Name: Roasted cauliflower cheese and leek tart
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Ingredients: 300 g of gluten-free plain flour; 1 tsp of xanthan gum (*see above*); 100 g of dairy-free cold block butter, cut into cubes; 50 g of Trex; 3-6 tbsp of ice-cold water; Pinch of salt; 1 medium cauliflower; 1 large or 2 small leeks; 3 roasted garlic cloves (*see notes*); Pinch of Turmeric; Pinch of grated nutmeg; 50 g of dairy-free spread; 50 g of gluten-free plain flour; Approximately 400 ml of dairy-free milk; 1 - 1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard or 1/2 tsp of English mustard; 15 g of nutritional yeast; 95 g of vegan cheese (*see notes*); pinch of salt and ground black pepper; 30 g of vegan parmesan cheese

Jump to Recipe

I started making a version of this tart when my lads were younger, over 25 years ago. They struggled with cauliflower or leeks, so I came up with this tart with a cheesy sauce, and they loved it. It has seen some adaptations over the years. It became gluten-free and finally vegan. It’s still a firm family favourite,

Delicious
Savoury
Cheesy
A crowd pleaser
Freezes well
Packed with lovely ingredients.

Every ingredient serves a purpose in this recipe. The hardest part for quite a while was getting that cheesy sauce. Vegan cheese has come a long way, and adding nutritional yeast gives it that cheesy hit.

When you roast cauliflower with a little oil and simple seasoning, it develops a delicious, nutty taste, elevating your cauliflower cheese to the next level.

Ingredients

Gluten-free flour

There is now an array of gluten-free flours available. I have my favourites, and I am sure you do too. One thing you need to do is check the ingredients to see if the flour contains xanthan gum. If it does have it, then you do not have to add it.

Dairy-free butter

In my opinion, block butter is better for making pastry. The reason is that it is easier to rub in without it getting overly soft. It has more structure.

Solid vegetable shortening

In the UK, our main product is Trex. It is a solid hydrogenised vegetable oil. In the USA, I believe it is Crisco. Pastry made with this type of vegetable oil gives

Water

You want to make sure that your water is ice cold. Perfect pastry depends on everything being chilled.

Cauliflower

When choosing a cauliflower, there are a few things to look for. You want the head to be white, the florets to be tightly packed, and if it has leaves, all the better. I use them as well.

Leeks

With leeks, make sure they are firm. I buy mine with the root still attached, as it does keep longer. Leeks often come with dirt and particles of sand inside, so wash them thoroughly.

Garlic

You don’t have to use roasted garlic, but when you roast it, you take away any bitterness. It becomes sweeter and melts into the sauce. (*see notes*)

Spices

The spices I use are Turmeric, mainly for the colour and nutmeg, which I always use in any white sauce.

Mustard

Mustard adds a little something when used in sauces. I use Dijon as it does not contain any heat. I love the tang it adds.

Dairy-free milk

You have many options here. My choice is either soya or oat. You use whatever you prefer.

Butter for the sauce

For this, use the soft dairy-free butter you normally use. There are so many options available. I mainly use Vitalite.

How to roast garlic

Roasting garlic alters its chemical composition, making it much easier to digest. It also makes it sweeter and creamier. It is then great to use in sauces, gravies, and in pasta dishes. It can also be mashed up and spread as a base on crostini. You can roast it in the oven or the air fryer. Once roasted, it will keep for 4 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container or 2 weeks if stored in olive oil in a jar in the fridge.

To oven roast

Preheat your oven to 200 °C. Remove any loose papery skins from the outside of the bulb. With a sharp knife, cut the top 1/2 inch off the top and drizzle with olive oil and season. Wrap loosely with foil, twisting the top of the foil. Roast for 40-60 minutes until they feel soft when pressed. You could also roast a few at a time by using a muffin tin covered with foil. Handy if you use w lot of garlic.

Air frying

Follow the same steps as you would above, and then cook at 190 °C for 25-25 minutes until soft.

Roasted cauliflower cheese and leek tart

Author: Karran Minchinton Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:English Courses:Lunch Dinner

Difficulty:IntermediatePrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $ Best Season:Fall

Instructions

First, make your pastry. In a large bowl, sift in the flour with the salt. Add in your butter and Trex.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead slightly with cold hands. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 20 minutes while you prepare your vegetables.
Next, cook the leeks. You can do this the day before to save time and store them in a sealed container in the fridge. You need to cook your leeks until they are soft and unctuous.
Slice off the top and root of the leek, and then thinly slice from top to bottom and wash thoroughly.
Add 25 g of butter to a large frying pan, a splash of oil, and gently heat.
Once the butter has melted, add the leeks and cook on a low heat for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. By that stage, they will be soft and almost melting.
While your leeks are cooking, preheat your oven to 200 °C. Remove the florets and some good leaves from the cauliflower, wash them, and then steam for 5 minutes. The steaming step is optional, but I find that it yields a better roast if I do this step. Place in a bowl and add seasoning, a drizzle of olive oil, and 30g of vegan parmesan, if using. Toss or stir to coat all the cauliflower, then spread out on a lined or non-stick metal baking tray for approximately 10 minutes. You want it just lightly browned but not completely cooked through, as it will continue to cook in the oven at the last stage.
Place the cauliflower and leeks to one side. Remove your pastry from the fridge, sprinkle a little flour on your work surface and roll it out 2 inches larger than the tart tin and brush your tin with a small amount of oil. Next, roll your pastry around the rolling pin, the side of the tin, and gently unroll it over the tin. Be careful not to stretch the pastry. Press the pastry into the bottom and sides. Do this thoroughly before trimming the excess. To trim the pastry, roll the rolling pin over the lip of the tin. Chill the pastry case for 30 minutes before baking to prevent the pastry from shrinking when being baked. While it is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 170 °C.
Remove your pastry from the fridge and, using a fork, gently prick the bottom; do not go all the way through. Line with a sheet of baking parchment and pour in some weighted items such as dry beans, dry rice or *baking beans.* Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned,
Next, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a pan. Once melted, add the flour and seasoning. Cook on low heat, whisking continuously for 2-3 minutes to cook the raw flour. Turn the heat up to a simmer and add the milk a little at a time, stir or whisk with a balloon whisk every time you add some milk. You need to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom and scorch the sauce. Once all the milk has been added, bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring

NB You need the sauce to be thick so that it does not run off the tart when serving
Remove from the heat and add 80 g of the cheese, mustard, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, turmeric, and three cloves of oven-roasted garlic. Whisk through and adjust the seasoning if needed, and then fold through the roasted cauliflower
Spread the leeks over the bottom of the pastry base and spoon the cauliflower mix on top. Slightly flatten the top and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Heat the oven to 180 °C or a Fan oven to 160 °C. Once at the correct temperature, bake on the middle shelf for between 25 minutes or until the top of the tart is golden and bubbling. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. You can omit the roasted garlic if you want, but it does add a unique flavour to the sauce. It is simple to make yourself, or you can buy roasted garlic paste. It is pretty quick if you have an air fryer, though.
2. Baking beans are heat-resistant ceramic, tiny balls that are reusable. I have had mine for over 10 years. Easy to wash and sanitise, and you can get a pot of them for £5.00 up. If you do a lot of tarts, they are well worth buying.

Keywords:cauliflower cheese, cauliflower cheese tart, Vegan cauliflower cheese, Vegan dinners, gluten free dinners, gluten free lunch, gluten free cauliflower tart, gluten free cauliflower cheese

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Roasted cauliflower cheese and leek tart