This sweet baby bell pepper and cherry tomato tart has an almond flour crust and cashew cheese spread. Vegan, clean and totally delicious, it’s worthy of a special event or a quiet evening at home.
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If there is one ingredient that always makes its way into my food, I’m pretty sure it is tomatoes. I tend to make very acidic dishes. My best friend pointed that out one time and I was briefly offended, like it was some sort of insult, but then I thought about how true it is, and I have embraced it ever since.
I mean, I wouldn’t even call tomatoes one of my favorite foods which makes their constant presence in my cooking a little confusing. As I sit here and ruminate on what it is that draws me to them so often, I think it’s their ever changeability. It’s their ability to bring different levels of flavor to anything you make. Fresh, roasted, pureed, paste, dried…ketchup. And all of them have their own unique flavor. There isn’t just one tomato flavor, there are many. It just seems to me that there is usually a place for some form of tomato in so many dishes.
Considering this post has turned into a love letter to tomatoes, I decided to compose a Haiku devoted to these dear, beloved fruits.
Many ways you have
To tingle my taste buds, so
I’ll choose you always
There are a few steps to this Sweet Pepper + Tomato Tart, but they are all incredibly simple. If you have some time where you can relax, pour yourself a glass of wine, and not be rushed, this will be an absolute pleasure to make. I don’t make many recipes like this where I get to really work with my hands and use my creativity to make something beautiful, so it was a nice change of pace for me. So many of my recipes these days are focused on being family friendly and on the table in as little time as possible, and we definitely need those recipes, but there is a time and place for something delicate and pretty like this, too.
If you notice a difference in the crust between what mine looks like and what yours looks like, it’s because I used almond meal instead of almond flour. That made the crust too crumbly. You will get a much more cohesive crust by using almond flour.
Make sure you let this Sweet Pepper + Tomato Tart cool completely, even chill in the fridge, before you cut and serve it. It’s meant to be left out as an appetizer, eaten for lunch the next day or made ahead so that you can take it with you as a dinner party contribution. The crust needs to cool or it will fall apart on you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you 😉
These tart pans are all great options. The rectangle one would make a beautiful presentation.
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PRO TIP 1
I like to use roasted cashews instead of raw cashews, which most recipes call for. You will get a better flavor with the roasted cashews.
PRO TIP 2
If you don’t have time to soak your cashews overnight, all you have to do is boil them for 15 minutes! They soften right up and are ready to blend.
 Do you have a favorite flavor, a signature ingredient, that shows up in a lot of what you cook? Maybe you haven’t ever thought about it but now that you are, you are noticing that you use a certain something quite a bit. What is it? Tell me in the comments. Don’t shy away from it. You love it for a reason, so now challenge yourself to build on its flavors, transform them, and see what you can come up with that is new while using the same flavors you’ve grown to love!
This Low Carb Pie Crust was the inspiration for my almond flour crust used in this recipe.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup roasted cashews boiled* or soaked overnight
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon raw, shelled hemp seeds
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, about half a large lemon
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6-7 sweet baby bell peppers, depending on size
- 12-14 cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, halved
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin strips
- Salt & Pepper for finishing
- Extra Virgin olive oil for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine all of your ingredients for the crust into a bowl and mix until is is combined.
- Pour the crust into a tart pan (or you could use a springform pan) and use your hands to gently spread the crust out evenly, then press down very firmly until it is packed down and even. You could use the bottom of a glass to help you pack it down tight.
- Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, until it starts to take on a light golden color. Remove and let it cool.
- Turn your oven up to 350 degrees.
- While the crust is baking, slice the baby bell peppers into quarter inch thick rounds, removing any seeds and ribs when necessary with a sharp knife and/or your fingers. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast them for just 10 minutes. We want the peppers to start to soften but not cook all the way through. When done, remove and set aside until you need them.
- While the peppers are roasting, make your cashew "cheese". Put everything except the olive oil into a food processor and pulse until it all breaks down and starts to come together. At that point, you can let it run while you drizzle in the olive oil. It will be fairly thick. (This will probably be too thick for a blender, fyi.)
- Now you can assemble your tart. Spoon the cashew "cheese" all over the crust and use your fingers to gently spread it out, covering the entire crust. Sprinkle half of the basil over the "cheese", then completely cover the "cheese" with the tomatoes and peppers however you want. Just shape and mold them to get as many on there as you can. Then, sprinkle the rest of the basil over the top, drizzle with some olive oil and season with pinches of salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Let the tart cool completely before serving, or chill it and serve cold. Enjoy!
Looking for more vegan recipes? Try these:
Vegan Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
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