This pizza is not your average pizza. It's the perfect sweet and savory combo with unique flavors. It's quick and easy to make, plus it's dairy-free, full of plant protein and greens. This recipe contains some ingredients that you could buy pre-made from the grocery store or make from scratch. With busy lives, sometimes we just need to buy things pre-made, and I'm showing you what I buy that still keeps this pizza healthy.

Inspiration to make this pizza came from one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, Suncafe. I remember thinking that figs and tempeh bacon with mac and cheese sauce was a little strange, but trust me, it's one of the best things I (and my taste testers) have ever tasted. That's why I desperately wanted to recreate it since I'm not living in Los Angeles anymore. The cheese sauce along with the balsamic reduction are the only two items I personally make. I would also like to note that I was not paid by any of these brands, it's just what I use.

I buy pre-made, 8-inch, organic cornmeal crusts from the grocery store along with the tempeh bacon, figs and arugula. You can use any crust you'd like, I just recommend checking the ingredients first. There are quite a few healthy crusts that have minimal ingredients.

For the tempeh I use Lightlife's tempeh bacon. You can also make it yourself with a recipe like this one here. If you have an Air Fryer, I highly suggest putting it in there. It's fast and makes it crispy! Another alternative to the tempeh is a vegetable bacon like this one I posted on my Facebook page.

If you can't get fresh figs, you could use dried, but I've also used dates and it's just as good. You want to make sure the dates are soft and chewy. Same goes for dried figs. The hard, dried ones can be a little tough for this, but you could always soak the dates in water for a bit beforehand to loosen them up. Fresh figs are my favorite for this pizza, but you have to wait for those to come in season.

For the cashew cheese sauce, I used this recipe. It actually makes enough for more than two small pizzas depending on the size of your crust, so if you're not making that much, either cut the cheese sauce in half or save some for mac and cheese! To make the balsamic glaze, add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a pot over medium heat and bring to boil. Once the vinegar is boiling, give it another stir. Keep an eye on it, stirring occasionally until it starts to thicken up. Once it starts to thicken up, turn the heat down to low and then remove from heat at desired consistency. If you heat too long, it will become to thick to drizzle over the pizza.

Any of the ingredients can be adjusted to the size of your pizza or pizzas! This recipe is a delicious way to switch up your regular pizza night. It would also make a great party dish or appetizer. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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Arugula and Balsamic Reduction Pizza

This is a different twist on a traditional pizza, but the combo of flavors go so well together.

Author Megan Lawson

Ingredients

• 2 8-inch Pizza Crust (or whatever size you have - just adjust toppings accordingly)
• 3-4 Figs or Dates (sliced or chopped)
• 4 slices Tempeh Bacon (chopped)
• 2 handfuls Arugula
• 1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• Cheese Sauce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350
• First make a batch of the cheese sauce.
• Next you'll start the balsamic glaze. Add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a pot over medium heat and bring to boil. Once the vinegar is boiling, give it a stir. Keep an eye on it, stirring occasionally until it starts to thicken up. Once it starts to thicken up, turn the heat down to low and then remove from heat at desired consistency. If you heat too long, it will become to thick to drizzle over the pizza.
• While the balsamic is cooking, start building your pizza. First do a layer of cheese sauce, then add your figs and tempeh bacon pieces around.
• Put the pizzas in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Then put a handful of arugula on each pizza and bake for another 3 minutes.
• Once the arugula has wilted, pull the pizzas out and top with the balsamic glaze. I use a spoon to drizzle it over the pizza.
• Then cut pizza and serve!