I have a post that talks about substitutions here: http://www.rawmazing.com/lemon-thyme-pine-nut-cheesecake/
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