There is something truly special about a savoury homemade tart, especially when it brings together a wonderful combination of fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs and golden, flaky pastry. This Zucchini, Mushroom & Spinach Tart is a delicious celebration of simple, wholesome plant-based cooking.
A crisp, buttery-style pastry crust holds a generous filling of tender zucchini, earthy mushrooms and vibrant spinach, all held together by neutral flavoured silken tofu. Topped with beautifully caramelised zucchini, every slice is full of colour, texture and flavour.
Perfect for a leisurely weekend lunch, a light supper or even as the centrepiece of a casual gathering, this tart is as lovely to serve as it is satisfying to eat. It can be enjoyed warm from the oven or at room temperature, making it a wonderfully versatile addition to your recipe collection.
Whether you follow a plant-based lifestyle or simply enjoy discovering new ways to cook with vegetables, this rustic tart is sure to become a favourite. Simple ingredients, comforting flavours and a little homemade goodness in every bite!
Ingredients
For the short crust pastry:
300g plain flour
135g margarine, cut into cubes and kept at a cold temperature
1 cup ice cold water + more if needed
sea salt
For the filling:
340g silken tofu, blended for a smooth, creamy consistency
1 leek, chopped
200g baby spinach leaves, blanched for 30seconds (you can do this in one step, together with the peas)
200g mixed mushrooms
200g fresh or frozen peas. Blanche them for a few minutes just to cook out their raw taste. Alternatively you can use canned mushy peas.
2tbsp Nutritional yeast
100ml soya milk, you will only need this if you use firm tofu instead of silken
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp chilli flakes
fresh mint, basil, parsley leaves - chopped
salt and pepper to taste
soy sauce
200g small zucchini, finely sliced with a mandolin
50g breadcrumbs
For the garnish:
lemon zest
white sesame seeds
Instructions
1. Start by preparing the short crust pastry. Place the flour and cold margarine in a bowl, mix together and add water a splash at a time until the dough starts coming together. Add a pinch of salt and the last part of the water until the dough ball forms. Knead lightly with your hands, place in a bowl well covered and allow to rest and chill in the fridge for at least 30mins.
2. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Start by blanching the peas and spinach for 30seconds, you can blanche them together in a large pot of boiling salted water. Shock in an ice bath to retain the bright green colours and stop the cooking process, then drain well and set aside.
3. In a pan, sauté the chopped leek and add the mixed mushroomsm spinach and garlic clove. Cook by adding a splash of soy sauce to enhance the umami flavour, season with salt and pepper and set aside once ready, to cool down.
4. Cook the sliced zucchini apart - I opted to place them in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper, seasoned them with salt, pepper and sprayed them with extra virgin olive oil, baking them in the oven at 180C for just under 30mins until golden brown. You can also opt to deep or shallow fry them if you wish, I prefer the healthier option.
5. Place the silken tofu in the bowl of a mixer/chopper, season with nutritional yeast, nutmeg, salt & pepper and blitz until it turns into a creamy consistency. Throw in the sautéed leek, spinach and mushrooms, blitz together until the ingredients come together into a rich creamy sauce but not finely blended.
6. Transfer the mixture into a clean bowl, fold in the blanched/mushy peas, add fresh leaves of your favourite herbs; I love parsley and mint together. Taste the mixture so that you can season with more salt & pepper or chilli flakes if required.
7. Bring the dough out from the fridge, flatten it with a rolling pin forming a circular shape to fit your flan dish. Transfer the dough onto the dish lined with baking paper to avoid sticking.
8. Sprinkle breadcrumbs onto the pastry to prevent it from turning soggy. The breadcrumbs will absorb the moisture of the tofu mixture during the baking process, and also add some texture.
9. Now pour the tofu mixture over the breadcrumbs and level it with a spoon.
10. Decorate the top with the baked zucchini slices, twist the edges of the pastry, removing any excess. With the remaining dough I created leaf shapes and added them as decoration. Bake the tart in the oven at 180C (covered with foil) until the dough is cooked through. For the last 5mins, remove the foil making sure the zucchini do not burn.
11. Once cooked through, bring out of the oven, allow the tart to rest for at least 20mins and transfer it onto a serving plate/stand, garnish with lemon zest and white sesame seeds.
12. Cut into wedges and enjoy this delicacy filled with plant protein and fibre!
