This incredibly tasty leek tart makes the perfect accompaniment to a summer salad and is delicious hot or cold.
Stuffed with big bold flavours, this tart is hearty and pure comfort food. So, when it comes to easy lunch recipes that the whole family will love, this vegetarian leek tart ticks all the boxes.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It's creamy and delicious!
- It's the perfect summer tart to serve with a salad
- You can also serve it as a side dish
- You can serve warm or cold – both are equally delicious
Equipment needed to make this recipe
There are a few important kitchen items you'll need for this leek tart recipe:
- 25cm(10 inch) flan dish – the base for your tasty tart
- Rolling pin – you'll need this to roll your pastry
- Baking beans – use these for the best pastry
- Large frying pan – essential to cook up your leeks
How to make this recipe
Line the tart tin with pastry.
Blind bake the pastry case.
Cook the leek filling. Wait for it to cool a bit.
Fill the pastry case with the leek filling.
Drown the leeks in cream and eggs. Bake.
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Fresh out of the oven. Wait for it to cool slightly before serving.
Top Tips
- Make sure your pastry is at room temperature – remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking
- Use plenty of flour on the surface and on the rolling pin when you're rolling out your pastry
What to serve with leek tart
Serve this leek tart with your favourite summer salad for an elegant lunch.
Popular substitutions for this recipe
You can substitute olive oil for butter when frying the leeks, but I prefer the taste of leeks fried in butter
Variations for this recipe
- You can add a sprinkling of nutmeg to the leek filling to give the tart a different dimension
- Sprinkle grated cheese into the filling mixture for extra richness. I recommend something like gruyere or cheddar
- Add fresh thyme for a delicious earthy herbal element
Do I need to blind bake the pastry?
Yes, you do. Blind baking helps to firm up your shortcrust pastry base. This is essential with tarts and pies that are particularly creamy, otherwise your pastry will end up soggy on the bottom.
I did not use baking beads or weights to blind bake the pastry as the idea is to dry out the bottom of the crust.
How do you store this leek tart?
If you want to make it ahead of time or store any leftovers, allow it to cool completely, before placing it in an airtight container. Then keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can it be frozen?
Yes! This tart freezes very well. You can freeze it whole, but I recommend freezing it in individual portions, especially if you're not going to eat it in one go.
How do you defrost it?
To defrost your tart, transfer it from your freezer to your fridge and leave it overnight.
Can I use homemade pastry?
Yes! For best results, use homemade pastry. You won’t need as much though, so 450g (1lb) will do. To make your own pastry, you'll need unsalted butter, flour, an egg yolk and a splash of ICE water. I recommend using a food processor to pulse the flour and butter together.
In this recipe I used ready-made shortcrust pastry, which weighed 640g (23oz). In the USA it’s known as pie crust and can be bought frozen or chilled. Pillsbury’s box of 2 pie crusts will do the trick.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I recommend using unsalted butter, as you can better control the saltiness of your creamy leek filling.
More lovely leek recipes
If, like me, you can't get enough out this wonderful vegetable, you'll be pleased to know that I've got a load of luscious leek recipes for you:
- Creamed leeks – a super simple recipe that is the perfect side dish for your Sunday roast
- Zucchini and leek soup – a wonderfully warming winter soup that's healthy, rich in flavour and very easy to make
- Leek and onion soup – another delicious vegan soup with plenty of flavour, plus it's very good for you
- Chicken and leek pasta bake – comfort food at its best. This is a dish that will please the whole family. It's very easy to make and is all cooked in one tray, saving on washing up! Perfect for busy families when you need something simple and tasty
📖 Recipe
Creamy Leek Tart Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This creamy leek tart is a classic French recipe made with pastry, leeks, eggs and cream. Best when the short crust pastry and the tart has a beautiful golden top. Serve with your favourite salad.
Ingredients
- 2 (320g) JusRol shortcrust pastry sheets
- 1.5kg (3.3lbs) leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
- 50g (2 oz) butter
- salt and pepper
- 5 egg yolks
- 500ml (2 cups) double [heavy] cream
Instructions
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and line a 25 x 5cm (10 x 2 inch) flan dish. Chill for at least 20 minutes, and then lightly prick the base with a fork.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/400°F/gas 6). Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up in the meantime.
- Cover the pastry with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Place the tart tin on the baking sheet and bake blind for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Place the baking sheet back in the oven.
- Meanwhile, chop the leeks and melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the leeks and stir to coat in butter. Cover and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until very soft, but not coloured. Season well. Set aside and cool.
- Beat the egg yolks and cream together, adding a little nutmeg if you like. Spread the leeks in the pastry case and pour over the egg and cream mixture.
- Bake in the oven at 200°C (fan 180°C/400°F/gas 6) for 15 minutes then lower the oven setting to 190°C (fan 170°C/375°F/gas 5) and bake for a further 30-35 minutes, or until set and browned on top.
- Serve with a fresh, green salad and new potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- In this recipe I used ready-made shortcrust pastry, which weighed 640g (23oz). In the USA it’s known as pie crust and can be bought frozen or chilled. Pillsbury’s box of 2 pie crusts will do the trick.
- After you’ve trimmed the excess shortcrust pastry, you will be left with approximately 200g (7oz) raw pastry. Feel free to make other things with it, or even create mini leek pies!
- For best results, use homemade pastry. You won’t need as much though, so 450g (1lb) will do.
- You can add a sprinkling of nutmeg to the leek filling to give the tart a different dimension.
- This tart is best served as an accompaniment to a main meal.
- You can use a loose-bottomed flan dish if you like.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 484
- Sugar: 18.2 g
- Sodium: 507.6 mg
- Fat: 27.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.7 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 7.1 g
- Cholesterol: 162.6 mg
Renil M. George
we can eat this in any festival, great.
Michelle
Pickieeater: Thanks for the feedback! It sounds like you had a fantastic Christmas meal. 😉
Pickieater
I made this tart as part of xmas dinner, it was perfect, easy recipe so easy and it looks and smells sooo good, I was shocked that something so good can be soo easy, it was very impressive
Michelle
Jeanne: Luckily we do have the space, but it's no fun when things start breaking all at once and money needs to be spent elsewhere. 🙁 We're in the process of getting the oven fixed, so in a few months we'll look into a KitchenAid again. As for souttert, I can't wait to start experimenting with them. Now that is if we actually have a working oven. Going topless was great fun. Think of more naughty stuff in the future!
Susan & Anh: Thanks, guys. Comments like yours really spurs my motivation to keep posting as much as possible while maintaining good quality. 🙂
Anh
Amazing indeed! Also from Jeann's round up. I am glad to discover your lovely blog.
Susan from Food Blogga
Hi Michelle,
Found you from Jeanne's round-up and so glad I did. You have a lovely blog here. -Susan
Jeanne
Oh, trust me, I hear you about yearning for a KitchenAid. I could even justify the expense... but I simply don't have the space in the kitchen. It's either the KitchenAid or the sink! But we soldier on... My mom used to make souttert, long before I could even pronounce quiche - and I loved it! Thanks for bringing back childhood memories and what fab pictures. Thanks also for daring to go topless - if this were Scope there would probably be little black stars pasted on the entries :o)