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Naked Pizza

We started our day at the Union Square Farmer’s Market:

vegan food truck

Whenever I visit New York City and walk through Union Square, I gaze longingly at the famous farmer’s market, wishing I actually lived in the city and could thus take advantage of the greenmarket’s offerings. This year, therefore, it was fun to pretend I was a local, shopping for fresh fruits and veggies… and trying to remember that Jessica’s tiny refrigerator only comes up to my knee!

A healthy food truck decided to park itself right outside the market.

vegan food cart

I bought a coconut truffle, and a cashew-based Macaroni and Cheese to try later:

mac and cheese food cart

The coconut truffle was delicious (albeit tiny). I didn’t like the moc and cheese, but I admittedly have very high standards now that I’ve tried Blossom’s vegan cheese sauce.

Speaking of cheese… this was lunch:

naked pizza

S and I spotted this restaurant called “Naked Pizza” as we were walking from 14th street to the East Village, and we figured it was perfect for both of us: vegan-friendly for me, and pizza for him!

Above is the pizza we ordered, with Daiya cheese on the left and mozzarella (non-vegan) cheese on the right. We both decided on mushrooms and spinach for our respective side’s toppings, and I liked how the crust was whole-grain.

vegan pizza

S just liked that it tasted good Winking smile.

And later, for dessert…

vegan-ice-cream-shop_thumb_thumb

More ice cream from Lula’s!

Their chocolate ice cream tastes like you are eating a chocolate milkshake. Hands down the best chocolate ice cream I have ever eaten, vegan or not.

Question of the Day:

What toppings, if any, do you usually like on your pizza?

When I was really little, I detested tomato sauce. So I’d order “white” pizza with just cheese and nothing else. Then I was introduced to the concept of Hawaiian pizza, with pineapple and ham, and that became my favorite for awhile. Somewhere along the way, I learned to love tomato sauce. Thank goodness, because it’d be pretty hard to eat pizza if you were a vegan who hated tomato sauce… all you’d be eating would be crust!

Link of the Day:

banana-bread-doughnuts_thumb_3

Banana Breakfast Doughnuts

Published on July 29, 2012

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79 Comments

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  1. Janice says

    This looks so good! I like pizza but i always try and find a healthier version! Or at least make sure its going to be really delicious to make it worth it lol.

  2. char eats greens says

    I am NOT a pineapple lover on pizza – I could do without it forever!! I just love to pack on the veggies, mainly the hot peppers 😉 Your half looks so tasty! We normally buy the orange Daiya to add at home after we order a pizza with no cheese, but I really want to get the mozzarella and try that next!

  3. Melissa says

    I’m glad you got to Lula’s! Living on the same block makes it oh-so-tempting every day… Did you pop into the Creative Little Garden? It’s a hidden gem in the neighborhood a few doors down from Lula’s.

  4. Erin says

    Haha, I laughed out loud when I read how it would be hard to eat pizza if you were a vegan who hated tomato sauce 😀

    I don’t really know what my favorite toppings are… I feel like you can hardly taste them sometimes. I did have an eggplant pizza the other day that was very good though 😀 And I always add crushed red pepper.

    • J. Edgar Mayeaux says

      Vegan Pizza Dough Sucks. Traditional and the best pizza doughs uses eggs. I use to manage a popular Pizza place in Dallas. We made many a vegetarian and vegan customers smile with our cheeseless veggie pizzas. None of them asked about the dough and we didn’t tell them unless they asked.

        • Mary says

          Seriously! What a jerk… I wish he had gotten sued. He would have deserved it.

          I smiled when I read your entry because I also hated tomato sauce when I was little (and spaghetti sauce, and ketchup… and peanut butter… etc. etc.). And I didn’t think you were “allowed” to order a pizza without sauce! The day I finally discovered white pizza was pretty exciting, IIRC. I recently discovered American Flatbread’s Vegan Harvest frozen pizza, and it’s sooooo good. It uses Daiya.

  5. Nicole says

    I’ve loved your travel posts so very much! Please continue to do more in the future. I love seeing the vegetarian offerings in other areas coupled with your high quality photography and commentary.

  6. Tricia says

    That Daiya pizza looks amazing! Suddenly, I wanna visit NYC! Today, I had pizza for lunch as well– Amy’s frozen pizza. I normally like tofu and spinach on my pizza with soy sauce and fennel– sounds odd, but the combo really works well 🙂

  7. CJ says

    My favorite (homemade) pizza lately has been one without tomato sauce. I actually do a melted Earth Balance/EVOO, minced garlic, and oregano combo that I brush over my dough. Then I mash up cannellini beans with a bit of lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder (I love garlic) and spread across to act as the cheese (I dislike Daiya). Then I top it off with sauteed red onions and kale (also with a bit of lemon juice). So yummy.

    When I order pizza, though, I do load up on the veggies so that I don’t feel like I’m missing out.

  8. Kacey says

    I actually don’t really like tomato sauce. I used to eat white pizza all the time as a kid too. Nowadays, I usually make pizza with either vegan pesto or hummus for the base, then caramelized onions, spinach, mushrooms, pumpkin and fig jam. It sounds bizarre but it is SO good. And I love all these food reviews! I’ll be going to college near NYC in the fall and can’t wait to try some of these places!

