tomato and caramelised onion tart for Christmas (gluten free + vegetarian)

I’ve had a few vegetarian Christmases in my time and when I saw this recipe in a magazine recently I knew that I had to make it gluten free and convert it to the thermomix. It ticked so many boxes – festive, vegetarian, healthy and looked easy and delicious. A winner before I even made it….in fact before it even went into the oven it was looking gorgeous.

I haven’t tried making gluten free pastry before so this was my first time. Not bad. Not perfect but it tasted fabulous. And please do as I say and not as I do and don’t decide that lemon olive oil all over the top before it goes in the oven is a good idea. It’s not. Save that for later. And I took a few photos of the fresh thyme before I was happy with the photo and then as I was making room on my camera I accidentally deleted it. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Here is another picture of thyme I’ve taken earlier in the year and let’s pretend it was the pretty picture I took today.

This recipe and the pastry are pretty forgiving because the electrician decided to come and instal the circuit breaker about 10 minutes into cooking time so then the oven was off for 10 minutes, oil was going everywhere on the baking tray and I thought it was all going to end up being a big flop. But lo and behold, I left it in a little longer than necessary and got one absolutely delicious tart that everyone ate up. That’s right, 4 kids and myself demolished this for lunch. That really does make it a winner doesn’t it.

This recipe has been adapted from the Tomato & Onion Pie Recipe in the New Idea Christmas & Holiday Essentials magazine. 

tomato and caramelised onion tart for Christmas (gluten free + vegetarian)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Serves: 6
What you'll need
  • 2 red onions
  • thyme leaves
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2Tbsp sugar
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • 180g gluten free or regular plain flour
  • 100g butter
  • 100g cream cheese
  • salt
  • 4 roma tomatoes, sliced
Instructions
  1. Thinly slice the red onions, place in a frypan with some thyme leaves, olive oil and salt. Heat over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until they are really soft.
  2. Add in vinegar and sugar, stir and reduce heat and let the onions reduce for a few minutes.
  3. When the liquid has reduced and they are looking soft and delicious, take them off the heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  4. Now let's make your pastry. Place flour, butter, cream cheese and a dash of salt into your thermomix bowl or a food processor. Process until it resembles breadcrumbs. I do this on closed lid setting and knead button (the wheat picture) for 1 minute.
  5. Add in a few tablespoons of ice cold water. You can use water from the fridge or place some water in the freezer while you are making your onions and use that water.
  6. Process until it just comes together, remove from your thermomix or food processor and place on glad wrap/plastic wrap. Form into a ball, flatten into a round disc, coat lightly in some gluten free or regular plain flour as your dough is a bit sticky.
  7. Pop your pastry into the fridge for at least ½ hour. If you're rushed for time just pop it in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes
  8. When your pastry is ready place it in between 2 pieces of baking paper and roll it out into a circle.
  9. Remove the top layer of baking paper, spread out the onions onto the pastry leaving a border that we can fold over and start laying the tomatoes in 2 circles. It's easiest to start from the outside and then do an inner circle.
  10. Top with more thyme leaves, some salt and pepper and fold over the edges of your pastry towards the centre of your tart. Don't worry if they break or crumble, it all comes together in the end.
  11. Bake in a preheated 180-190C degrees oven for about 30-40 minutes until pastry is cooked, tomatoes are looking cooked and it's ready to eat.
  12. Remove from the oven, slice and serve with salad or vegetables. This is absolutely delicious hot, warm or cold.
  13. Enjoy.......................................

 

Comments

  1. I always love the look of these rustic tarts. I’m having the first of my GF testing this week so I’m very happy you are converting recipes for us all to try.
    I did have a chuckle at your “confession” of a reuse of an old photo. Yep always someone going to notice. I’ve inadvertently deleted my good takes too. My daughter has now trained me never ever to delete my photos until I’m absolutely finished the purpose I’m taking them for, not even the out of focus holiday ones! I now wait until I’m home and no distraction.

  2. Looks and sounds very yummy Corrie! I remember watching the Cook and the Chef years ago, and Maggie Beer made her sour cream pastry with gluten free flour. Very simple recipe (sour cream instead of cream cheese) that you might want to try one day! http://www.maggiebeer.com.au/recipes/sour-cream-pastry

  3. this looks delicious havent had much luck with GF pastry but keen to give this a go

    • well this was my first attempt so I was pretty happy! should have mentioned I use either white wings or macro gf flour and find they work best! I’ll definitely make this again with a different topping for a bit of variety but it’s not that hard!

  4. Absolutely gorgeous. Now how did you convince your lovely young ones to enjoy onions – mine are violently opposed to them and find them even when I cut them into microscopic pieces…. I think that the tart looks so good.

  5. Now that I have ‘mastered’ caramelizing onions in the thermo I can see these featuring quite a lot on our menu over summer! I am lucky Miss 8 loves onions, pickled, cooked or caramelized, she’ll eat them. We will have to try this tart!

    I thought the photo was of a pavlova initially!

    • yes I’m definitely going to try the onions! my guys love the onions this way but not any other way! The pastry tasted so delicious and I’m really happy with it

  6. Are you all vegetarian??
    I love vege food but hubby won’t have a bar of it.
    I can’t even cook soup unless there is a steak floating in it.
    That tart looks delicious.
    x

    • oh no, I was the vegetarian for half my life then married my big meatlover but he does love a lot of my veggie dishes, in fact tonight he is having tofu salad! so there is hope for you…………but then you have lots of boys so that could go out the window. When I was newly married I started eating seafood and then pregnant with twins the chicken snuck in and kind of stayed.

  7. I first wanted to tell you that i really like your blog. I discovered it in a French newspaper (yes we talk about your blog on the other side of the planet :) ) and i really fell in love. It gives a different point of view about life and i enjoy it very much.
    Second, i just wanted to tell you that i like your receipe as i do quite the same but i just add mozzarella under the tomatoes and it’s delicious too.

  8. I am making this asap – looks divine!
    I’ve had my Thermomix for about a month and use it every day but haven’t tried pastry yet, let alone GF pastry which, in the past, I’ve always made in my food processor. It is always quite crumbly and tricky to handle so I look forward to using the cream cheese as perhaps it will bind together a bit better. Thanks hon x

  9. Noella Hextall says:

    Thank you for sharing Corrie! Im attempting some GF cooking to try and cut down on the amount of wheat my daughter is eating (I suspect her skin is reacting to it, her eczema is shocking at the moment) and this tart will be on thr top of the list to try! I would like to buy some gf cook books…which one do you recommend out of the ones you have recently purchased? Thanks!

    • ohhh yes I’ve got some good ones

      anything by gluten-free girl (just put that into amazon)
      cooking for isaiah is amazing for kid and family friendly recipes
      against all grain is retro daddy’s favourite

      I think that should keep you going for a while! they really are the best that I’ve bought and am loving and making things from.

      • Noella Hextall says:

        Thanks for replying Corrie, I will have to start purchasing! We had the Orgran Quinoa pasta tonight and luckily it passed the taste test!

  10. Hi Corrie,
    I made this last night and it was a big hit! Thanks for the recipe. I served it with grilled lamb and salad. Yum yum
    lg xx

  11. Hi, yum, looks great. Any ideas on a dairy free pastry. My son can have gluten but not dairy. Thanks for your posts, have been having a cup of tea and catching up on life in your house. Ps my kitchen Reno has taken 12 months, had to chuckle at your 12 days! I now have amazing bench space but still no doors. My husband is making them and they are nearly….. Finished. Hopefully going off to get painted tomorrow.

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