A simple puff pastry tart topped with thyme scented garlic mushrooms and spinach. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

SIMPLE MEALS

Wow! What a summer! 

You may have wondered where I've been?

We've had a couple of weeks relaxing in Cyprus and since we got home we've been enjoying the sun here in Scotland.

The boy is out on his bike pretty much constantly and long dog walks on beaches are a daily thing. 

Meals are simple, like this gloriously golden puff pastry pie.

PIE OR TART?

I made this rather fabulous tart for dinner last night and served it with Jersey Royal Potatoes (don't you just love them?) and lightly cooked carrots. It was so, so good!

I hummed and hawed about the name of this. 

Should it be a pie or a tart? 

I would call it a tart, but maybe you call it something different. A slice maybe?

READY ROLLED PUFF PASTRY

I used ready-rolled puff pastry to make this tart, but you can make your own or buy a block of pastry and roll it out.

Take the pastry out of the fridge, remove from the box and leave on a plate to come to room temperature before using it. 15 to 20 minutes will be enough. 

If you try to roll or indeed unroll pastry straight out of the fridge it is likely to crack.

CAN I USE HOMEMADE PASTRY?

You can use homemade pastry to make this tart if you have time and if you are a dab hand making it, it will rise even more than shop-bought pastry and be even more glorious.

Most of us mere mortals buy ready-made.

It's actually really good quality!

IS PUFF PASTRY SUITABLE FOR VEGANS?

Most puff pastry is vegan friendly even if there isn't a logo on the pack.

Just check the back to make sure.

Pastry labelled 'all butter' should be avoided as it is not suitable for vegans.

if you love mushrooms try - Scottish Mushroom Stew

WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE GARLIC MUSHROOM & SPINACH PUFF PASTRY TART?

• olive oil - or other mild oil
• ready-rolled puff pastry - or homemade if you are a domestic goddess
• chestnut mushrooms - you can use other mushrooms, flat cap are good in this tart
• garlic  - a must
• fresh thyme - if you don't have fresh thyme, you may use dried thyme
• creme fraiche - vegan or regular, if you can't find any you could use cream cheese, but it won't have that piquancy
• fresh spinach - if you only have frozen spinach, defrost it completely and pat will kitchen paper to remove as much liquid as possible
• vegan or veggie parmesan - you can use another hard cheese, but this gives the best flavour
• salt and pepper

WHY IS GARLIC MUSHROOM & SPINACH PUFF PASTRY TART SO GOOD?

1. It's easy to make
2. It's quick to make
3. It can be served hot or cold
4. It's versatile - you can serve it hot for dinner with baby potatoes and vegetables or cold for lunch on its own or with salad
5. It's packed with mushrooms - yes I love them!
6. It's so tasty!

READERS COOKING

I love when readers get in touch with me to say they are enjoying my recipe. They share them my email and on social media.

Susan got in touch to say they loved this stew and gave me permission to share her comment.

I always think it's good to see what other people think.

If you make one of my recipes and enjoy it you can share what you thought and a comment in one of these places.

• Tinned Tomatoes Facebook page
• Living on the Veg - my Facebook group (if you've not joined, go join now, it's a super friendly group)
• Twitter - @tinnedtoms
• Email - tinnedtomatoes@googlemail.com
• Pinterest - jactinnedtoms - if you find this recipe through a pin, save a pin and when you make the dish you can then share a photo or comment on the pin

Garlic Mushroom & Spinach Puff Pastry Tart

Step-by-step instructions

(full recipe at bottom of post)

Step 1. Chestnut mushrooms

Remove the pastry from the fridge to come to room temperature, then clean or peel the mushrooms and cut into halves or thirds, depending how big they are. 

I like chestnut mushrooms for their nutty flavour.

Step 2. Saute the mushrooms

Saute the mushrooms in olive oil with crushed garlic and fresh thyme. 

Season well with salt and pepper. 

Cook until there is no liquid in the pan. You don't want to add liquid to a tart.

Step 3. Add spinach

Add a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach, that's been rinsed and shaken dry. 

It may seem a lot, but the spinach wilts and then all of a sudden there doesn't seem to be much at all. 

You could add more if you like, but I wanted the mushroom flavour to shine through in this tart.

 Once it has wilted, turn off the heat and set it aside while you prepare the pastry.

Step 4. Prepare the puff pastry

Unroll the puff pastry. If you are using ready-rolled puff pastry it will be on baking paper. 

