Kale and Cauliflower Tart with a Cheddar Crust

A cauliflower and kale tart with a cheddar cheese crust, topped with roasted tomatoes and cheese.

5 from 1 vote

Kale and Cauliflower Tart with a Cheddar Crust

A roasted cauliflower, caramelized onion and sautéed kale tart, topped with roasted tomatoes and cheese. It's all baked in a cheddar cheese crust. (The estimated time to make this assumes caramelizing the onions and roasting the cauliflower and tomatoes while the crust chills in the refrigerator. )

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

chilling the crust30

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Main

Keyword: cauliflower tart

Servings:

Calories: 617.8kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Ingredients

Cheddar Crust

10 ounces all-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
1 ½ ounces cheddar cheese grated
8 ounces unsalted butter very cold, sliced into ¼″ sections
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons ice water or more for the dough to come together

Tart Filling

1 cauliflower cut with florets separated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 medium tomatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ red onions peeled, quartered, thinly sliced
4 cups sliced Dinosaur or lacinato kale leaves with the central stem removed
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
¼ cup cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cheddar Crust

Place the flour, salt, cayenne and cheddar cheese into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to distribute all the ingredients into the flour.
Add the butter all at once and pulse about 10 times until the butter is the size of small peas.
Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water and pulse a few times. Test the dough by pinching it. If it sticks together well when pinched, you’ve added enough water. If not, add additional water. For me in making this crust, it took three tablespoons, but sometimes it’s taken four.
Dump the dough mixture, including loose flour, onto a work area.
Heap the dough and flour together, and smear the dough (and loose flour) away from you, using the palm of your hand. Repeat 2 more times, and incorporate all the loose flour into the dough.
Pro-tip: This technique is called fraisage, and is a classic French technique to create layers of a buttery crust. See photos and a more detailed explanation in my post on making a fool-proof crust.
Form into two disks of equal size using your fingers (this crust recipe is enough for two tarts or pies). Wrap in wax paper or plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out to ⅛″ thickness between two pieces of wax paper. Place in a tart shell or pie plate, and peel off the wax paper. Chill until you’re ready to bake.
Pro-tip: Rolling dough between sheets of wax paper making rolling out a dough so much faster and easier. It also requires add much less flour to the dough and rolling pin while you roll it out. All of this contributes greatly to a tender crust.

Tart Filling

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a heavy sauté pan with the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the red onions and sauté until very limp.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until caramelized, stirring periodically. This will take around 40 minutes, and is well worth the extra time to do. Remove onions and set aside.
While the onions caramelize, toss the cauliflower florets in 1 tablespoon olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Arrange on the first prepared baking sheet.
Slice tomatoes in thick slices, horizontally. Toss in the remaining tablespoon olive oil, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place on the second baking sheet.
Roast until the cauliflower is tender and the tomatoes are slightly dried and puckered (about 15 - 20 minutes). (Alternatively, roast the cauliflower in the air fryer set at 400˚F for 7 - 10 minutes.)
Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 375° F.
Add the orange juice to the sauté pan, and scrape up the bits of caramelized onion.
Add the kale, and a light sprinkling of cayenne, salt and pepper. When the kale becomes limp, add the caramelized onions and roasted cauliflower. Toss to combine.
Remove the unbaked pie crust from the refrigerator, and place it on a baking sheet. Fill the shell with the kale mixture. Arrange the tomatoes on top, and finish with the cheddar cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the 375˚F oven, or until the crust is a golden brown and the cheese on top is melted. Serve warm.

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