We have taken a traditional leek and mushroom pie and turned it into a tart. Flaky buttery puff pastry with garlic and herb cream cheese topped with mushrooms and crispy leeks make a perfect weekend lunch! Lighter than a traditional pie, but equally satisfying, this Leek and Mushroom Tart is full of flavours and textures. In a hurry and looking for lunch ready in under 30 minutes? Skip the leeks and scatter some rocket or watercress on top of the tart instead! It’s delicious both ways!
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Acquired Love For Mushrooms
When I was little, I was borderline a ‘fussy eater’. And mushrooms were a big NO for me. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even want to taste one until I was a teenager, and after I tasted one, I had already made a big deal about how much I didn’t like them, so admitting that mushrooms weren’t that bad would have hurt my pride.
These days, it is a different story. We cook with and eat mushrooms every week! There’s such a huge variety of them and they are probably one of the most versatile ingredients out there. If I’m not using mushrooms in risottos or dahls, I am making pies and tarts!
Puff Pastry: To Make or To Buy?
If you know me, you probably know about my love for all things pastry. Savoury tarts, pies, quiches and don’t even get me started on the sweet bakes… Whilst I love making my own pastry most of the time, sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day. So this recipe is an easy one and requires much less effort.
All you need to do is unroll the pastry on the baking parchment it normally comes wrapped in, bake the base and then top with all things lovely! But if you fancy making your own, we highly recommend making sourdough puff pastry! It is easier to work with and has that signature sourdough tang too!
Crispy baked leeks are a wonderful addition, of course, but if you are after a simple and effortless lunch, skip the leeks altogether and top your tart with rocket or other peppery green leaves.
Method
To Make Crispy Leeks
Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan. Line 1 or 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. We highly recommend Bacofoil Baking Parchment.
Trim the leek, cut it in half lengthways and then into 3 through its width. Cut into very thin strips and place in a large bowl. Pour hot, but not boiling water over the leeks and leave them to soak for 2 minutes. I simply use hot tap water for this. Then drain and tip them on a clean tea towel to dry.
Return the dry leaks to a large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add flour, paprika, and garlic powder and toss to cover the leeks well. Spread them on the trays in a thin layer and place them in the oven for 8-12 minutes. Check them once in a while to prevent them from burning. When done, they should be golden brown and crispy. Leave them on a tray in a dry place whilst you make your tart.
To Make the Mushroom Tart
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C Fan. Unroll the puff pastry onto a large baking tray, keeping the parchment it was wrapped in underneath. Score the pastry approx 1.5cm from the edge with a sharp knife (see photo below). Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add the quartered mushrooms and fry on medium-high heat until they release the water. Carry on cooking until all the water evaporates and your mushrooms are slightly browned. It will take around 8-15 minutes. Stir the mushrooms occasionally to make sure they brown on all sides. Add half of the garlic for the last minute of cooking.
In the meantime, mix cream cheese, the remaining garlic, a pinch of nutmeg and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
When your puff pastry base is done, take it out of the oven and carefully press down the risen middle. Gently spread the cream cheese mix (avoiding the scored edge). Add the mushrooms on top and return to the oven for another 5-6 minutes to warm through.
Scatter the crispy leeks on your mushroom puff pastry tart and garnish with some parsley on top. All it needs is a fresh green salad to serve it with!
What To Serve With Vegetarian Mushroom Tart?
Since this Leek and Mushroom tart is full of flavour already, we feel that a simple side salad is all it needs to go alongside. Some of our favourite things to serve with it include:
- Raw Courgette Ribbon Salad with Honey & Earl Grey Dressing
- Persian Shirazi Salad
- Fried Tenderstem Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon (Garlic Broccolini)
Other Savoury Tarts and Pies
We hope you liked our Mushroom Puff Pastry Tart! We simply adore making things with pastry: pies, tarts, quiches… you name it. Have a look at our other recipes here:
- Creamy Sweet Potato, Halloumi & Leek Pie
- North African Spiced Chickpea & Feta Pie
- Sweet Potato & Kale Filo Tart
Recipe Card
Puff Pastry Mushroom Tart with Crispy Leeks
Equipment
- A couple of large baking trays
Ingredients
- 375 g ready-rolled puff pastry
- 500 g closed cup mushrooms white or chestnuts, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 150 g cream cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 10 g parsley finely chopped, including stalks
For the Crispy Baked Leeks:
- 1 leek (about 200g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon plain white flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
To Make Crispy Leeks:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan. Line one or two large baking trays with baking parchment.
- Trip the leek, cut it in half legthways and then into 3 through its width. Cut into very thin strips and place in a large bowl.
- Pour hot (but not boiling water) over the leeks and leave them to soak for 2 minutes. Then drain and tip them on a clean tea towel to dry.
- Return the dry leaks to a large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add flour, paprika, garlic powder and toss to cover the leeks well. Spread them on the trays in a thin layer and place them in the oven for 8-12 minutes. Check them once in a while to prevent them from burning. When done, they should be golden brown and crispy. Leave them on a tray in a dry place whilst you make your tart.
To Make the Mushroom Tart:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C Fan. Unroll the puff pastry onto a large baking tray, keeping the parchment it was wrapped in underneath. Score the pastry approx 1.5cm from the edge with a sharp knife (see photos). Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add the quartered mushrooms and fry on medium-high heat until they release the water. Carry on cooking until all the water dries out and your mushrooms are slightly browned. It will take around 8-15 minutes. Stir the mushrooms occasionally to make sure they brown on all sides. Add half of the garlic for the last minute of cooking.
- In the meantime, mix cream cheese, the remaining garlic, a pinch of nutmeg and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- When your puff pastry base is done, take it out of the oven and carefully press down the risen middle. Gently spread the cream cheese mix (avoiding the scored edge). Add the mushrooms on top and return to the oven for another 5-6 minutes to warm trhough.
- Sprinkle your tart with crispy leeks and scatter some parsley on top. All it needs is a fresh green salad to serve with it!
Nutrition
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