Name: Cheesy Vegan Pizza Beans
Prep time: 9 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0.5 cup raw cashews; 0.67 cup water; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2.5 tbsp nutritional yeast ((for cheesiness)); 2 tbsp tapioca starch ((for stretchiness // also called tapioca flour)); 0.5 tsp sea salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 large cloves garlic, minced; 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes ((optional)); 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes; 0.25 cup water; 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs; 1 tsp maple syrup ((optional)); 0.5 tsp sea salt; 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed ((we used cannellini // or ~3.5 cups cooked homemade beans)); null null freshly chopped basil; null null vegan garlic bread

Instructions

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1

CHEESE SAUCE: Add raw cashews (0.5 cup) to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water by at least 1-2 inches. Let them soak while you get started on the beans.
2

BEANS: Heat a large stainless steel or enameled cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) over medium-low heat. Once hot, add olive oil (2 tbsp) and cloves garlic, minced (4 large) and sauté until fragrant — about 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes (0.25 tsp) (optional) and stir to infuse flavor. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly.
3

Add the oz.) can crushed tomatoes (1 (15), water (0.25 cup), dried Italian herbs (1 tbsp), maple syrup (1 tsp) (optional), and sea salt (0.5 tsp). Stir to combine, then add the oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed (2 (15) and mix to evenly distribute. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, and let cook for 15-20 minutes until the beans are tender and the sauce is bubbly.
4

CHEESE SAUCE: While the beans simmer, make your cheese sauce. Drain the raw cashews (0.5 cup) and add them to a high-speed blender along with water (0.67 cup), lemon juice (1 tbsp), nutritional yeast (2.5 tbsp), tapioca starch (2 tbsp), and sea salt (0.5 tsp). Blend on high until very smooth and milky in texture, about 1 minute. Set aside.
5

Once the beans are tender, reduce the heat to low and carefully pour the cheese sauce over the beans in an even layer. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes to encourage the cheese to firm up, then transfer to the oven to broil (optional) for another 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is darkened in spots and dry to the touch. Optionally, garnish with [to_garnish freshly chopped basil].
6

Serve warm with [to_serve vegan garlic bread], sautéed greens, roasted vegetables, or alongside a salad. Leftovers keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer.
7

Reheat leftovers in oven or microwave until warmed through.