Vegan Tomato Tart
This vegan tomato tart, made with Puff Pastry, is as delicious as it is pretty. A crisp and flaky crust topped with herbed vegan ricotta, basil, and sliced tomatoes, and baked to golden perfection. Impress your friends and family with this beautiful vegan tart!
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Why make this recipe
This dairy-free tomato tart is perfect as an appetizer or as a side at your next holiday or dinner party. It’s similar to a vegan tomato galette, but made easier with puff pastry instead of pie crust.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Puff Pastry: You can find Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets easily at most grocery stores. These are vegan. They also offer a gluten-free version, but it is more difficult to find.
- Vegan Ricotta – Use my vegan tofu ricotta recipe, or you can also use store-bought vegan ricotta or cream cheese with garlic and chopped herbs added.
- Tomatoes: Use ripe summer tomatoes, if possible, in this tart. Heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes also work well. I enjoy using a variety of colors and sizes to add visual interest.
- Herbs – Use fresh basil for a bright, fresh flavor. I also like to add in some fresh thyme and/or oregano for added flavor.
- Plant-Based Milk – for brushing the edges of the puff pastry. I like to add a small dash of turmeric to the milk to give the pastry a hint of golden color.
- Olive Oil – Optional, for brushing the top of your tart.
Helpful tools
- A large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- A food processor for making the tofu ricotta.
How to make a vegan tomato tart
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Allow the puff pastry to warm on the countertop for about 45 minutes or in the fridge for 2 hours until it is still cool, yet pliable. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Step 2 – Prep the Tomatoes – Wash and slice the tomatoes, then place them in a colander with a generous sprinkle of salt. Allow them to drain while you make the tofu ricotta.
Step 3 – Make the Tofu Ricotta – Drain and press a container of extra-firm tofu, removing as much liquid as possible, then crumble it into a large food processor.
Step 4 – Add salt, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and basil. Blend well for 2 minutes in a food processor. Add a splash of soy milk, if needed, to thin out the ricotta to a smooth, spreadable texture.
Step 5 – Prep the tart – On a lightly floured surface, roll out one puff pastry sheet so that it thins out and expands to approximately 3 inches longer and an inch wider than the original sheet. Use a pastry cutter or paring knife to score a ¾-inch border around the sides of the dough, without cutting all the way through. Use a fork to prick the puff pastry dough inside the border; this will prevent it from rising in that section.
Step 6 – Spread the vegan ricotta about 1/4 inch thick in the center of the rectangle and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil.
Step 7 – Use a paper towel to dab the tomato slices, removing any remaining salt and tomato juice. Then lay the tomato slices on the ricotta, slightly overlapping the slices. (Use alternating sizes and colors to add more texture and color to your tart.)
Step 8 – Add a dash of turmeric to 1 tbsp of plant milk, then use it to brush the edges of the puff pastry.
Step 9 – Bake the tomato tart at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are puffy and golden brown. Remove it from the oven and brush it with a bit of olive oil. If the tomatoes appear dry, sprinkle with additional fresh, chopped basil, and slice for serving.
Pro Tips
- Use fresh garden tomatoes. The better the tomatoes, the better the flavor.
- Cut the tomatoes by laying them on their sides. If you cut from the top down, you will have some slices with large areas of seeds.
- Keep the pastry puff dough as cold as possible, yet still pliable and rollable. If the oven is still preheating after you have prepped the tart, place it in the freezer until the oven is hot.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: The vegan tomato tart will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing.
Reheating: Reheat the tomato in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
More recipes using fresh tomatoes
- Tomato Basil Pasta
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi
- Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
- Vegan Butter Beans with Tomatoes and Pesto
Vegan tomato tart recipe
Vegan Tomato Tart
Ingredients
For the tofu ricotta
- 1 14-oz package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, or 1/4 tsp garlic powder (omit for sweet dishes)
- 1/4 cup basil, or 1 tbsp pesto or dried herbs (omit for sweet dishes)
- 1 tablespoon splash plain soy milk, or water to thin it out if necessary.
