This caramelized root vegetable tarte tatin with feta is a great way to use up your winter vegetables in an audacious recipe. It features parsnips, carrots and shallots, caramelized in a subtle balsamic reduction and added to an inverted crust. Sprinkle some feta cheese, garnish with fresh thyme, and enjoy!
We all know about Apple Tarte Tatin as a dessert, but have you ever tried a savory tarte tatin? This inverted tart elevates your savory pie or quiche game in the most elegant way, bringing some sweet caramelized notes to the dish. Also, and despite what you may think, it’s pretty simple and straightforward to assemble, whether you go for a puff pastry or homemade pie crust.
So after the wide success of my Red Onion and Goat Cheese Tarte Tatin, I’m back with another savory version you are going to love just as much. Parsnips, carrots and shallots are the stars of this new tarte tatin recipe that is packed with comforting flavors. Easy to make for any occasion, I’m confident it will soon become a favorite in your house too!
Ingredients you need for this recipe:
- Root vegetables. For this recipe I use a trio of parsnips, carrots and shallots. These 3 ingredients combined together bring an interesting mix of sweet and stronger flavors. I find shallots more subtle than red onions but the latter would do too.
- Feta cheese. I like the salty flavors brought by the feta, contrasting with the sweet, caramelized root vegetables. Just delicious. Instead of feta, you could use fresh goat cheese, and for a milder flavor ricotta would do too.
- Balsamic vinegar. Combined with the sugar, it brings a sweet caramelized touch to the root vegetables.
- Thyme. Fresh herbs definitely add a little something to this root vegetable tarte tatin. Fresh rosemary or basil could also work well, though the flavors would of course be different.
- Puff pastry or pie crust. Both options are possible to make this savory tarte tatin. Just go for your favorite one!
The process to caramelizing root vegetables
First of all, make sure you use small or medium-size vegetables (avoid large ones!) that are more or less the same size, and cut them lengthwise. If you have larger pieces, you may need to cut them one more time. The shallots can be cut in half or quarter, depending on their size.
Then, the process used to caramelize the winter vegetables comes in two parts. Start with the balsamic reduction over the stove, that helps to soften the vegetables and bring some deep and sweet caramelized flavors to the veggies. Once in the oven, the root vegetables trapped in between the crust and the dish will become fork tender and continue their caramelization.
Puff pastry vs butter pie crust
In short, both options work just fine for a tarte tatin. If you go for ready-to-use puff pastry, expect a light, crispy and flaky texture upon baking. If however you go for a butter pie crust, you will have a more crusty and dense texture. For the latter option (which is my favorite), I recommend you use a homemade pie crust that is thicker, stronger and more filling.
Baking tips for tarte tatin:
- Always start with placing the veggies, face down, in the bottom of the dish. Display them in the baking dish in a lovely pattern (thinking that you will then invert the dish), then pour the balsamic sauce over and cover with the pie crust.
- Don’t forget to make a flew slits in the dough with a sharp knife after you’ve placed it over the vegetables, in order to enable the steam to escape while baking.
- Bake until the caramel underneath the crust is browning and starts bubbling and the crust becomes slightly golden.
How to successfully invert tarte tatin?
What people fear the most when it comes to homemade tarte tatin is how to invert it properly without destroying the whole thing. Don’t panic, it’s way easier than you think. If you’re a beginner, I highly recommend you use a nonstick pie dish (such as a ceramic one) to make sure caramel doesn’t stick to the bottom. Once your tarte tatin is baked, let it cool down in the dish for 5 minutes, then place a large plate on top and invert it all at once. And voilà!
What if my veggies are stuck to the bottom of the pan? Depending on the caramelization and/or the dish you use, there is a chance your tart won’t invert properly at once and you end up with a few vegetables stuck at the bottom of the pan. Don’t panic, and simply remove them with a spatula before adding them back, face up, to the missing holes on top of the pie. Garnish with extra feta cheese, fresh thyme, and no one will notice anything!
Other root vegetable recipes:
- Maple Roasted Root Vegetables with Parsnip Puree
- Roasted Root Vegetables with Feta and Honey
- Celeriac and Parsnip Soup with Savory Granola
- Cauliflower and Parsnip Hazelnut Crumble
Tarte tatin for dessert, anyone?
Caramelized Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin with Feta
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Savory
- Diet: Vegetarian
This caramelized root vegetable tarte tatin with feta is a great way to use up your winter vegetables in an audacious recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ready-rolled puff pastry (or butter pie crust)*
- 3 medium parsnips, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 small carrots, cut in half lengthwise
- 4 shallots, halved
- ¼ cup (50g) unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3.5 ounces (100g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (+ extra for serving)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 12-inch (30 cm) tart dish with butter. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan placed over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the shallots, and gently stir-fry for about 5 minutes, turning from time to time until just beginning to brown.
- Add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, and cook for a further 5 minutes, moving and shaking the pan occasionally so the shallots do not stick to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the halved parsnips and carrots to the bottom of the tart dish, face down, so they make a pretty pattern when you will later invert the tart. Add the caramelized shallots in the remaining holes, then pour the balsamic reduction over the vegetables.
- Add feta cheese on top and sprinkle fresh thyme all over.
- Lift the crust over the filling and tuck down the sides of the dish. Make two small slits for the steam to escape.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is well risen. Leave to stand for five minutes. Cover the dish with a plate, invert, then remove the dish, leaving the tart now on the plate. Sprinkle additional black pepper and serve warm, with a side of lettuce.
Notes
* For homemade pie crust you will need 3.5 ounces (100g) diced unsalted butter, 1 ⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour, 1 pinch of salt, 5 Tablespoons cold water. Mix all the ingredients until they stick together and form a ball. Roll out the dough into a large disk, leaving a border a little larger than the tart dish.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Caramelized Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin with Feta, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
This recipe was originally created and developed for my partner Peugeot Saveurs recipe website.
