Cheesy Puff Pastry Tomato Tart

This decadent vegan tomato tart is made with a flaky puff pastry crust slathered in herbed cashew cheese and topped with juicy roasted tomato slices. It's absolutely delicious and surprisingly easy to make!

As a Pennsylvanian, I take my tomatoes pretty seriously. I spent some time living in a part of the country where tomatoes aren't that great, and let me tell you, these days I really appreciate my east coast summer tomatoes!

I didn't have it in me to put together my usual summer vegetable garden this year. It's just been that kind of year! I'm sure you guys get it. But I got to craving some really good tomatoes recently, so I took a trip to the farmer's market to pick up a few. This tart was perfect for them!

It's my new favorite way to use summer tomatoes, perhaps even beating out tomato sandwiches and vegan BLTs.

What You'll Need

You don't need much to make this one!

• Fresh tomatoes
• Salt & pepper
• Frozen puff pastry
• Raw cashews
• Water
• Lemon juice
• Garlic
• Fresh basil
• Fresh thyme

How to Make a Tomato Tart

First, slice and salt your tomatoes. To do this, arrange the slices on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle them with some salt. Let them sit for about 30 minutes. Salting your tomatoes will enhance the flavor and draw out some of the water, so they don't get soggy when you bake the tart.

While the tomatoes sit, prepare your crust. Remember to take your puff pastry out of the freezer a couple hours before you get started, so it has time to thaw.

Roll the pastry out into a large rectangle and press it into a baking sheet. Super important step: poke holes throughout the crust with a fork! This will keep your crust from turning into one big bubble when you bake it.

Pop the crust into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it — even with those holes you poked, it can still puff up a bit too much. If you see it starting to do this, just open the oven, poke it a few more times with the fork, and gently press down to flatten out the bubble.

While the crust bakes, make the cashew cheese. Place some soaked raw cashews into a food processor bowl, along with some lemon juice, garlic, salt and water. Blend until smooth, then add in basil and thyme. Pulse the food processor a few times to chop the herbs.

After the crust has baked for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and slather the top with your cashew cheese. Blot your tomato slices with a paper towel and arrange them over the cheese.

Pop the tart back into the oven to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.

When the tart has finished baking, sprinkle the tomatoes with some black pepper. If you have any leftover fresh herbs, sprinkle them on top before serving.

Tomato Tart Tips & FAQ

• Where can I find vegan puff pastry? Lots of commercial brands are vegan! Just check the ingredients list. I used Pepperidge Farm brand.
• What kind of tomatoes work best for this tart? Any kind! Want to make a pretty tart with colorful heirloom tomatoes? Go for it! Got some cherry tomatoes on hand? Use 'em! Just make sure they're good. I highly recommend making this one during the summer months when tomatoes are in season and good quality ones are readily available.
• Leftovers and storage: This tart is best served right away, but if you have leftovers they'll keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.
• Save time the day of serving by making the cashew cheese a day or two in advance. Store it in a sealed container in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

5 from 3 votes

Print

Cheesy Puff Pastry Tomato Tart

This decadent vegan tomato tart is made with a flaky puff pastry crust slathered in herbed cashew cheese and topped with juicy roasted tomato slices. It's absolutely delicious and surprisingly easy to make!

Course Appetizer, Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Soak Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 313 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds thinly sliced tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes or about 12 slices)
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 sheet (about 8 ounces) frozen vegan puff pastry, thawed
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Black pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Arrange the tomato slices on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes.

3. While the tomatoes sit, roll the puff pastry to a 9 x 13 inch rectangle and arrange it on a baking sheet. Gently press the dough into the corners of the baking sheet. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough, spaced at most an inch apart.

4. Place the baking sheet into the oven. Keep an eye on the crust as it bakes — if any large bubbles begin to form, poke a few more holes in them with a fork and gently press the dough back down.

5. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, until golden and puffy.

6. While the crust bakes, place the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.

7. Blend the mixture until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

8. Add the basil and thyme to the bowl, then pulse the food processor a few times until the herbs are chopped and incorporated into the mixture.

9. After the crust has baked for about 15 minutes, remove it from the oven, but leave the oven on.

10. Slather the top of the crust with the cashew cheese. Blot the tomato slices with a paper towel, then arrange them on top of the cheese.

11. Place the tart back into the oven and bake it for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes dry out just a bit on top.

12. Remove the tart from the oven. Let it cool for a few minutes.

13. Sprinkle the top of the tart with black pepper and additional salt if needed. If you have any leftover herbs, you can sprinkle them on top as well.

14. Slice and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Cheesy Puff Pastry Tomato Tart

Amount Per Serving (1 slice (⅙ of tart))

Calories 313 Calories from Fat 188

% Daily Value*

Fat 20.9g32%

Saturated Fat 7.1g36%

Sodium 538mg22%

Potassium 407mg12%

Carbohydrates 28.2g9%

Fiber 3.1g12%

Sugar 5.2g6%

Protein 7.6g15%

Calcium 28mg3%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.