Caramelised Onion & Goats Cheese Tart
This caramelised onion and goats cheese tart is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. A delicious buttery crust, with layers of caramelised onions, grilled aubergines, tomatoes and goats cheese.
This is an adaption of a tart I used to make back when I worked for the Roux brothers. Customers loved them and they often sold out very quickly. And just like my kitchen, yours will indeed smell amazing from the caramelised onions!
It can be made into tartlets or one big tart. Perfect served as an appetizer or for gatherings. They can also be made into canapes, serving on toasted bread instead of the pastry.
I use my home-made shortcrust pastry for this recipe which is super easy and adds that delicious buttery crust to the tart. Alternatively, if you are tight for time, you could use a shop-bought one or even puff pastry, but the homemade version tastes so much better and it’s so simple to prepare.
If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment below and rate it – it’s really helpful to me and other readers knowing what you think! And don’t forget to take a picture and tag me @thegourmetlarder or hashtag it #thegourmetlarder on Instagram or Facebook. I love seeing what you’ve been baking! 🙂
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
- EASE: easy.
- FREE FROM: this recipe is nut-free, check out my gluten-free option in the variations section.
- GREAT FOR: weekend baking, picnics or friends and family visiting.
- TASTE & TEXTURE: a delicious buttery crust, with a sweet and savoury filling, topped with goats cheese and olive tapenade.
- SERVING: goes great with a side salad.
© THE GOURMET LARDER. All images and content are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Please do not republish the recipe or its content in full instead, include a link to this post for the recipe. Further information can be found in my FAQ’s.
INGREDIENTS
For this recipe all you need are these ingredients:
- Shortcrust pastry – is the perfect shell for this delicious filling.
- Olive oil – is used to stop the onions and aubergines sticking while cooking.
- Yellow onions – are ideal for making the caramelised onions. Alternatively try red onions.
- Aubergine – (optional) helps to add another savoury element to this sweet tart.
- Tomatoes – are a perfect complement to our caramelised onions.
- Goats cheese – adds a tangy saltiness to the tart which balances the sweetness.
- Black olive tapenade – just like the goats cheese adds more saltiness to balance the sweetness of the onions.
TIP: I highly recommend adding salt to your doughs and pastry. Salt helps balance out the sweetness and richness. It also elevates the other ingredients, bring out the best characteristics of any recipe. I recommend Maldon Sea salt flakes or Cornish sea salt.
WHAT VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS CAN I MAKE?
You can try alternative cheeses. For the large tart I used mozzarella instead of goat’s cheese, it works great, although I find the goats cheese has that salty tang that cuts through the sweet caramelised onion. Feta is another delicious option.
This tart also tastes great with a sprinkling of pinenuts instead of olive tapenade.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION
- Flour: replace the gluten flour with a 1:1 alternative gluten free flour, such as Doves Farm Free plain gluten free flour. If possible, choose a flour which contains xanthan gum or alternatively, add 1 tsp to your batter for stability. You can also try Doves Farm gluten free self-raising flour.
If you experiment, Please leave a comment at the bottom of the post – it’s really helpful to me and other readers knowing how you got on and I regularly update these posts and the feedback I receive helps to make the recipes even more useful.
NUTRITION
Serving: one slice
Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data.
I strive to keep the information as accurate as possible but make no warranties regarding its accuracy.
I encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
This tart will keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge and can be eaten cold or warm. I just place it in a pre-heated oven for a few minutes before serving.
Freezing: The pastry can be made ahead and frozen, but I do not recommend freezing the finished tart.
© THE GOURMET LARDER. All images and content are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Please do not republish the recipe or its content in full instead, include a link to this post for the recipe. Further information can be found in my FAQ’s.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
Here is a list of some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.
I like to use this type of pan for pies that I am going to serve out of the tin on a plate.
These fluted mini tins are great for making individual portions.
- Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet – 38 cm
- OXO Good Grips 30cm / 12″ Frying Pan Skillet with Lid, 3-Layered German Engineered Nonstick Coating, Stainless Steel Handle with Nonslip Silicone, Black
The first option is a classic cast iron skillet and the second is a really good quality non-stick pan that works really well.
Please check out my Shop for a curated collection of some of my favourite baking equipment. The Gourmet Larder is an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
TIP: I highly recommend using metric measurements and a digital kitchen scale, rather than cup measurements. If you have ever ended up with dry, dense or crumbly baked goods, it might be because of inaccurate volume measurements, not all measuring cups are made equally. All my recipes on this blog are carefully developed so that you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success, using metric measurements. It is also a lot easier, less messy and you will get far better, consistent results. 🙂
If you are interested in understanding conversions, here you will find the best conversion chart.
RECIPE TIPS
To avoid the pastry shrinking, make sure to rest the dough well or even make ahead of time.
For the caramelised onions, slice the onions 3-4mm (1/8inch) thick. If you cut them any thinner, they will not hold their structure and become mushy.
Plus, don’t turn the heat up too high, it’s a slow process. Trying to speed it up will result in burning the onions rather than allowing the natural sugars in the onions to caramelise. Be patient 🙂
The best type of goat’s cheese is one that is firm. I like to buy a goat’s cheese log and slice it into nice 6mm (1/4inch) rounds. Cubes of feta and slices of mozzarella also work well.
If you can’t find tapenade in the shops, simply chop or puree some whole black olives using a stick blender. They add a delicious saltiness to the finished tart.
Caramelised Onion & Goats Cheese Tart
- 23cm round tart pan
INGREDIENTS LIST
Shortcrust pastry
- 250 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 125 g butter (diced)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 medium egg (or two egg yolks)
- 2-3 tbsp water (40ml cold)
Tart ingredients
- 6 tbsp olive oil (or neutral oil)
- 1 kg yellow onions
- 1 large aubergine (approx. 300g – sliced into rounds)
- 2-3 tomatoes (approx. 200g – sliced into rounds)
- 120 g goats cheese log (or mozzarella)
- 2 tbsp black olive tapenade (or whole olives – pureed)
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- basil leaves for decoration
Preparation
- For this recipe I am going to make it as a large tart, but it is just as easy to make it into smaller tartlets.
- Shortcrust pastry: Make the pastry and roll it out to fit your tart tin. Place in the freezer to rest.
- Caramelised onions: Slice the onions 3-4mm (1/8") thick .
- In a large frying pan with a lid, heat 3-4 tablespoon oil. Add the onions and cook covered for 20 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. The lid will create steam helping to breakdown the onions more evenly.
- Remove the lid and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking without the lid, for another 15-20 minutes or until the onions are golden and caramelized, stirring occasionally to avoid over browning.
- Aubergine: Meanwhile, cut the aubergine into round slices and brush with some olive oil and season. Griddle, in batches, for 3-4 minutes each side or until tender. Leave to cool on a plate.
- Remove the pastry tin from the freezer and blind bake for 20 minutes, Remove the parchment paper with the baking beans and continue to bake for another 5 minutes or until the pastry is pale, but not quite golden in colour.
- Preheat the grill.
- Assembly: Pour the caramelised onions into the tart shell, top with the griddled aubergines and sliced tomatoes.
- Slice the goats cheese into round slices and arrange over the tomatoes. Place under a hot grill for 5 minutes to melt the cheese (optional).
- Spoon dollops of tapenade over the tart and decorate with basil leaves.
- Enjoy warm or cold on its own or with a salad.
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