Easy caramelised red onion and goats cheese tarts

Caramelised red onion and goats cheese tart
Easy caramelised red onion and goats cheese tarts

These easy caramelised red onion and goats cheese tarts have just six ingredients and take very little culinary skill to make – meaning they’re perfect for a dinner party starter or as part of a weeknight meal. I threw them together for a Sunday lunch starter and they were light enough that we all had room for a full roast AND pumpkin pie afterwards. If I were to do it again, I’d serve the tarts with some fresh pea shoots, watercress, or rocket. If you make them as part of a main, it would go brilliantly with some steamed new potatoes and some fresh green veggies – tenderstem broccoli perhaps, or some garden peas.

For six tarts, you need:

  • One packet of pre-rolled ready made puff pastry
  • 4-5 large red onions
  • A glug of rapeseed (vegetable) oil
  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 125g goats cheese (in a small log shape)
  • 1 egg

What to do:

  1. Cut our onions in half and finely slice so you end up with lots of C shaped strips. Break them up so they’re not all stuck together.
  2. Pop a glug of oil in a medium size saucepan and add the onions. Give them a really good stir so they’re evenly coated in the oil. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly for 5 minutes until they start to take on a bit of colour. Now turn the heat down and let them cook until soft and translucent. Caramelising onions can take around 45 mins on low heat and it’s important not to rush them. Stir every five minutes or so and make sure the heat isn’t high enough to burn them.
  3. After 30 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 15 minutes until all the liquid is gone and the onions look dark and sweet. The volume will have drastically reduced as you’ve cooked them down. Take them off the heat and leave them to cool.
  4. Next, pre-heat your oven to 200ºc (400F or gas mark 6).
  5. Unroll the puff pastry and cut into six equal squares/rectangles. It’s easiest to do this with scissors and works best if you leave the baking parchment attached to each piece. Arrange them on foil covered baking trays.
  6. Spoon some of the balsamic caramelised onions onto the centre of each square, distributing evenly and leaving a decent gap around the edge for the pastry to puff up.
  7. Slice the goats cheese equally into six discs and lay them on top of the onions.
  8. Next, beat the egg into a mug and paint onto the edges of the pastry. This will give it a lovely golden colour.
  9. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the edges are a lovely golden brown. Check the bottom isn’t soggy by carefully lifting one and taking a peek underneath.
  10. Serve on its own or with some fresh baby leaves. Or if serving as a main, serve with new potatoes and veggies. They are best served hot or warm, though they can also be eaten cold as part of a picnic!

Enjoy!

Caramelised red onion and goats cheese tart
Easy caramelised red onion and goats cheese tarts

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