Celebrate World Vegetarian Day with this Mixed Mushroom Tart Recipe

October is the perfect month to celebrate the joys of plant-based eating, especially with World Vegetarian Day just a few days ago on the 1st of October!

Compared to meat-based diets, vegetarian meals offer a host of benefits: they tend to be lower in calories and saturated fat, while packing more fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

But perhaps the biggest reason to embrace veggies is their potential to help you live longer.

• Studies show that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, and legumes can lower the risk of major diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and kidney problems.

Need a little incentive to give it a try? We’ve got just the thing—this irresistible Mixed Mushroom Tart recipe! Easy to make and full of flavor, it’s a delicious way to start adding more plant-based meals to your week. Try it for one day—starting October 4—and you might find yourself hooked! Check out the recipe below and get cooking!

Mixed Mushroom Tart

(Vegetarian) / Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 250g flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 125g cold butter, cubed
• 1 egg yolk
• ± 2 Tbsp ice cold water

Filling:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 500g mixed white button and portabellini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 125g mascarpone
• 60g cheddar cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Special equipment:

• 36 x 13 cm fluted, rectangular tart tin

Method:

For the pastry:

1. Add flour, salt and butter to a food processor.
2. Pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Add the egg yolk and gradually pulse in the cold water until the dough starts to come together.

Then: 

1. Tip pastry onto a clean work surface and bring together into a rough rectangle.
2. Wrap well in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
4. Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured work surface.
5. Line the tart case with the pastry, pressing well into the flutes.
6. Trim the excess off the edges and prick the base all over with a fork.
7. Chill again for 10-15 minutes.
8. Fill the tart shell with baking paper, overlapping the sides and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice.
9. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the beans and bake again for 10 minutes until the pastry is crisp.
10. While the pastry shell is baking, prepare the filling.
11. Heat the olive oil and butter together in a large frying pan.
12. Cook the shallots until soft.
13. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown and they have released all their liquid.
14. They will make the tart soggy if watery so don’t rush this step.
15. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant.
16. Season lightly and scrape into a bowl.
17. In another small bowl whisk together the eggs, mascarpone and cheddar.
18. Season lightly.
19. Add egg mixture to the mushroom bowl and mix well.
20. Scrape filling into blind baked tart shell.
21. Bake again for 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving with a green side salad. Enjoy!