Strawberry Balsamic Pesto Pizza – Lectin Free Mama (2024)

July 8, 2020lectinfreemama

I took my daughter to the farmer’s market, where they sell wood-fired organic sourdough pizza at the local college booth. It was peak strawberry season. The college kids did what any seasonal-eating, self-sustaining, homemade pizza makers do in mid-June: They put strawberries on the pizza. More specifically, strawberry mozzarella with a balsamic drizzle.

“Strawberries on pizza?!” I exclaimed internally, as I immediately ordered one. And then we sat right on the curb–my daughter and I, masks around our neck–sharing a strawberry-pesto pizza right out of the box. I declared it an inspiration and made a Plant Paradox compliant one the next week.

Pizza Crusts

There are a few different options for pizza crust on the Plant Paradox diet. There are several recipes for grain-free pizza online, made with almond, cassava, sorghum, coconut, and/or millet flours. Dr. Gundry also has a recipe in The Plant Paradox Cookbook.

Store-Bought

There are no 100% compliant store-bought crusts, but some come very close. One option is the Cappello’s Naked crust made with almond, cassava, and coconut flours. Another is the Cali’flour crusts–Italian or plain–made with cauliflower and mozzarella (not A2). Simple Mills also makes a box pizza mix you can bake at home (not all the almond flour is blanched, though).

4-Ingredient Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I like to use this very simple, 4-ingredient recipe for cauliflower pizza crust. Combine the following in a bowl:

• 2 10-ounce bags cauliflower rice, steamed and squeezed dry in a towel
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 3/4 cup grated hard Italian cheese
• 1/2 cup (or more) cassava flour

Add the cassava flour last. Slowly incorporate it, and stop when the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, but isn’t yet crumbly. To bake, transfer the dough to parchment paper and flatten and spread it into a thin layer. I suggest pre-baking it at 475 degrees F for 5 or 6 minutes before adding toppings and baking again.

Pizza Toppings

The explosion of flavor on this pizza is made possible by the sweet-savory combination of local, in-season fruit, quality vinegar, and delicious pesto. The best ingredients make the best food–there’s no shortcuts to quality, nutritious food.

Local Strawberries

Strawberries are a relatively low-sugar fruit, after raspberries and blackberries. But they should only be eaten sparingly in season and picked ripe. Strawberries from the grocery store are not picked ripe. Don’t be fooled by that bright red exterior–they are white on the inside. Take your money and your bucket to your local berry farm and support an organic or chemical-free operation.

Basil Pesto

You’ll combine balsamic vinegar with basil pesto to make the “sauce” for this pizza. Pesto can be homemade or store-bought. As with crusts, there is no 100% compliant store-bought pesto, but some come close, like the Kirkland brand or the Classico brand. Of course, the easiest way to ensure compliance is to make your own. I have a recipe for basil pesto (and several other pestos) HERE.

Buffalo Mozzarella

Mozzarella cheese is traditionally made from the milk of Italian Mediterranean buffalo. You can find it at most grocery stores with a good imported cheese counter. If you have trouble sourcing it, I’d recommend using any Italian cheese–either Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-reggiano–rather than cow’s milk mozzarella.

Pizza Baking Tips

Baking times will vary for this pizza, depending on the crust you use. If using a homemade or box mix crust recipe, follow instructions for pre-baking. Pre-baking the crust at a high temperature improves your chances of maintaining a dry crust once you put the toppings on. Cauliflower crusts, however, are notorious for getting soggy. I don’t have a lot of advice other than to use cassava flour (as in recipe above) and pre-bake it on a very hot surface.

Pizza Stone

I preheat a ceramic pizza stone to get a nice, hot surface to bake the crust. If you don’t have a stone, a preheated upside-down baking sheet will work as well. Be sure to use parchment paper, though, as it’s much easier to slide paper around, rather than trying to scrape a pizza crust off the stone surface. You can use a second, flat baking sheet to transfer the pizza to and from the oven or a pizza peel like this one.