Make this easy Vegan Tomato Mozzarella and Pesto Picnic Tart with crisp homemade pastry, creamy vegan mozzarella, pesto and juicy tomatoes. Perfect for picnics, barbecues and summer lunches. Get the recipe below.
This Vegan Tomato Mozzarella and Pesto Picnic Tart is a colourful and flavour-packed recipe that is perfect for warm-weather dining. Crisp shortcrust pastry is layered with aromatic vegan pesto, creamy plant-based mozzarella and juicy ripe tomatoes for a simple but impressive dish.
It is ideal for sharing as part of a picnic, barbecue or summer buffet. Serve it warm or at room temperature alongside fresh salads, new potatoes or your favourite picnic dishes.
For convenience, I like to use Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto and Bluffalo Notzarella from I AM NUT OK, both of which work beautifully with the sweet tomatoes and crisp pastry.
If you prefer to make everything from scratch, you can use my Homemade Vegan Mozzarella recipe. I've also got a selection of vegan pesto recipes on the blog like my Vegan Wild Garlic Pesto recipe. This makes the tart easy to adapt, whether you're looking for a quick and convenient summer recipe or want to make every element yourself!
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Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this Vegan Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto Tart.
For the pastry
- Plain flour
- Vegan butter or margarine (use a block-style vegan butter or margarine for a rich, crisp pastry)
- Water
For the filling
- Vegan mozzarella (I like using I AM NUT OK's plant-based mozzarella, but you can also use my homemade vegan mozzarella recipe if you would prefer to make the tart entirely from scratch.)
- Tomatoes
- Vegan pesto (Sacla' Vegan Basil Pesto is my preferred shortcut, but homemade vegan pesto works just as well.)
To garnish
- Pine nuts
- Basil leaves
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: rub the fat and flour together until it resembles breadcrumbs
- Step 2: bring the mixture together into a ball of a dough by gradually adding the water
- Step 3: wrap the ball of dough in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes
- Step 4: Roll the chilled pastry into a circle large and line the tin
- Step 5: Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans and blind bake until lightly golden.
- Step 6: spread the pest over the bottom of the baked pastry case
- Step 7: layer over slices of vegan mozzarella
- Step 8: next layer the tomato slices on top of the mozzarella
- Step 9: bake until the tomatoes are cooked through and the mozzarella has melted into the pesto
- Step 10: top with toasted pine nuts and basil to serve
Hint: Pat the tomato slices dry with kitchen paper before adding them to the tart. This helps remove excess moisture and prevents the pastry from becoming soggy.
Substitutions
This vegan pesto tart is easy to adapt depending on what you have available. If needed, you can make the following swaps:
- Vegan mozzarella: If you can't get vegan mozzarella any vegan cheese that melts would work but I prefer the more mild creamy taste of mozzarella.
- Tomatoes: Any variety will do, I just like to use different sizes and colours to make it look pretty.
- Vegan pesto: Homemade basil pesto is a great alternative to shop-bought pesto. You could also use a sun-dried tomato pesto for a richer flavour.
- Pine nuts: Swap these for flaked almonds, chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds, or leave them out altogether.
- Homemade pastry: If you are short on time, use a ready-made vegan shortcrust pastry.
Variations
There are lots of ways to customise this tart but here are some of my favourites:
- Add vegetables: thinly sliced courgette, roasted peppers or caramelised onions all work well alongside the tomato and vegan mozzarella.
- Add a balsamic finish: drizzle the baked tart with a little balsamic glaze before serving for a sweet and tangy finishing touch.
- Make individual tarts: divide the pastry and filling between smaller tart tins to create individual vegan picnic tarts.
Equipment
To make this recipe you'll need:
- Large mixing bowl
- Sieve
- Flat-bladed knife
- Rolling pin
- 7.5-inch tart tin
- Baking paper
- Baking beans, dried rice or dried lentils
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
Storage
This Vegan Tomato Mozzarella and Pesto Picnic Tart is best enjoyed on the day it is made, when the pastry is at its crispest.
But you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at around 180C / 356F / gas mark 6 fan until warmed through. Avoid reheating in the microwave if possible, as this can soften the pastry.
The tart can also be eaten cold or at room temperature, making leftovers ideal for packed lunches and picnics.
Top tip
For the best flavour, use ripe, seasonal tomatoes, but make sure they are not overly soft or watery. Remove any excess moisture before baking to help achieve a tart with a crisp pastry base and beautifully roasted tomatoes.
The recipe
Vegan Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto Picnic Tart
Ingredients
- 125 g Plain Flour
- 50 g vegan butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoon water
- 150 grams vegan mozzarella
- 1 large beef tomato
- 100 grams vegan pesto
- 2 tablespoon Pine nuts optional
- 3 basil leaves
Instructions
- Sift your flour into a large bowl and add the fat. Push the fat and flour between your fingers tips to form a breadcrumb like mixture. Make sure the ‘breadcrumbs’ are of even size and not clumped together.
- Once the breadcrumbs have form add two of the tablespoon of water and using a flat knife bring the dough together. Add another tablespoon if you need. Finally bring the dough together into a ball using your hands. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and pop in the fridge for half an hour or so.
- After 30mins, roll the ball of pastry out on a floured surface about ½ cm thick – or large enough to fill a 7.5cm tart tin. Place the pastry into the tin and push into the corners. Place baking beads (or lentils/rice) over the pastry and place on gas mark 4 for 20mins to blind bake the pastry.
- In the meantime slice your beef tomato in roughly 6 large rounds. Once the pastry has been blind baked turn the oven up to gas mark 5 and let it continue to pre-heat while you assemble the tart. First cover the base of the pastry in roughly 4 tablespoon of pesto. Then cover with the mozzarella before decoratively placing the tomato slices on top.
- Place into your oven for 15mins. At the 15minute mark sprinkle pine nuts on top then if necessary turn the tart in the oven to ensure it cooks evenly before cooking for a final 15mins.
- The tart can be served hot or cold with a couple of basil leaves as garnish.
kerrycooks says
Yum! Tastes of summer!