Green Sprouts Pizza
This lively plant-based pizza feels like a day at the spa - with fresh veggies layered on a toasted whole grain crust, it's great for brunch or a mid-day snack shared with a friend. (Our PLANTSTRONG PIZZA KIT can be delivered to your door!) Serve this for brunch or anytime you need a fresh pick-me-up!
Buck Up with Broccoli Sprouts
Tender baby broccoli plants, known as broccoli sprouts, are an increasingly popular healthy food. The young plants are grown from seed and eaten when they’re just a few days old.
Broccoli sprouts are usually eaten raw in salads or sandwiches, so their delicate balance of nutrition isn’t damaged by cooking. They add a pleasant crunch to foods and make an excellent carrier for sauces and salad dressings.
Broccoli sprouts load a lot of fiber and protein into just a few calories. They also contain anywhere from 10 to 100 times as much glucoraphanin — the nutrient that becomes sulforaphane — as the mature vegetable. Sulforaphane is a powerful phytochemical and research is starting to show it may help protect your body against cancer.
These sprouts are bursting with vitamins and other nutrients, including:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Calcium
- Iron
Add All the Arugula
Unlike many subtler-tasting salad greens, arugula’s highly distinctive and peppery crunch adds flair to salads and other cold dishes. Arugula adds a fresh, vibrant flavor and fluffy texture that's incredibly satisfying to this pizza.
Arugula is also full of antioxidants -- compounds that can protect against or reverse damage to your cells. Arugula also has glucosinolates. These natural substances, which give arugula its bitter taste and strong scent, may protect you against certain cancers, including breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers. Arugula may also fight inflammation. It has ample vitamin K, which is good for your bones and may help prevent osteoporosis.
Shopping and Growing Tips
You can buy broccoli sprouts at many health food stores, but you can also grow them easily at home.
Soak two tablespoons of broccoli seeds overnight and rinse them. Put the damp seeds into a mason jar and screw on the lid. Then, prop the jar in a bowl or dish with the top slanted downward — this will allow moisture to drain away from the seeds. Keep the jar in a dark cupboard.
Rinse and drain the growing sprouts twice a day. After about 4 or 5 days, they will be ready. If you put them in the window for a few hours, they will take on a vibrant green color. Dry your sprouts on paper towels before you put them in the refrigerator. Eat within 2 to 3 days.
When shopping for arugula, look for bright, vibrant green arugula, avoiding any leaves that appear wilted or yellow. Buy in bulk, if possible, instead of in single-use plastic clamshells.
Wash and dry arugula before storing it in the fridge — sealed in an airtight container lined with paper towels — for up to 10 days. When choosing packaged brands, check the container for excess water, which can rot the leaves.
Want hundreds of recipes like this one? And access to a private, chef-led community?
Join the Plant-Strong Meal Planner today.