You can leave it on the paper and place on a baking tray before baking. 

If you are using a block or homemade pastry, roll the pastry thinly, then place it on non-stick baking paper and then onto a baking tray.

Score a border around the edge to make your crust. No need to add any extra pastry or roll it or anything, if you don't add any topping to the border it will puff up nicely.

  Step 5. Base layer

There are a variety of flavours you can use on puff pastry tarts. I often use tomato puree; pizza sauce; pesto, hummus or an olive tapenade. 

For this mushroom tart I used creme fraiche. 

We like Oatly Creme Fraiche, which is, you guessed it, made from oats and suitable for vegans, but if you're vegetarian you can use regular creme fraiche.

Spread a generous layer of creme fraiche in an even layer up to the border, then sprinkle over a generous grinding of black pepper.

Step 6. Add the mushrooms

Add the mushrooms and spinach in an even layer inside the border. 

Isn't it looking tasty?

Step 7. Finishing touch

As a finishing touch, add slivers of veggie or vegan Parmesan to the tart. 

Use a potato peeler to get the perfect sliver. 

Vegetarian Parmesan is often called pasta or hard cheese. Tesco offer a Pecorino that is suitable for vegetarians and many supermarket's budget range are veggie.  

For a vegan tart we use Violife Prosociano, which has that wonderful tang of Parmesan and is made from coconut oil and olive extract.

8. Bake until golden

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve while still warm.

pin it for later

MORE EASY PUFF PASTRY TARTS

If you like easy puff pastry tarts like this one, try some more of my recipes. From top right clockwise, there is a Tomato, Red Onion and Vegan Feta Tart, which is a real classic.

The Mini Margherita Puff Pizza Pies are my son's favourite tart and I must admit I love them too.

My Easy Mediterranean Tarts are super popular with my readers and a real family favourite.

Finally, you could try my Beet, Chive and Asparagus Tarts, which are fabulous when asparagus is in season.

Also check out my post 25 Awesome Puff Pastry Recipes for Vegans for more ideas.

FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Layered Veggie Burger Pies

A simple layered puff pastry pie filled with well-cooked veggie burgers, cream cheese (veggie or vegan), mustard and herbs.

vegan tart, vegan pie, vegan puff pastry, mushroom tart, mushroom pie, mushroom and spinach tart, easy mushroom tart, vegetarian mushroom tart

dinner

british, vegan, vegetarian

Yield: 4

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum 

Garlic Mushroom & Spinach Puff Pastry Tart

A simple puff pastry tart topped with thyme scented garlic mushrooms and spinach. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 40 M

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200g ready rolled puff pastry
• 500g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned or peeled and cut in half
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2-3 generous tbsp creme fraiche (vegan or regular)
• 100g/1/2 cup fresh spinach (a couple of handfuls)
• a few slithers of vegan or veggie parmesan
• salt and pepper

instructions:

How to cook Garlic Mushroom & Spinach Puff Pastry Tart

1. Remove the pastry from the fridge and pop on a plate to come to room temperature.
2. Preheat your oven to 200c/180c fan/400f/gas mark 4.
3. Saute the mushrooms in a large pan with olive oil, garlic and fresh thyme (pull the leaves of the sprigs) until they are soft and the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper while they are cooking.
5. Rinse and dry the spinach, then add to the pan and cook until it has wilted. Set aside and prepare the pastry.
6. Roll out the pastry, leaving on the baking paper and place on a baking tray.
7. Score out a border around the tart base.
8. Spread an even layer of creme fraiche across the base, inside the border and season with black pepper.
9. Top with the mushrooms and spinach, avoiding the border.
10. Add a few slithers of vegan or vegetarian parmesan. Shave these of the block with a potato peeler.
11. Rub a little olive oil around the border, then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden.
12. Serve with new potatoes and vegetable or salad.
13. Enjoy!

NOTES:

I bought a 325g box of ready rolled pastry, but didn't use all the pastry.

You could use the whole pastry and spread the filling out more. I used my reserved pastry to make a pizza pastry for my son just loves them. See my post for the recipe.

Calories
154.90

Fat (grams)
10.63

Sat. Fat (grams)
3.54

Carbs (grams)
12.56

Fiber (grams)
2.16

Net carbs
10.40

Sugar (grams)
3.39

Protein (grams)
5.19

Sodium (milligrams)
153.45

Cholesterol (grams)
12.50

Created using The Recipes Generator