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1 hour 15 minutes
Cheese Tart with Baby Greens and Leeks is French-inspired and perfect for a lovely lunch, brunch, light supper or whenever you need all your meal bases covered.
A tart or quiche is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or light supper. The possibilities are practically endless because it can be filled with almost anything on hand, making it a flexible option when you need to have your meal bases covered.
What is the difference between a quiche and a tart?
There are minor differences between quiches and tarts:
- Quiches are always savory, while tarts can be sweet or savory.
- Quiches are baked in deep pans, while tarts are baked in shallow pans that typically have removable bottoms.
- Both have only a bottom crust.
Tips for making Cheese Tart with Baby Greens and Leeks:
This savory Spring Green, Leek and Gruyere Tart features baby greens that are best in spring but available year-round, and leeks, which start in spring and go into fall.
- Any sturdy baby green such as mustard, spinach, arugula, kale or chard will work in this dish. However, don’t confuse baby greens with baby lettuces or spring mix; they won’t work in this dish.
- Leeks can contain dirt hidden between their layers. After slicing, place in a bowl of water. Gently move them around so dirt can fall to the bottom. Let them settle a bit, then carefully remove with a slotted spoon or sieve.
- Gruyere cheese has a lovely, nutty flavor, but it can be pricey. Feel free to use a cheese that fits your budget. Swiss and white cheddar are good alternatives.
Tips for blind baking a crust:
Whether you make your crust from scratch or use a purchased refrigerated crust, it will require blind baking before filling.
- Start with a chilled crust
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough.
- Fill with pie weights, dried beans, rice or lentils. Pie weights come at a cost, so I like to recycle dried beans, rice or lentils that have gone beyond their “use by” date. You don't however, want to reuse them in a bean, rice or lentil dish as they won't cook properly.
Enjoy!
More quiche and tart recipes you'll love:
- Butternut Squash, Leek and Gruyere Tart
- Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart with Thyme
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart with Herbed Ricotta
- Asparagus Prosciutto and Fontina Tortino
- Tomato Ricotta Tart with Basil Pesto
- Asparagus, Spring Onion and Fontina Tart
Cheese Tart with Baby Greens and Leeks
Cheese Tart with Baby Greens and Leeks is French-inspired and perfect for a lovely lunch, brunch, light supper or whenever you need your meal bases covered.
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter - cut into small pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch sugar
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons ice water - or as needed
- Cooking spray
Filling for Tart
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium leeks - white and light green part only, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 heaping cup)
- 1 container (5-ounce) baby greens - such as spinach or kale
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half - scant
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine butter, flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Process until the mixture is crumbly.
- With the food processor running, add ice water by the tablespoon until the dough just holds together.
- Spray a 9-inch tart pan (with removable bottom) with cooking spray. Press the dough evenly into the tart pan and up the sides. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with pie weights, beans or rice.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is set and light gold in color. Let cool. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
Filling for Tart
- Heat butter and oil in a small saute pan. Add the leeks and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until very soft. Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent the leeks from drying out and burning.
- Add the greens and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until greens are wilted. Let cool. Stir in Gruyere cheese.
- In a small bowl, beat eggs until blended. Whisk in half-and-half, salt and black pepper.
- Spread leek, greens and cheese mixture evenly over the crust.
- Pour in the egg mixture. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the center of tart is firm to the touch. Let cool slightly, then cut into pieces and serve.
Notes
FREEZER-FRIENDLY: Cool thoroughly, cut into quarters or wedges and place in an airtight container. Freeze for 2-3 months.
REHEATING: Cut into wedges. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 413mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1060IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 1mg
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
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