Heirloom Tomato Tart

5 from 3 votes

A delicious recipe for a stunning Heirloom Tomato Tart with a buttery crust, whipped goat cheese filling, and juicy heirloom cherry tomatoes!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Chill Time30

Total Time1 25

Course: Appetizer, brunch, lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 351kcal

Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

savory tart shell

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

filling

11 ounces goat cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste

garnish

fresh basil leaves
sea salt flakes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

tart shell

Place flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse until mixture is crumbly. While pulsing add water, 1 tablespoons at a time, until dough comes together.
Transfer dough to a 9" fluted tart shell and evenly press mixture along the bottom and sides.
Using a fork, prick holes around the bottom and sides of the shell and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Place cold tart shell onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. (If you notice the tart shell beginning to bubble, just open the oven door and quickly prick the bubble with a fork. You can also use parchment and pie weights to line the tart before putting in the oven, but I don’t think that’s always necessary here). Remove shell from oven and allow it to cool completely before removing from pan.

goat cheese and tomato filling

Place goat cheese and cream in a mixing bowl and beat together using an electric hand mixer. Continue to beat together until mixture is light and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper and mix together once more.
Fill cooled tart shell with whipped goat cheese, smoothing out the top.
Top goat cheese with sliced cherry tomatoes, cut side up, in a gradient pattern from top to bottom, if desired (using our photo above for reference).
Top tart with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes and fresh basil leaves. Serve.

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks for Tomato Tart Success

Pressing the prepared dough into the tart pan is much easier than rolling the dough and laying it into the pan, which can cause the dough to break in many spots and create an uneven crust.
Chilling the dough will allow the glutens to relax, creating a more tender crust. It will also create less shinkage once baked.
Adding some cream (can use half and half, milk, or a dairy milk alternative) to the goat cheese before whipping it will create a silky smooth filling, especially when dug into, instead of a crumbly filling.
Once cherry tomatoes are halved, line them up in a gradient pattern on a large plate or small sheet pan. This will make it much easier to create the gradient effect on the actual tart and take much less time when building the tart. (also keep in mind that the gradient pattern is totally optional. The tomato tart will be just as delicious without the pattern)

Make Ahead Instructions

This entire tomato tart can be made up to 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. Once ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and allow tart to sit for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before topping with sea salt flakes and basil leaves.

Alternatively, the tart shell can be made and baked up to 2 days ahead of time. Once tart shell has completely cooled, carefully wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. The tomatoes can be sliced and arranged on a plate or small baking sheet up to 24 hours in advance. Once arranged in a gradient pattern on the plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Variations for Our Tomato Tart

Use whole, thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes instead of halved cheery tomatoes. If using sliced tomatoes, don't add the tomatoes to the tart until up to 1 hour before serving, to prevent too much liquid from collecting onto the whipped goat cheese.
Add some minced herbs (like basil, oregano or chives) and/of lemon zest to the goat cheese filling to add even more flavor and freshness to the tart.
If goat cheese isn't your thing, replace it with some strained ricotta cheese or even some whipped feta. If using ricotta cheese, there's no need to add the cream to the filling. If using crumbled feta, whip the mixture in a food processor for a smooth consistency, and add 2 tablespoons cream at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Nutrition