Have you ever eaten a restaurant meal that blew your mind to the point where you had to figure out how to recreate it at home" I?m fortunate enough to experience this pretty often ? Chicago is an incredible place to live if you like to eat. I?m really excited about what chefs are doing with plant-based foods in this city. For example, our recipe for Buffalo Crispy Tender Tacos with Vegan Ranch was inspired by my go-to order at Handlebar in Wicker Park.

 

I wish I could say this pizza has as cute of a story, but here?s the truth: long before I was vegan or vegetarian, I had a Thai chicken pizza at California Pizza Kitchen (yes, the restaurant chain) and I haven?t been the same since.

To put this in perspective, I haven?t had this pizza in its original form in more than eight years. I have, however, been making a plant-based version of it to satiate my cravings for almost as long. The reason I love this pizza so much is because it combines my two absolute favorite cuisines into one mouthwatering pie. I?ve always been a huge pizza lover, and I got heavily into Thai food in college. It might sound strange to marry the two, but the flavor combination is out of this world.
 

I typically make this pizza with fried tofu drenched in peanut sauce, but I went with roasted chickpeas here to offer a soy-free option that?s still packed with plant protein. You can make your own pizza crust or look for a vegan brand in stores. We like Trader Joe?s pizza dough (in the...