Vegan Spicy Italian Sausage

I love finding creative ways to have meat-free meals, especially favorites like sausage pizza. Why not just have cheese or veggie pizza if eating a vegetarian meal? For fun :) This is a fun, quick way to add some pizazz to your za using entirely pantry staples, and can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes. Hope you love it!

If you make this recipe and love it, remember to share your creation on Instagram and tag me @theglowblueprint

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup seeds or nuts, such as sunflower seeds or walnuts

3/4 cup canned beans, such as chickpeas or cannellini (any type of bean works, so use whatever you have)

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp each: parsley, basil, garlic powder, onion powder

1/4 tsp each: oregano, smoked paprika, pepper*

1/8 tsp salt

Directions

Add the seeds or nuts to a food processor. Pulse or blend on low into fine crumbs. Add the beans, vinegar, and spices and pulse until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Crumble onto a small sheet pan, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to two days.

To use:

Crumble onto pizza before baking or if using in pasta, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until slightly crisp on the outside and then add to pasta when adding sauce.

*1/4 tsp of pepper lends the spiciness to this spicy “sausage”, but if you’re making this for kids or you prefer mild Italian sausage, dial back the pepper to 1/8 tsp or just a pinch.