Vegan Heirloom Tomato Tart with Basil Cashew Cream
This Vegan Heirloom Tomato Tart with Basil Cashew Cream has all the best tastes of late summer. Made with a flakey gluten-free pie crust and dairy-free cream filling. It’s perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner!
It’s officially fall and I have one foot basking in summer and one foot looking forward to pumpkins and cozy pants. Fortunately, with our late growing season this year, heirloom tomatoes are still a plenty at the farmer’s market and local grocers. Their curious shapes and unique colors just beg to be made into a savory vegan tart. It’s like granny’s pie meets pizza in the best way possible.
For this vegan heirloom tomato tart recipe, we start with a gluten-free pie crust. Then spread a generous layer of basil cashew cream. Next comes the star of the show, juicy heirloom tomatoes, which are sliced and arranged in a pretty pattern on top. Drizzled with a good olive oil and roasted, it’s warm, comforting, and *beyond delectable*.
This savory tart has three layers:
Gluten-free pie crust
Basil cashew cream filling
Heirloom tomato topping
Gluten-free pie crust- The fussiest part, by far, is the crust. If making a pie crust from scratch seems like too much, go ahead and purchase one that is pre-made, or use phyllo dough. Vegan-friendly phyllo dough can be found in the freezer section of your natural grocer and works best in a square/rectangular shape rather than in a round pan.
That being said, I encourage you to give this gluten-free crust a try. It is the perfect base for our tart, and I have full confidence that it will turn out beautifully.
Basil cashew cream- is as simple to make as a thick smoothie which you then spread on the crust. Just be sure to hot soak your cashews. This leaves them soft enough to blend into cream with no lumps left behind.
Heirloom tomato topping- The final step, before baking, is to arrange the heirloom tomatoes on top. Slice them into ¼“ rounds, and place them in a spiral around the pan, overlapping each slice as you go. The tomatoes will shrink as they roast so be generous with the layers.
What are heirloom tomatoes and where can I find them?
If you like tomatoes, you’ll love heirloom tomatoes. They’re flavorful, juicy, and meaty, without the acidic bite of their mealy cousins. This is because the seeds from the best tomatoes are passed down from season to season by farmers to select the most desirable traits without genetic modification. One bite and you’ll know the difference.
Heirlooms are late summer fruits that are often set aside in a special bin near the year-round tomatoes. They’re easiest to find in July and August at farmer’s markets, natural grocers, and major chains like Whole Foods. But you can still find small quantities in the shoulder season. Look for tomatoes that feel heavy with tight skin and yield a very slight give when pressed. These are perfectly ripe.
Click here for a neat article on this fascinating fruit.
Tips and tricks for savory vegan tart success
Use ripe, medium-sized tomatoes-for the fullest flavor. Really big tomatoes will take over the top of your tart and make it hard to overlap each round. Choose tomatoes that are ripe but not over ripe and about 2” in diameter.
Soak your cashews until they are very soft-for lump free cashew cream. Hot soak your cashews by pouring boiling water over them. Let them let for at least 20 minutes before blending. Do this before you begin making the crust
For the gluten-free pie crust:
Use a store-bought egg replacer- in the crust instead of a flax or chia egg. Bob’s Egg Replacer or Ener-G Egg Replacer work nicely. I’ve tested the crust with both flax and chia egg which doesn’t hold the dough together as well.
Blitz the dough in a food processor. This efficiently breaks up the butter and flour into little pieces while keeping the butter cold. If mixing by hand, use a pastry blender.
Roll the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap- to make the dough easier to handle and transfer to the pan.
Have patience- If the dough cracks when you’re rolling it out or transferring it to the pan, take a deep breath, mend the crack, and forge ahead. If needed, you can reroll gluten-free dough without the worry of overworking it.
Here’s why you’ll love it:
One bite of this season’s farm-fresh heirlooms and I was compelled to create a vegan tomato tart recipe.
Rich, creamy, and hearty- oh so perfect for late summer and fall
Full of flavor- thanks to heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil
Vegan- we use non-dairy butter in the crust and cashews in the cream filling
Gluten-free- with 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour
Very very tasty- If you love the flakey crust, creamy filling, and fruit topping of a sweet-tart, you’ll want to devour this savory tart!
Please read the full recipe before beginning. This will save you time in the end and pave the road to vegan tomato tart success.
Vegan gluten-free pie crust
The recipe and technique for the gluten-free, vegan crust in this tart, I learned and adapted from master pie maker, Kate McDermott in both her in-person and online baking classes and from her essential cookbooks “Art of the Pie” and “Pie Camp”. Read more here.
Ingredients
1½ cups (222 g) of 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour
½ cup (112 g) of vegan butter, (1 stick) cut into cubes
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
½ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon of turmeric for color (optional)
1 tablespoon of Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free egg replacer plus 2 tablespoons of water
3 tablespoons of cold water
How to make vegan gluten free pie crust
1. Make the dough- Place the flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, and turmeric in the bowl of a food processor fit with the metal “S” blade. Pulse to break up the butter into little pieces and mix the dry ingredients.
2. Sprinkle in the egg replacer and then 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse a few more times to work the liquid into the flour.
3. Sprinkle 2 more tablespoons of water over the dough and pulse until it looks crumbly. Then add 1 more tablespoon of water, and pulse until a dough forms.
4. Roll out the dough- lay a piece of plastic wrap on your work surface and lightly sprinkle it with (gluten-free) flour. Form the dough into a disk shape and place in on the plastic. Sprinkle the dough with flour and place another piece of plastic wrap on top.
