There comes a time in life when we must embrace carrots. I was a late bloomer to carrot eating, much like with potatoes. Carrots were a food I used to only eat raw. Carrot sticks. That's it. Cooked carrots grossed me out for many years. Now, they have become my second favorite vegetable, behind potatoes. But this is not a post about swoon-worthy, awesome potatoes and I won't bore you with my potato obsession yet again. This post is dedicated to carrots. Lovely, soft, slightly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, divine carrots. So let's make a beautiful rainbow carrot tart with leeks and boursin cheese, shall we?
Rainbow Carrots are Back with a Vengeance
When I listen to some of the things I say while I'm filming my recipes, it occurred to me that I talk to food sometimes as if it's people. Right now, I was thinking about how rainbow carrots disappeared during the pandemic (did anyone else notice this?!) and what happened to them? Where did they go? How did they survive? What did they eat while they were on the road for so long? See, to me, it was an army of rainbow carrots trekking through foreign lands, battling other vegetables, vying for growing, cooking and plating time. They struggled through the pandemic just like us. And now they're back and it's all a blur. Did that just happen? Phew! We made it. Rainbow carrots are back with a vengeance and I'm loving every minute of it.
Rainbow Carrot Tart is Best with Puff Pastry
I know we can't eat puff pastry every day. But I do like to make it from time to time because it's so darn convenient and pretty much anything tastes good on top of it. So get yourself a pack of that frozen puff pastry at the grocery store (comes in a pack of two) and make this dreamy tart.
Easy Steps to Making Rainbow Carrot Tart
Comforting Food You Can Enjoy for Lunch or Dinner
When I cook with puff pastry, my mind wants comforting food. I love roasting veggies and cooking them on top of puff pastry. I know a lot of people use puff pastry for desserts, but I usually make savory dishes with it and I love the flaky dough. It's got that light crunch I want and it's warm and comforting. This is a great option to make with leftovers in mind too, because you've got built-in lunches for a couple of days if you're only cooking for one or two. 🙂 It's pointless to waste your hard-earned money on take-out when you can learn how to cook very easily nowadays. There are lots of resources and you've found one of them right here! You can follow my step-by-step videos for all recipes on my site. Happy cooking!
Need More Puff Pastry Ideas or Vegetarian Meals? I Gotcha Covered:
- Puff Pastry TWO WAYS: Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese & Pecan AND Roasted Eggplant, Tomato & Gouda
- Veggie Tart with Leeks & Goat Cheese
- French Bread Pizza with Romesco Sauce & Eggplant
- Tofu & Broccoli Stir Fry with Soy Tahini Sauce
- Coconut Tofu with Crushed Pineapple & Broccolini
- Chickpea Veggie Burgers w/Dill Havarti & Honey Mustard on Homemade Focaccia
Rainbow Carrot Tart with Leeks & Boursin
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Description
Rainbow carrot tart with leeks and Boursin cheese is the answer to every question. It's flaky, crunchy and a carrot lover's dream.
Ingredients
For the carrots:
- 4 cups of carrots, sliced into diagonal rounds (see note#1)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
For the leeks:
- 2 large leeks, sliced into rings (see note#2)
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil (more if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg, beaten with splash of water
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (dried thyme works too)
- 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry (they come two in one box)
- 1 5.2-ounce container of garlic and herb boursin cheese (divided)
- Olive oil to brush on pastry
Instructions
- Cut the tops and bottom from the carrots, peel them, then slice at a diagonal angle into ¼” ovals. Transfers carrots to a large pan and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside for now.
- Cut the fraggle tops off the end of your leeks. We’re using the white and light green part of the leeks for this. Slice the leeks into ¼” rings and transfer to a large bowl of water. Leeks can be very dirty. Push the leeks down in the water to get rid of dirt and separate some of the rings while cleaning.
- Drain the leeks and transfer to a large pan with olive oil and butter.
- Put both pans on the stove top. The leeks and carrots will take 20 minutes to cook.
- On medium heat, add olive oil and butter to a pan and let it melt. Add the leeks, then stir to coat with the olive oil and butter. Stir these as needed throughout the cooking process (every couple of minutes). Turn heat down a little if needed.
- On medium/high heat toss the carrots around the pan to coat for a minute or two. Spread the carrots evenly across the pan. Then put the lid on and turn heat to low. We’re steaming the carrots for about 20 minutes total. If your flame is too high they will burn.
- At the 10 minute-mark, check the carrots and leeks and give the carrots a stir – make sure to put the lid back on after stirring.
- At 20 minutes leeks and carrots are done. Do a fork test with the carrots to make sure they are tender. Turn the heat off both burners, but leave the lid on the carrots.
- Beat one egg with a splash of water to brush on the pastry before cooking.
- Chop the fresh thyme if you are using. Gently pull the leaves from the stems and dice it down into smaller bits from there.
- Lay out your puff pastry on a large sheet pan (lined with parchment paper if you have, if not just spray some non-stick cooking spray on the bottom of your pan.) Use two sheet pans if you can’t fit both on one. Keep the puff pastry in the refrigerator until you are ready. You should keep the puff pastry as cold as possible before using.
- Brush a little olive oil on the top of the puff pastry, leaving an inch dry for the crust.
- Cut the package of Boursin cheese in half (one for each side). Have a small glass of warm water on hand to dip your spatula in to make spreading the cheese easier. Should only need to dip it once or twice. Spread the cheese leaving an inch of crust around the edges.
- Once the cheese is spread over both puff pastries, spread the leeks across the cheese, then the carrots. I divided the leeks and carrots into two portions – one for each puff pastry.
- Brush the egg wash around the perimeter which will be the crust.
- Take a couple of pinches of fresh thyme and sprinkle on top of each tart. If using dried thyme, 2-3 light shakes should be good. Thyme has a strong flavor so use in moderation.
- Bake the puff pastries in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Ovens are different so be sure to check at the 20-minute mark.
- Let it cool before cutting. You can add another pinch of thyme if you like or use the fresh thyme sprigs to decorate a platter for serving. Add a side salad to make a fuller meal of it! Enjoy!
Equipment
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T-fal Non-Stick Pans (set of 3)
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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- Depending on the size of your carrots you may need one or two bunches or bags. These were really skinny carrots so I bought two bunches and that was enough.
- Leek sizes can vary greatly. I used two very large leeks because that’s what they had at the store. If you can only find small to medium leeks use 3-4 of those.
- Puff pastry is sold frozen. Put it in the refrigerator the night before using so it can defrost.
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