Mushroom, Courgette & Thyme Tart
This Mushroom, Courgette & Thyme Tart is as nourishing as it is delicious, bringing together an abundance of mushrooms for both depth of flavour and a wealth of health benefits.
Mushrooms are nutritional powerhouses, rich in bioactive compounds called beta-glucans, which are known for their immune-boosting abilities — helping to stimulate white blood cell activity, fight infection, and even exert anti-angiogenic effects that can inhibit the growth of unwanted blood vessels in tumours.
They’re also an excellent source of dietary fibre, acting as a prebiotic to feed beneficial gut bacteria and increase the diversity of the microbiome.
By incorporating different varieties — from meaty king oysters to earthy chestnuts — this tart not only offers a satisfying texture but also a broader spectrum of nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.
Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and protein-rich, it’s a beautiful way to support your gut health, immunity, and overall wellbeing, one delicious slice at a time.
INGREDIENTS
Pastry
200g GF plain flour
100g vegan block
1 tsp sea salt
5 tbsp cold water
Filling
1 punnet King Oyster Mushrooms
1 punnet Baby King oyster Mushrooms
1 punnet of chestnut mushrooms
1 courgette, grated
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp cornflour
1 packet of silken tofu – I love Clearspringuk
¼ cup dairy free milk – I love any of the Plenish Drinks milk
METHOD
Use a 8” loose bottomed flan dish and set your oven to 180c
Make the pastry first either by hand or in a food processor
Add the flour, salt and vegan block and work together until mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Add 4-5 tbsp cold water and bring together into a ball of dough
Wrap in baking parchment and place in fridge for 15mins
Dust the work surface with flour and roll out the pastry into a circle 2inches larger than the dish
Lift into the dish using the rolling pin and press dough into the dish
Bake the pastry blind by lining with baking parchment and baking beans
Cook for 10minutes then remove the beans and bake for another 10 minutes
Meanwhile make the filling, firstly keep a few mushrooms back for decoration – I used a slice of a large king oyster, 2 chestnut mushrooms thinly sliced and 2 baby king oysters cut in half
With the remaining mushrooms blitz in a blender until finely chopped and grate the courgette
In a heavy based pan add 3 tbsp EV olive oil and sweat the onions until translucent
Add the garlic, mushrooms and courgettes and cook until soft will take around 8 minutes
While these are cooking in another frying pan heat some olive oil and gently fry the sliced mushrooms with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, cook these until golden brown – set aside
When the mushroom mixture is cooked stir in the chopped thyme, ½ tsp salt and pepper
In a blender add the silken tofu, nutritional yeast and dairy free milk, some more salt & pepper and blend until smooth
Add the tofu mixture into the cooked mushroom mixture
When the pastry is cooked remove from the oven and pour the mushrooms into the pastry case
Decorate with the cooked mushrooms and bake for 40minutes or until golden
When ready remove from the oven and leave for 10mins before carefully removing from the flan case and serving
Enjoy with a delicious crisp green salad
