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This simple caramelized onion and goat cheese tart is not just delicious but pretty good looking too! With under 5 ingredients and a little bit of time, proudly serve this tart when you want to feel a little fancy!
Why you should make this simple tart NOW!
It used to be that when I heard the word tart or caramelized onions, I immediately thought of fancy food and complicated meals. I want to tell you that it’s not true. I’m all about simple recipes and this one is just that!
Don’t believe how simple I like to keep things? Check out this simple greek salad recipe or this simple one pan pasta dish.
This is another super simple recipe that you can master easily and then serve for brunch, a simple lunch or an easy dinner. It takes just 4 ingredients and a little bit of patience to make a seemingly decadent dish.
Ingredients for the tart:
- Puff pastry: I really like using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. It’s easy to work with and you can find it almost anywhere. One of my best tips is to find an outlet and stock up when it’s on super sale. Keep a few boxes in the freezer at all times for quick and easy meals.
- Caramelized onions: Once you learn how to make a caramelized onion, you are going to want to use them everywhere...one of my other favorite ways is in this fancy grilled cheese sandwich.
- Goat cheese: Even if you don’t think you are a goat cheese fan, try it. The tang from the goat cheese goes so well with the sweetness of the onions. You can leave it off if you really don't like it 😉.
- Time: Time is an ingredient in this tart because getting the onions caramelized well, does take some time, but it’s totally worth it. It’s also a step you can do ahead of time, so that the day you want to eat this, you can just assemble and bake.
How to make the caramelized onions
To make enough caramelized onions for this recipe, you’ll want to start with 4-5 large onions. I like to use Vidalia onions when I can find them, because they tend to be a bit sweeter. Can’t find Vidalia onions at the grocery? The same method will work for yellow, purple and white onions too.
First, you’ll want to slice your onions up thinly. If you have a mandoline, this is a great time to bring it out, if not, just peel the onion, cut the top off, place it flat side down and start slicing.
Once you’ve cut up the pile of onions, put some olive oil in a large saute pan and add the pile of onions. They will appear to be falling out of the pan...don’t worry, they will cook down.
Now, pack your patience, this will take some time, but it’s worth it. Start off at high heat for about 5 minutes just to get things going, then reduce the heat to medium low and let the magic happen.
You’ll want to stir these every few minutes so that the heat can do its job with all of the onions. For this recipe, you don’t want to take them all the way to dark brown, but rather a golden brown with some really caramelized onion bits.
Putting it all together
First, you’ll roll out one sheet of puff pastry to a large square and place it onto a piece of parchment paper.
Then, you’ll layer on your caramelized onions making sure that they are spread over the entire base of the puff pastry. Once you’ve covered the bottom with the onions, you’ll want to dollop the goat cheese over the top of them making sure that it’s evenly distributed over the top of the whole thing.
Then fold the puff pastry over the filling.
Next, you’ll bake it at 425 degrees until the puff pastry is cooked and the edges are browning nicely.
When it’s done, remove the tart from the baking sheet and place onto your favorite serving dish. You can garnish the tart with any fresh herbs that you like. I think rosemary is a nice touch, but use what you like or leave it plain.
This is a great tart to serve at brunch. It looks beautiful, tastes great warm or at room temperature and is simple to put together. Here are some brunch menu ideas that would complement the caramelized onion and goat cheese tart and make a nice spread:
- Mother’s Day: A big salad, soup bar and this tart would be a great way to celebrate. With a coconut bread and tea for dessert.
- Sunday Morning w/Friends: Challah french toast, lox, fruit and yogurt parfaits, with homemade iced mochas
- Wedding Shower: Mini zucchini quiches, fruit skewers, avocado toasts, deviled eggs, croissants, mimosas
Yes! That's one of the best parts of it. You can make a HUGE batch of caramelized onions over the weekend and then use part of them for this recipe. Store them in the fridge for up to a week. They are great on burgers, as the base for french onion soup, or even mixed into to mashed potatoes or on top of roasted veggies!
It sure can be. The puff pastry I use is parve (so it is dairy free), so if you need this to be dairy free, just cook the onions in a plant based butter alternative or in olive oil. You can leave off the goat cheese altogether or substitute it for a vegan cheese goat cheese.
One more simple tip
If you are more comfortable using a pan for making tarts, I recommend using a tart pan with a removable bottom like these. You can make one big onion and goat cheese tart, or smaller individual ones. The tart pan makes it easy to remove the tart once it's cooked, and gives a "fancier" look compared to the rustic shape of a free form tart on parchment paper.
Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart
Ingredients
- 4-5 large onions about 3 lbs
- 4 oz goat cheese this is typically the small log
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
- Peel the onions and then slice into super thin rounds.
- In a sauté pan over high heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the sliced onions. Add a heavy pinch of salt, stir well and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once.
- After 5 minutes, turn the heat down to medium and let cook under brown and caramelized. This could take up to 45 minutes. Stir them every 10 minutes or so to make sure the onions are cooking evenly. Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
Assemble and Bake Tart
- To assemble the tart you'll need to have your puff pastry defrosted, but still cold. Take out of the freezer and let rest 30-45 minutes on the counter. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Roll out the puff pastry just a bit and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then layer the caramelized onions over the top, leaving a small edge of puff pastry uncovered. Then sprinkle the goat cheese over the top of the tart.
- Now, fold all of the edges over until you have a rustic tart shape. Then put into the oven and bake until the puff pastry is golden brown and puffed up, about 20-25 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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