This Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart is a classic for a reason. The flavor combination of rich and sweet caramelized onions with tangy goat cheese on a flaky and buttery crust works incredibly well.
Sometimes the classics really hit home. That's what this recipe for a simple caramelized onion and goat cheese tart reminds me. This was a holiday staple of many Thanksgiving and Christmas meals growing up. Whether it was my mom making it for Christmas brunch or my uncle putting out thin slices of the onion tart as appetizers for Thanksgiving, I feel like I've had this tart (or something similar to it) for my whole life.
So is there a way to improve upon such a classic? Sure, but instead of making sweeping changes to the tart itself (like adding drizzles of reduced vinegars or foams and such), I think the best resource is just a solid recipe with a straight-forward tutorial. And that's just what I have in the post below.
If you are looking for more appetizers perfect for a holiday meal, check out our Tuna Croquettes with Homemade Tartar Sauce or our Smoked Trout Tartines with Crispy Capers recipes, both solid starters with full tutorials on how to make them.
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Ingredients that Matter
With very few ingredients, it's important to make them all count! Have a look below at the ingredients that make up this recipe and why they are all so important:
- Onions. It wouldn't be a caramelized onion tart without the, ahem, onions! We are using a full 2 pounds of yellow onions (most grocery stores sell 2 pound bags of onions). You can, of course, use a sweet onion, or even red onions, to make caramelized onions, but I figure those verities aren't always available. Yellow onions are! Try to find medium sized onions (about 6 ounces each), just to make more uniform slices.
- Goat Cheese. Like the onions, you need goat cheese to make a caramelized onion and goat cheese tart. But unlike the onions, you actually have some flexibility here. Don't like goat cheese? You could use crumbled blue cheese instead. Heck, you could even use cream cheese, though it will taste quite different. I recommend buying a log of goat cheese and crumble it yourself to ensure the goat cheese is as fresh as possible.
- Puff Pastry. This recipe uses one sheet (from a 17 ounce package) of puff pastry. I used the Pepperidge Farms frozen puff pastry sheets, but you can certainly use another brand, if available. Puff pastry needs to stay cold, so if you need to make this tart ahead for any reason, be sure to store it in the refrigerator before baking.
- Olive Oil & Butter. Both olive oil and butter are used to cook the onions. There is only 1 tablespoon of each (which may not seem like enough when you first start cooking the onions, but trust me, there's plenty of fat!). You could just use olive oil (be sure to use 2 tablespoons, then), but I like to add butter to my caramelized to really drive home that rich, velvety texture.
- Thyme. The classic herb flavor for this tart is fresh thyme. I add thyme to the onions as they caramelize and on top of the tart before it bakes to provide that lemony herb flavor throughout the tart.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
this recipe is quite simple, but there are some important steps not to overlook. Here is how the recipes comes together:
Start by thinly slicing 2 pounds of yellow onions. You want about ¼-inch thick slices, though thickness only really matter for evenness of cooking. While you are at it, remove the leaves from the thyme and roughly chop.
Add to a large skillet (with a lid), Dutch oven or large saucepan the olive oil, butter, sliced onions, salt and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. Turn heat to medium and immediately cover. Cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and stir. Reduce heat to medium-low (to prevent scorching) and continue to cook with the lid until the onions are golden grown, another 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown and very tender, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool at room temperature for at least 5 minutes. Or, make the onions ahead up to 3 days and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 10- by 12-inch rectangle. Be sure the puff pastry is cold while you work with it. If you need to walk away at any point, transfer the pastry to the refrigerator and remove when ready to proceed.
Dot the pastry all over with a fork, leaving a 1inch border around the edges. At this point, you can brush the border with an egg wash, if desired.
Place caramelized onions on the pastry in an even layer, being sure to leave a 1-inch border.
Evenly sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the onions then sprinkle the goat cheese with remaining thyme and black pepper, if desired. Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 375F and bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is starting to brown, 25-30 minutes.
Remove tart from the oven and cool at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with microgreens, herbs or arugula, if desired.
