Smoky Leek & Almond Tart
This is a wonderfully creamy tart, delicious served hot or cold with steamed vegetables or a salad. We give you a pastry recipe too – however, it can be made with ready-made shortcrust pastry, most of which is vegan (eg JusRol and most of the supermarket own-brands. Just avoid anything with added butter or egg).
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Total time
70 minutes
Cuisine
British
Meal
- mains
- sides-light-meals-and-salads
Servings
4
Ingredients
Home-made pastry
- 100g/4oz plain flour
- 100g/4oz self-raising flour
- 100g/4oz vegetable margarine
- Pinch of salt
- 75ml/3fl oz cold water
ALTERNATIVELY, use JusRol or other vegan pastry from the supermarket – see tips above
Filling
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 large or 3 medium sized leeks, thinly sliced
- 225g/8oz almond, flaked
- 100g/4oz almonds, ground
- 100g/4oz cashews, ground
- 2 tsp marjoram
- 1 tsp soya sauce
- 375ml/13fl oz cold water salt and pepper
- ¼-½ tsp smoked paprika
- 50g/2oz grated vegan cheese
For a stronger taste, try one or two of these additions
- 1 generous pinch of chilli
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
Instructions
1. If using ready-made pastry, go to Step 5, but check defrosting instructions on the packet if necessary.
To make home-made pastry: sieve both flours into a large bowl . Add the pinch of salt.
2. Place the margarine in to the centre of the flour, coat it in the flour and then break it up in to smaller pieces. Rub the margarine gently in to the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the water gradually until you have a moist, but not sticky, dough (add more flour if necessary).
4. Cover and place in the fridge while you make the filling.
5. Preheat the oven to 190ºC /375ºF/Gas Mark 5.
6. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the leeks, cover and gently cook until they are soft.
7. Add the flaked almonds, soy sauce and marjoram and cook for a further few minutes.
8. Put the water, ground almonds and cashews in to a liquidiser and blend until thick, smooth and creamy.
9. Combine the creamy nut mixture with the leek mixture, add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix gently but thoroughly. (If the mixture is too wet add extra ground nuts.)
10. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Oil a 25cm/10 inch flan dish.
- Home-made pastry: roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Make the circle 2-3 inches bigger than the dish then fit it into the dish and up the sides.
- Ready-made pastry: do the same as home-made.
- Use a knife to trim the edges of the pastry. Cover the entire pastry case with a sheet of greaseproof paper, weigh it down with a handful of dried beans and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
11. Remove the pastry from the oven, then remove the beans and paper. Spoon the filling into the flan case and return to the oven for 30 minutes. If a browner top is required, place under the grill for a few minutes, watching that the almonds don’t burn.
Optional extras / notes
40 minutes if using ready-made pastry, 60-70 if home-made pastry
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