  9. Jessica says

    When making pizza at home I always put on green peppers, mushrooms and onions. If I have fresh pineapple I’ll put some of that on too. I should try spinach too, looks like it would be uber yummy.

  10. Joanna says

    It’s so great that both of your are finding yummy food everywhere!

    I’m a plain Jane and I usually go for cheese-only pizza. =) Sometimes I like spinach and/or pineapple on top. Mmm…

  11. Kaila @healthyhelperblog! says

    As far as pizza goes I pretty much like EVERYTHING!!! Every veggie imaginable and to really take it over the top I like pineapple too! Nothing beats the combo of sweet and savory !

    And all these NYC recap posts are making me want to plan a trip there so bad! I have been a few times but it seems like I always miss all of these amazing places you went to! Must get to some of them!

  12. Sunnie says

    Well, I do my topping in an unconventional way . . .

    I make a vegan cheese pizza with a little sauce and a little cheese, and then after it cooks . . .
    . . . I dump a whole cup of chopped mushrooms and a whole cup of sauce on my slice. That’s how 1 piece of pizza turns into an entire meal! I think that it’s more like I have pizza with my mushrooms, rather than mushrooms with my pizza . . .

    • Andrea says

      I think she meant moc & cheese, only because it isn’t true mac & cheese. It also says that on the package 🙂

  13. Kim@hungryhealthygirl says

    As a kid, I only liked pepperoni or sausage, but now I go for either a veggie pizza or veggie and chicken. I really love to make my own and experiment with toppings…..one of my favs is butternut squash with prosciutto.

  14. Sam @ Better With Sprinkles says

    Either Hawaiian or BBQ chicken pizzas will make me extremely happy!

    Although, if I’m aiming for something a big healthier, spinach, mushrooms and ham is my favourite way to go.

  15. j3nn says

    I’ve lived in upstate NY almost all of my life, just 65 miles from the city, and have never visited the union square farmer’s market, or the statue of liberty! Lol.

    I love veggies on pizza, especially garlic and olives and artichoke hearts. Hubs likes just cheese.

  16. Mia says

    Hahaha I hated tomato sauce too and did the same thing with pizza. Just cheese and bread. Lol ;P but I love mushrooms & olives, or Hawaiian pizza.

  17. kristle says

    i used to love pineapple on pizza, haven’t actually had that in years… also, there have been numerous times i’ve ordered a pizza with green peppers – and they give me sweet peppers. i detest that! it’s happened even when i stress that they’re just green bell peppers. all time fav pizza topping though goes to my fav veg… broc 🙂

  18. BroccoliHut says

    I’m actually a big fan of fusion pizzas, particularly those with an Asian twist. Sub peanut sauce for the tomato sauce, ditch the cheese and pile on the veggies!

  19. Sarah says

    I’m a huge pizza lover, especially homemade. My favourite toppings are caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and mushrooms. Yum!

    Also, if you get the chance, give Candle Cafe in NYC a try. It’s 100% vegan and 100% delicious! Their chocolate mousse pie is to die for.

  20. Debbie says

    I often use homemade salsa instead of tomato sauce. Then I pile on red and green peppers, tomatos, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, and any other veggies I may have.
    After all these posts I want to go to New York now more than ever.

  21. Katie says

    When I was little I absolutely hated cheese, so I always had mine with sauce and toppings only. Since then I’ve grown to like it, but sometimes we go without for my dairy-free friends. One of my current faves is to replace the tomato sauce with pine nut and basil pesto, and top with chicken or veggies. It’s great with or without cheese! Of course, my all time favorite pizza topping is lots and lots of black olives!

  22. Holly says

    you were literally a block away from where i’ve been dancing for the past month 🙂 and pizza toppings?….can’t go wrong with spinach, mushroom, and tomato. But personally I much prefer Chicago-style deep dish to New York’s thinner variety. Now I want to find out if Lou Malnati’s or Giordano’s has vegan cheese as an option!

  23. Jacqueline says

    I’m allergic to cheese and my favorite is actually olive oil or bbq sauce bases!! So I guess if you’re vegan it might be okay not to like tomato sauce (although it is a little more flavorful sometimes)! My favorite pizza is olive oil base with bbq tofu, red onions, spinach, and pineapple. SO good.

  24. Sophie says

    My day is ruined…

    Because now I know that pizza exists, and I’m NOT shoving it in my mouth right now.

    This is an awkward round about way of saying thank you 🙂

  25. Melissa says

    I love veggies on my pizza, but my husband and 2 boys love all meat and my daughter doesn’t like all the same veggies as I do. But, once in a blue moon I will get half of the pizza done the way I like it-YUM!!!

    Thank you for such a wonderful blog! I am enjoying trying many of your recipes-especially some of the breakfast ones. I am not a big breakfast fan, but if looks like dessert, tastes like dessert and satifies like a dessert-then that’s the type of breakfast for me! :o)

  26. Katie says

    Mixed vegetables. Pretty much whatever vegetables I can fit on a crust. There’s a pizza place in Buffalo that does this amazing mixed vegetable pizza. I’ve been making them at home the same way lately. I was making pizza last week with left over bean salad, which wasn’t as odd-tasting as it would seem.