Hint: So what's the deal with cooking the onions with a lid on the skillet? This is one of the easiest ways to make caramelized onions! Cooking the onions over a moderate heat with just a little fat allows and with a lid allows the moisture from the onions to condense on the lid, then fall back to the pan and keep the onions moist and prevent burning. The trick is to NOT cook the onions at too high of a heat. But by cooking the onions with a lid on, you are free to do other things in the kitchen!
Substitutions and Additions
You can make some simple substitutions and additions to this recipe, based on your dietary restrictions and flavor preferences:
- Goat Cheese - Not a fan of goat cheese? You can instead use crumbled blue cheese, grated parmesan or even cream cheese (though note that all of these will definitely provide a different flavor compared to goat cheese).
- Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms - Try adding mushrooms to the caramelized onions! Our recipe for Easy Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions works so well for this onion tart! Give it a try
- Herbs - If you want to really up the flavor profile of this recipe, try using more fresh herbs like sage and rosemary in the onions. Or, finish the tart with fresh parsley, tarragon or chives.
- Drizzle - Try adding a drizzle of balsamic or pomegranate molasses to the tart. You can even use honey, hot honey or maple syrup for a sweet kick of flavor.
- Toppings - In addition to fresh herbs, the tart tastes great with fresh arugula, baby greens, microgreens or even sprouts.
Equipment
This recipe calls for a baking sheet like this Nordic Ware 3 Piece Baker's Delight Set. You will also want a large skillet with a lid like this Cuisinart Contour Stainless 12-Inch Skillet with lid or even a braiser pan like this Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser (a personal favorite!).
Storage and Make-Ahead
You can store leftovers of this onion and goat cheese tart in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (longer is fine, but it will likely get soggy). You can enjoy leftovers right out of the fridge with a side salad for a quick lunch, or reheat in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes if you want it hot.
To make ahead, caramelize the onions up to 3-4 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can even roll the puff pastry to the 10- by 12-inch rectangle up to 1 days ahead. Just be sure to loosely cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. I don't recommend assembling the tart ahead of time and storing it in the refrigerator, at least not more than 12 hours ahead of time.
Need some more holiday recipes? Try this Roasted Honeynut Squash with Maple Pecans and Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese for starters or sides, and Brioche French Toast Casserole and Chocolate Baked Oatmeal for morning-after breakfast or brunch.
FAQ
You can make caramelized onions with any onion, like yellow, red, sweet or even shallots. A sweet onion, like Vidalia, will produce sweeter caramelized onions, but even yellow onions will get very sweet when caramelized.
The unique creamy texture and grass-like tang of goat cheese is very unique, but if you need to make a substitution you can use cream cheese, feta cheese or even blue cheese.
More Appetizers
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Recipe
Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 tart 1x
Description
This Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart is a classic for a reason. The flavor combination of rich and sweet caramelized onions with tangy goat cheese on a flaky and buttery crust works incredibly well.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced (about ¼-inch thick)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme, divided
- ½ tsp. table salt
- 1 pinch black pepper, if desired
- 1 sheet puff pastry (from 1 17-oz. package frozen puff pastry sheets)
- flour for dusting
- 8 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
- arugula, microgreens or fresh herbs, for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Add onions, oil, butter, 1 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper to a large skillet with a lid (or a Dutch oven or large saucepan with a lid). Turn on heat to medium and place lid on skillet. Cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes, then stir and reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, with the lid on, until the onions are golden grown, stirring every 10 minutes. This will take about 20-30 minutes more. Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown and very tender, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll puff pastry to a 10- by 12-inch rectangle Transfer to prepared baking sheet and dot with a fork, leaving a 1-inch border. Top pastry evenly with onions, leaving a 1-inch border, then top evenly with crumbled goat cheese and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme.Â
- Transfer baking sheet to oven and immediately reduce temperature to 375F. Cook until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is starting to brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with more fresh herbs, microgreens or arugula.
Notes
- Be sure to keep the puff pastry cold as you work with it. If you need to walk away from it at any point, transfer to the refrigerator.
- You can make the caramelized onions up to 3 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.Â
- You can even roll out the pastry up to 1 day ahead of time and store loosely covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
- You can also garnish with reduced balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses, honey or hot honey.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American/French
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