Mediterranean Potato Crust Tart with Vegan Tzatziki and Olive Mix
By Emma Collins
Prep
20 min
Cook
60 min
Total
140 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Allow 2 hours 20 minutes to prepare and cool this Mediterranean-style potato tart with a vegan tzatziki sauce. The potato mixture bakes to make a tart with a browned, crispy crust and tender interior. Top with tzatziki sauce made with cucumber and dill and olives.
The pizza crust includes potatoes and olive oil. Non-dairy yogurt is used as a thickener in the cucumber topping. Dill, garlic, lemon juice, and whole-grain mustard are other spices in the cucumber topping. The cucumbers are grated and drained to keep the topping from becoming watery. Toppings of harissa, maple syrup, shallot, cherry tomatoes, arugula, and Kalamata olives, as well as pine nuts for texture and flavor, are added to the pizza. The pine nuts do not interact with the potato crust.
After baking, check for doneness by peeling off the top and sides of the potato shell. The inside of the potato shell will be tender, but other parts of the shell will be quite fragile because there is no binder. Allow the hot shell to cool a bit before mashing the potatoes to avoid breaking the shell. Springform pans and parchment paper can make peeling off the shell after baking easier. Don't drain cucumber slices too thoroughly. The water released by the cucumber cools the topping and helps it stay in place.
Serve as a lunch or snack item or as part of a buffet. Cut into six to eight servings if the shell is easier to serve. Serve hot and cold items, including tzatziki sauce. Consume immediately for the best flavor. Leftovers can be stored in a glass container and eaten cold.
Why this recipe works
- Keeps active baking time under 20 minutes, the 60-minute baking time includes the time between boiling and shaping the shell and baking it.
- Makes a gluten-free potato crust rather than flour crust. No need to make a dough for the crust. The crust has a crispy exterior and soft interior.
- Does not use specialized molds when making mashed potatoes for a pie crust to distribute them evenly in the tart pan.
- Helps reduce serving preparation time: Prepare the crust and tzatziki sauce separately the day before. Prepare other toppings near serving to preserve texture.
- Offers pantry alternatives to other ingredients, including parsley and mint as substitutes for fresh dill and a mixture of chili powder and olive oil as a substitute for harissa.
- Serves four people as one tart, and smaller tarts are more convenient to slice with a tart server or large knife when serving potato crust tarts.
Ingredients
- •1.8 lb potatoes (800 g)
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •1 small cucumber
- •1 cup thick dairy-free yogurt (240 g)
- •¼ cup fresh dill (12 g, finely chopped)
- •1 clove garlic (minced)
- •1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
- •1 tbsp whole-grain mustard (15 g)
- •salt (to taste)
- •pepper (to taste)
- •2 tbsp pine nuts (15 g)
- •2 tsp olive oil (10 ml)
- •1 tsp harissa paste (5 g)
- •1 tsp maple syrup (5 ml)
- •9 Kalamata olives (pitted and finely chopped)
- •10 cherry tomatoes (finely chopped)
- •½ shallot (finely chopped)
- •1 cup arugula (20 g, chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Add the potatoes to a large pot of cold salted water.
- 2
Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- 3
Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool completely.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 200°C, using top grill plus convection if available.
- 5
Lightly brush a tart dish with olive oil; use a removable-base tart tin or line a regular dish with parchment paper.
- 6
Place the cooled potatoes in the tart dish and mash them with the bottom of a clean mug, pressing them evenly over the base and up the sides.
- 7
Generously brush the potato crust with olive oil.
- 8
Bake the crust on the top rack for 30 minutes, until golden.
- 9
Remove the crust from the oven and carefully take it out of the tart dish.
- 10
Place the pine nuts in an oven-safe dish and bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- 11
Grate the cucumber and squeeze out excess water with a clean cloth.
- 12
Combine the dairy-free yogurt, grated cucumber, dill, garlic, whole-grain mustard, and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
- 13
Season the tzatziki-style dip with salt and pepper.
- 14
Mix the olive oil, harissa, maple syrup, shallot, cherry tomatoes, arugula, and Kalamata olives in a bowl.
- 15
Spread the tzatziki-style dip over the potato base.
- 16
Top with the olive mixture and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
- 17
Slice and serve.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
317
Protein
7g
Fat
12g
Carbs
41g
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