Turkey pepperoni pizza with caramelized onions and wilted kale

Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
1 medium sweet onion
1 tbsp avocado oil
¾ cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water overnight
¾ cup water
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt, divided
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 curly kale leaf
⅔ cup mozzarella cheese
12-14 slices turkey pepperoni
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

You can easily make the cashew cream sauce, caramelized onions and kale ahead of time! When it’s time to bake, you can get your friends and family involved and have everyone make their own pizza. You can provide other ingredients for everyone to choose from like roasted red peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, and olives. Get creative and experiment with lots of different flavours and textures!

Directions

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add the avocado oil and allow the pan to pre-heat for a couple of minutes. Cut the ends off of the onion and peel; cut the onion in half and slice each half into thin strings. Add the onions to the pan along with ¼ tsp sea salt. Turn the heat down to medium low and allow the onions to cook until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Stir the onions every few minutes to ensure they don’t burn or stick to the pan.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the cashew cream sauce. Rinse and drain the cashews before adding to a blender; add the water, garlic powder and ¼ tsp sea salt. Blend on high until completely smooth. Taste the cream sauce and adjust any seasoning to your taste preferences. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Once the onions are fully caramelized, add the balsamic vinegar and stir well to combine. Turn the heat off and place the caramelized onions into a bowl and set aside.
Remove the kale leaves from the middle rib. Stack the kale leaf pieces on top of each other and roll into a tight bundle. Use a sharp knife to slice the kale into thin shreds. Add the kale shreds to the same pan as the onions were cooked in and heat to medium. Use a spoon or spatula to stir the kale leaves frequently, cook until the kale has just wilted and turns bright green. Remove the pan from the heat and place the kale into a small bowl, set aside.
Cut the pizza dough ball in half and roll each ball into a 10-inch circle. Place onto a pizza stone or cookie sheet brushed with a little bit of olive oil. Top each pizza crust with about ¼ cup of the cashew cream sauce; use the back of a spoon to spread evenly over the crust, leaving about ½ an inch all around the edge. Top the cashew cream sauce with 1-2 tbsp of the caramelized onions, followed by 1-2 tbsp of wilted kale. Top each pizza with ⅓ cup of mozzarella cheese and 6 or 7 slices of turkey pepperoni. Sprinkle each pizza with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
Place the pizzas into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown on the edges. Serve with any leftover cashew cream sauce for dipping.