If you want to impress folks at your holiday shindigs, try this elegant looking, surprisingly easy rainbow carrot tart. Most of the work is just slicing.
It’s equally good as a fancy vegetable side dish or a vegetarian main course.
PrintVegetarian Striped Carrot Tart
- 1
store bought vegetarian pie crust (orgluten free pie crust) - ¼ cup carrot hummus
- 6 red or purple carrots
- 6 orange carrots
- 4 yellow or white carrots
- 1 egg (or vegan egg substitute)
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, stripped and chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
You’re welcome to use your favorite pie crust recipe, but in the spirit of making something fast and easy I typically use a refrigerated vegan pie crust from my local grocery store. (Check the ingredients before serving this to vegans. Puff Pastry is accidentally vegan these days because oil is cheaper than butter, but most store bought pie crusts are still made from lard.)
This recipe also works great with store bought gluten free pie crusts. You can find them in the frozen section of your favorite health food/fancy food store. (I get mine at Sprouts.)
If you don’t want a soggy bottom crust you’re going to need to blind bake your crust. Don’t worry – this is way easier than you think! Here’s a great step-by-step guide from The
Vegetarian Carrot Tart Directions
- Line a 14″ x 4.5″ rectangular tart pan with your crust, load it up with your favorite pie weights, and blind bake it at 425F for 15 minutes, or until barely golden brown.
- NOTE: Use whatever pan you already own. If you don’t own a rectangular tart pan, that’s fine. I like using mine for this recipe because it allows me to make fancy looking striped pies with a fraction the effort. Working in straight lines is so much easier than methodically curling endless rows of fruit or vegetables around a circular pie pan, but please, don’t go buy a one-use pie pan. Your round one will be fine!
- Spread ¼ cup carrot hummus along the bottom of your blind baked crust. You can find carrot, beet, white bean, and a variety of alternative hummuses (
hummi ?) at most larger grocery stores these days. If yours doesn’t stock it, scroll down for my carrot hummus recipe. In addition to adding flavor, the spread helps you anchor the carrots in place while you’re creating the layers. - Peel the carrots and cut off the tops. I used a mandolin to slice my peeled carrots into ⅛ inch strips, but you’re welcome to use a sharp knife and plenty of patience. Either way, thinly slice the carrots length-wise.
- Create rows of orange, white, and red carrot strips stretching the length of the tart pan. Alternate colors every ¼ – ½ inch, depending on how stripey you want it to look. You want the carrots to stand up in neat rows, but they don’t need to be crammed in super tight. Remember, you want a tiny bit of gap so the egg, cheese, and herbs can dribble down and flavor the tart.
- Speaking of which, once your carrots are in place, whisk together your egg, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and cheese.
- Pour the egg mix over your neatly lined up carrots. Gently press the top of the pie so the mix penetrates as deeply as possible
- Line the outer edges with aluminum foil so the outer crust doesn’t burn.
- Bake your fancy looking carrot tart at 350F for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 (total of 50 minutes baking time) or until the custard sets, the carrots are soft, and crust is golden brown. Finish it with a generous sprinkle of kosher salt or pink sea salt on top.
- This forgiving recipe can either be served fresh and hot from the oven or at room temperature.
- Use a sharp knife to cut it into 8-10 triangular slices. The end pieces will be slightly awkward wedges. Feel free to set them aside for your own secret seconds.
Vegan Carrot Hummus
- 2 large orange carrots, peeled and quartered
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup olive oil
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons water
Carrot Hummus Directions
- If your grocery store doesn’t stock carrot hummus you can make your own in about five minutes.
- Toss the carrots and garlic into a food processor and blend until they’re finely minced.
- Strain the chickpeas. Instead of pouring the juice down the drain, pour it into a container and save it for later vegan recipes. These days folks call that juice “
aquafaba ” (which sounds so much more elegant than “cannedchickepea juice”). It’s a fantastic egg substitute! Substitute 1 tbsp ofaquafaba for 1 egg in baked goods you want toveganize . It’ll be fine in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 3 months. - Rinse the strained chickpeas and toss them into the food processor. Pulse a few times until they’re blended with the carrots and garlic.
- Pour in the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Pulse until everything turns into a smooth paste. Once it reaches your desired texture, drizzle in the water, 1 tbsp at a
time, until it reaches your preferred thickness. When in doubt, leave it a little on the runny side. It’ll firm up overnight in the fridge. - This makes a nice, slightly sweet variation of hummus that works great as a sandwich spread or veggie dip.