  27. Sharky says

    I currently prefer my pizza with spinach, broccoli, and pesto sauce. But I’ve only had bad pizza twice in my life — it’s really hard to mess up pizza for me!

  28. Laura says

    I love your blog and your recipes. I do exactly like you when I travel and troll markets pretending I live there and what I would buy! My brother lives in NY and is a vegan so next visit, I will suggest Naked Pizza!

  29. susan says

    i’ve been reading your nyc notes… i love going there and eating all the great vegan food. i just tried lula’s for the first time last month and i liked it but there’s another place just a few blocks from there called stogo, also all vegan ice cream. no great toppings like lula’s has but the ice cream options are pretty terrific. check it out if you have a chance!

  30. Andrea says

    I have a weird question for you! When you get a pizza that is half & half like that, do you worry about eating the pieces that may have a little bit of real cheese on them? Or do you just pick it off?

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Not a weird question at all!
      I don’t like thinking about the fact that I might consume some cheese unknowingly, and I definitely don’t seek it out… But I try to remember that I’m a vegan for ethical reasons, so if I happen to accidentally consume a tract amount of dairy from someone else’s food, my money isn’t contributing to any extra animal suffering. I try to look at the bigger picture, that I’m showing veganism as a do-able thing as opposed to painting vegans as hyper-worried people who can’t enjoy eating out because of possible cross-contamination.
      I guess, in summary, I try my hardest to look out for it but I don’t stress out too much if I eat a bite of what I think is vegan food and taste something not vegan.

      • Andrea says

        I like that answer! I try to think the same thing – my money isn’t contributing to any extra animal suffering – but sometimes I just feel bad for whatever animal(s) the food came from, so I can stress a little bit. Thanks for offering your opinion though, I should remember that it rarely ever happens, so if and when it does, I shouldn’t worry. Have a great day 🙂

  31. Laura Lea says

    Katie, if you are still in NYC you MUST go to Cafe Viva Natural Pizza on 2nd Ave between 11th and 12th Streets (East Village). It is a total whole in the wall but a local secret–hands down the BEST pizza vegan pizza I’ve ever had (great desserts too); the pieces are enormous and the owner Peter pretty much rocks!

      • Laura Lea says

        Oh bummer–the Picante with soy sausage is my favorite, in part because of the sauce. Their sauce is magical! Glad you’re enjoying yourself in NYC!

  32. Nicole says

    Your pizza looks super yummy! My favorite pizza toppings are veggies and loads of them: bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and spinach, and sometimes hot peppers like jalapenos.

  33. Erica says

    I love Naked Pizza! It’s the one place I can get vegan pizza that doesn’t cost a ton of money. We usually get mushroom, sometimes get basil and garlic, and if I’m eating alone I get mushroom and pineapple.

  34. Kristin says

    First, I LOVE Naked Pizza. By far some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. And a fun fact, they also have stores in Europe (specifically Prague). Now, I think that is really cool.

    My favorite toppings are definitely artichoke, eggplant, and mushrooms!

  35. Kate@Watch Her Shrink says

    I love pizza period! When I was young I liked plain cheese with extra sauce. As I grew so did the sauce to cheese ratio (more sauce, less cheese please). Nowadays I completely cut the cheese out and top it with tons of sauce, spinach/lots of leafy greens, artichoke hearts, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet potato if I’m feeling sassy.

  36. Katie Henderson says

    Have you ever tried making mac n cheese with cheddar Daiya? I veganized a (seriously) cherished family mac n cheese recipe fairly successfully with the stuff.

  37. Saraquill says

    What was a favorite or memorable stall for you at the farmer’s market? I like to seek out the emu/ostrich farmer so I can marvel at the size and color of the emu eggs.

  38. NowAmandasCookin' says

    With the exception of onions, anchovies and chicken, I’ll eat anything on a pizza or try it at least once. My favorite is Italian sausage and pepperoni pizza loaded down with mushrooms, peppers and black olives.
    I recently did a blog for my company’s website about food trucks with crazy menu items and one of them had a crab leg pizza. Although I like pizza and I LOVE crab legs I’m not sure how those two would fit together. I’ve never had any kind of seafood pizza but I’d be willing to give it a try.

  39. Corban says

    Naked Pizza is a franchise so it may be coming to a city near you soon. I remember hearing about the original store in Louisiana and wanting to try it. Hopefully they open some up in Houston soon.

  40. Lindsey says

    it’s funny that you said the chocolate ice cream tasted like eating a chocolate milkshake because isn’t a chocolate milkshake made with chocolate ice cream? haha

  41. Tanner says

    I like pineapple, veggie ham, and nutritional yest on my pizza, and, call me crazy, but my favorite pizza sauce is actually Ralph’s (kroger) store brand, LOL!
    I also really like Whole Foods’ vegan roasted vegetable pizza, yummies!

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