For the tomato tart
- 1 sheet pastry puff
- 1 tablespoon flour, for rolling out the pastry
- 2 cups sliced tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, or 1 tbsp pesto
- 1 tablespoon plant milk, (with a dash of turmeric – optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Allow the puff pastry to warm on the countertop for about 45 minutes or in the fridge for 2 hours until it is still cool, yet pliable. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
Prep the Tomatoes
- Wash and slice the tomatoes, then place them in a colander with a generous sprinkle of salt. Allow them to drain while you make the tofu ricotta.
Make the Tofu Ricotta
- Drain and press a container of extra-firm tofu, removing as much liquid as possible, then crumble it into a large food processor.
- Add salt, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and basil. Blend well for 2 minutes in a food processor. Add a splash of soy milk if needed to thin out the ricotta to a smooth spreadable texture.
Prep the tart
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one puff pastry sheet so that it thins out and expands to approximately 3 inches longer and an inch wider than the original sheet. Use a pastry cutter or paring knife to score a ¾-inch border around the sides of the dough, without cutting all the way through. Use a fork to prick the puff pastry dough inside the border; this will prevent it from rising in that section.
- Spread the vegan ricotta about 1/4 inch thick in the center of the rectangle and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil.
- Use a paper towel to dab the tomato slices, removing any remaining salt and tomato juice. Then lay the tomato slices on the ricotta, slightly overlapping the slices. (Use alternating sizes and colors to add more texture and color to your tart.)
- Add a dash of turmeric to 1 tbsp of plant milk, then use it to brush the edges of the puff pastry.
- Bake the tomato tart at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are puffy and golden brown. Remove it from the oven and brush it with a bit of olive oil. If the tomatoes appear dry, sprinkle with additional fresh, chopped basil, and slice for serving.
Notes
- Use fresh garden tomatoes. The better the tomatoes, the better the flavor.
- Cut the tomatoes by laying them on their sides. If you cut from the top down, you will have some slices with large areas of seeds.
- Keep the pastry puff dough as cold as possible, yet still pliable and rollable. If the oven is still preheating after you have prepped the tart, place it in the freezer until the oven is hot.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Great recipe very tasty & quick.
Glad that you liked the recipe!
Wanted something different for dinner, and as usual, Monica does not disappoint! I know this dish is listed as an appetizer, but I was sure that if we were to eat the whole thing, it would be sufficient as dinner.
Happened to have refrigerated puff pastry that is vegan (Jus-Rol brand) so I simply used that, and I was glad that I was using this brand. It is a single sheet (and priced lower to account for that), but larger than PF frozen sheets, AND it comes on its own baking paper already, so rolling out was minimal to make the pastry sheet fit nicely on my large baking sheet. There is an excess of baking paper (used to package the roll of pastry sheet so that it would not stick to itself) that I simply cut off.
As for the ricotta, looking at the ingredients made me think of feta (with the amount of salt listed), but we wanted a different taste. I added just a touch of salt, but added, I think, about 2 tablespoons of coconut vinegar, and even a pinch of citric acid, to give it more tang without adding more liquid acid. Also added about 1 tablespoon of homemade pesto to the tofu mix.
Used my el cheapo pizza cutter to gently score the border, prepped the tart as written (used about 20 oz. of halved cherry tomatoes but could have used a bit more!) and baked in the preheated oven at 425F, since that’s the temperature that the package of my pastry dough called for.
The tart baked beautifully! I decorated it with some fresh basil leaves, and drizzled a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top for serving. A few minutes later, we were surprisingly full without eating the whole thing! I divided the tart into 8 pieces (using the same el cheapo pizza cutter) and we both ate 3 pieces each, with nice 2 pieces left over for lunch.
Looking at the ingredients for the PF puff pastry, they are not that great, so I am glad that I randomly found the Jus-Rol brand, that has way better and still vegan ingredients. I know that PF still will have a place in my kitchen (their premade shells are so convenient!), but for this recipe, it will be a no-brainer to use the Jus-Rol brand. And yes, this recipe will be repeated for sure.
What a fun and tasty dinner (or appetizer of course) idea! Thank you, Monica! 😊