Refuel post-workout with this protein-packed kale pesto flatbread pizza

When you get home after a workout, chances are you’re so hungry that you start raiding the fridge ASAP. (Ever snack so much while you’re cooking that by the time dinner’s actually ready, you’re not even that hungry?) There’s a reason why you feel ravenous—your body needs protein.

As the voice behind the blog Kale Me Maybe, Carina Wolff is used to continually being confronted with the belief that vegans have trouble getting enough protein. Her rebuttle: A new book, Plant-Protein Recipes That You’ll Love, with 150 recipes proving plant-doubters wrong.

“People think tofu is the only plant-based protein source, but they’re often surprised to find that in addition to beans, lentils, and legumes, there is also protein in many vegetables, nuts, and seeds,” she says.

Wolff’s super-green flatbread is one example of her plant-based approach. “Most people love flatbread and pizza, so I tried to think of a way to sneak in nutrients without ruining the feel-good aspect of the food,” she says. “Making a kale pesto was a perfect way to do that.” Wolff says to use her recipe as a starting point, but feel free to make it your own: Add more vegetables if you like, or incorporate cheese, or avocado to make it more filling.

Keep reading to get the recipe for this protein-packed vegan flatbread.

Super-green flatbread with kale pistachio pesto

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups fresh kale leaves2 Tbsp chopped pistachios2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped2 Tbsp lemon juice2 Tbsp plus1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil1 flatbread1/2 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced3/4  cup baby broccoli1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained2 basil leaves, finely sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare pesto by blending ingredients together in a blender or food processor on high speed until smooth, about ten to fifteen seconds.

2. Place flatbread on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread pesto on the flatbread, leaving about one inch around the border for the crust.

3. Top flatbread with onion, baby broccoli, and chickpeas and drizzle with one-and-a-half teaspoons olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake, seven to ten minutes, until flatbread is golden. Top with basil and serve warm.

Recipe excerpted from Plant-Protein Recipes That You’ll Love by Carina Wolff. Copyright © 2017 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Interior photographs by Carina Wolff.

If you’re looking for more vegan inspiration, check out this to-die-for red velvet cake, or just head over to… TGI Fridays?