Vegan Asparagus Tart
This vegan asparagus tart features flaky puff pastry, homemade cashew cream cheese, and perfectly tender asparagus! It's garlicky and rustic and can be served as an appetizer or as a main with a green salad.
Ingredients
Cashew Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp white miso
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 tsp vinegar
The Rest
- 12 ounces green asparagus spears
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 9-ounce vegan puff pastry
- For topping: lemon zest and toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Make the cashew cream cheese. Add the raw cashews, water, nutritional yeast, garlic, miso, sugar, and vinegar to a high-speed blender. Blend for 15-30 seconds or until the cream is smooth and thick. At this point, taste it and adjust the saltiness to your liking.
- Preheat your oven to
350 °F (175°C). - Clean and trim the asparagus spears. Start by washing the asparagus spears under cold water. Next, drain them and transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels. Pat them dry. Using a sharp knife, trim off about 1-inch (2.5cm) from the bottom of the spears. You want to get rid of the pale green or white parts. Note: For information, my asparagus spears were about 9 inches long (23cm) after trimming.
- Season them. Next, transfer the asparagus spears to a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Season with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss the asparagus spears to coat them with the oil and seasonings. Set aside.
- Prepare the puff pastry. Unroll your sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet and slice it into a rectangle of about 11×10-inch (28x25cm). Quick tip: Make sure that the puff pastry rectangle you use is at least 2 inches longer than the length of your asparagus spears. This will give you a border of approximately 1 inch all around the tart.
- Score and prick the pastry. Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch (2.5cm) border all around the rectangle of puff pastry. Do not cut through it, though. It should only be a shallow cut. Next, poke the puff pastry (except the border) all over using a fork.
- Brush the border. While optional, I like to brush the edges of the puff pastry with sweetened almond milk. This helps create a shinier, more golden-brown appearance.
- Spread the cashew cream. Spread the cashew cream into a thick layer over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides.
- Arrange the asparagus spears. Top the cashew cream filling with the asparagus spears, arranging them tightly into an even layer.
- Bake. Finally, bake the tart for 20-25 minutes, or until the asparagus spears are tender and the puff pastry is flaky and golden brown.
- You can store this asparagus tart for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use store-bought cream cheese. If you want to save time or don't want to bother making your own cashew cream cheese, feel free to use store-bought vegan cream cheese. If using plain cream cheese, season it with salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
- Alternate the asparagus. For a more symmetric appearance, alternate the ends and tips of the asparagus spears.
- Adjust the baking time. I used a thin puff pastry and medium-size asparagus and baked the tart for 25 minutes. The puff pastry was golden brown, and the asparagus spears were tender without being overcooked. Depending on the thickness of your asparagus and puff pastry, you might have to adjust the baking time. Keep an eye on it and test the doneness by piercing the asparagus with a thin knife. They should be tender but not mushy.