5. Using a straight rolling pin, carefully roll out the dough to be 1½ - 2” larger than your tart pan. If little cracks form, forge ahead and press them back together. *This dough will be thicker than standard pie dough*.
6. Transfer the dough to your pan- Lay the pin in the middle of the dough and, using the bottom piece of plastic as a handle, fold the dough over the pin. Carefully remove the bottom piece of plastic.
7. Lift the dough halfway across your tart pan, using the top piece of plastic and your hand for support. Use the pin to unfold the dough over the pan. Ease the dough into the pan and use your fingers on top of the plastic to gently form it into the edges.
8. Trim off the extra dough- with a knife or scissors, using the excess dough to mend any broken edges or cracks.
Making it ahead?
Gluten-free pie dough can go straight into the freezer double-wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Or roll it out, shape it to your pan, and wrap it in plastic wrap before freezing. It will stay fresh for up to 6 months.
Basil Cashew Cream
Ingredients
1 cup (140 g) of cashews, soaked until soft
¼ cup of water
1 cup (25 g) of fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
1 garlic clove, chopped
1½ tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
How to make basil cashew cream
1. Hot soak your cashews. Do this before you begin making the pie crust so that they will be soft enough to blend when you’re ready to make the cashew cream. Tumble your cashews into a small heat proof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover and let soak for at least 20 minutes. They need to be very soft to blend up completely free of lumps. You can also soak them overnight in the fridge.
2. Rinse the soaked cashews- and plop them in a blender cup with all the other ingredients.
3. Blend until completely smooth, with no cashew lumps remaining. This takes 90 seconds in a Nutribullet but may take longer depending on what type of blender you’re using. Stop and scrape the sides of the blender as you go, if needed, to make sure all the cashew lumps are incorporated into the cream.
Assemble and bake the Heirloom Tomato Tart
Tomato Tart Toppings
4-5 medium heirloom tomatoes (about 2” in diameter), sliced to ¼” thickness
A drizzle of olive oil
A sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil
How to assemble and bake
1. Pre-heat your oven- to 400° F / 204° C / gas mark 6
2. Scoop the basil cashew cream into prepared tart pan, smoothing it to the edges.
3. Lay the tomatoes in a spiral around the pan overlapping them as you go. Start at the edge and work your way to the center. Use different colored tomatoes to make a pretty pattern.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle kosher salt and a few twists of black pepper.
5. Bake at to 400° F / 204° C for 40-50 minutes until the crust looks crispy and the tomatoes are soft, wilted, and slightly golden at the edges. Let cool to a reasonable temperature before slicing. Serve sprinkled with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil and a few twists of black pepper.
How to Store-
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Vegan Heirloom Tomato Tart with Basil Cashew Cream
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the dough- Place the flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, and turmeric in the bowl of a food processor fit with the metal “S” blade. Pulse to break up the butter into little pieces and mix the dry ingredients.
- Sprinkle in the egg replacer and then 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse a few more times to work the liquid into the flour.
- Sprinkle 2 more tablespoons of water over the dough and pulse until it looks crumbly. Then add 1 more tablespoon of water, and pulse until a dough forms.
- Roll out the dough- lay a piece of plastic wrap on your work surface and lightly sprinkle it with (gluten-free) flour. Form the dough into a disk shape and place it on the plastic. Sprinkle the dough with flour and place another piece of plastic wrap on top.
- Using a straight rolling pin, carefully roll out the dough to be 1½ - 2” larger than your tart pan. If little cracks form, forge ahead and press them back together. *This dough will be thicker than standard pie dough*.
- Transfer the dough to your pan- Lay the pin in the middle of the dough and, using the bottom piece of plastic as a handle, fold the dough over the pin. Carefully remove the bottom piece of plastic.
- Lift the dough halfway across your tart pan, using the top piece of plastic and your hand for support. Use the pin to unfold the dough over the pan. Ease the dough into the pan and use your fingers on top of the plastic to gently form it into the edges.
- Trim off the extra dough- with a knife or scissors, using the excess dough to mend any broken edges or cracks.
- Hot soak your cashews. Do this before you begin making the pie crust so that they will be soft enough to blend when you’re ready to make the cashew cream. Tumble your cashews into a small heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover and let soak for at least 20 minutes. They need to be very soft to blend up completely free of lumps. You can also soak them overnight in the fridge.
- Rinse the soaked cashews- and plop them in a blender cup with all the other ingredients.
- Blend until completely smooth, with no cashew lumps remaining. This takes 90 seconds in a Nutribullet but may take longer depending on what type of blender you’re using. Stop and scrape the sides of the blender as you go, if needed, to make sure all the cashew lumps are incorporated into the cream.
- Pre-heat your oven- to 400° F / 204° C / gas mark 6
- Scoop the basil cashew cream into prepared tart pan, smoothing it to the edges.
- Lay the tomatoes in a spiral around the pan overlapping them as you go. Start at the edge and work your way to the center. Use different colored tomatoes to make a pretty pattern.
- Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle kosher salt and a few twists of black pepper.
- Bake at 400° F / 204° C for 40-50 minutes until the crust looks crispy and the tomatoes are soft, wilted, and slightly golden at the edges. Let cool to a reasonable temperature before slicing. Serve sprinkled with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few twists of black pepper.
Notes
Storage:
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For step-by-step instructions and photos, see blog post!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
309.13Fat (grams)
21.43 gSat. Fat (grams)
9.03 gCarbs (grams)
26.45 gFiber (grams)
3.96 gNet carbs
22.5 gSugar (grams)
5.32 gProtein (grams)
7.05 gSodium (milligrams)
373.28 mgCholesterol (grams)
35.51 mgNutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.
