Vegan Asparagus Tart with Macadamia Pesto Filling

At last, asparagus season is here, and I’m delighted to share this delicious gluten-free, vegan asparagus tart. It’s one of my favourite creations—different from traditional egg-based quiches, but it works beautifully. A rich, crumbly tahini pastry holds a garlicky macadamia and pesto filling, topped with griddled asparagus and finished with a burnt caper and pine nut garnish, chives and lemon zest. The combination is light, flavourful and impressive on the table.

How To Make Quiche Without Eggs?

My family loves quiche, so I wanted to recreate that satisfying slice without eggs, meat or dairy. This tart delivers the texture and savoury depth of a quiche using plant-based ingredients. Even children who usually refuse asparagus have enjoyed it—though you might swap in other veg for picky eaters.

Nutrition

Several ingredients in this tart add nutritional value:

• Tahini – made from sesame seeds, tahini provides antioxidants, healthy fats and plant protein.
• Macadamias – rich in healthy fats and nutrients, macadamias give the filling a creamy texture and satisfying richness.
• Asparagus – a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, asparagus brightens the tart and adds fresh green flavour.

Easy Summer Entertaining

This asparagus tart makes a great weekend lunch or a show-stopping centrepiece for summer entertaining. It’s plant-based and gluten-free but rich in flavour, attractive on the table and satisfying for non-vegan guests. The components—pastry, filling and topping—can be prepared in advance and assembled on the day for relaxed hosting.

Basic Instructions

The recipe splits into three simple parts: pastry, filling and topping.

• The gluten-free pastry is made quickly in a food processor, pressed into a tart tin, chilled briefly and blind-baked.
• The filling is blitzed in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
• The asparagus is griddled until tender, and a quick fry of garlic, capers and pine nuts becomes the finishing topping. Assemble the cooled tart by spreading the filling, arranging the asparagus and scattering the caper mixture, chives and lemon zest.

This is a summary only. Please see the printable recipe card below for full instructions.

Variations

This tart is versatile and easy to adapt:

• Swap macadamias for cashews if preferred.
• Steam the asparagus instead of griddling for a brighter green result.
• Substitute flours: oat flour can replace chestnut flour, and tapioca or potato starch can stand in for arrowroot.

If your blender is very powerful, you need minimal soaking time for the macadamias; soak longer if using a lower-powered blender. Cashews require less soaking than macadamias.

Making Ahead

Prepare the pastry, filling and topping ahead of time and refrigerate them separately for one to two days. Assemble just before serving for the best texture and freshness.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the tart with a simple green salad dressed lightly with a French-style vinaigrette. New potatoes or garlic bread make good accompaniments. For a larger lunch spread, roasted red peppers or a fresh rocket salad complement the tart well.

📖 Recipe 📖

This tart features a tahini pastry with a garlicky macadamia and pesto filling, topped with griddled asparagus and a burnt caper and pine nut garnish. A satisfying plant-based centrepiece.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total time (including pastry cooling)45 mins

Servings: 4

Author: Camilla Sanderson

Ingredients

Pastry

• 60 g rice flour
• 60 g chestnut flour (or oat flour)
• 80 g arrowroot (or tapioca flour)
• 40 g tahini
• 50 g vegan butter
• 80 g coconut oil
• 50 g water
• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• pinch salt

Filling

• 100 g macadamias (soaked in boiling water 15 minutes or in cold water overnight)
• 100 g water
• 30 g baby spinach leaves
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoon vegan pesto
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Topping

• 230 g asparagus spears
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon capers
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives (or other fresh herbs)
• zest from 1 lemon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Pastry

• Pulse all pastry ingredients in a food processor until combined. Press into a 24 cm tart tin (or eight small tins), forming the base and sides. Cover and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Prick the base with a fork, line with crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beans or dried rice/beans.
• Bake at 200°C for about 15 minutes until the pastry is browned and the base is cooked. If sides brown before the base, remove the paper and beans and reduce to 180°C to finish cooking. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling

• Blend all filling ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth, using a tamper if needed to keep the spinach moving.

Topping

• Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Trim woody asparagus ends, toss with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper, then griddle until browned and tender. Transfer to a board.
• Line up the asparagus and trim to the width of the tart. Save trimmings for another use.
• In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and quickly fry the sliced garlic, capers and pine nuts for about a minute until browned. Remove immediately to avoid burning.

Assemble the tart

• Spoon the filling into the cooled pastry case and spread to the edges.
• Arrange the asparagus spears in an attractive pattern across the filling.
• Scatter the fried caper, pine nut and garlic mixture over the tart, then finish with lemon zest and chopped chives or herbs.
• Serve with a fresh green salad dressed lightly with a simple French vinaigrette.

Notes

• If your blender is powerful you may not need to soak the macadamias long; soak longer with a lower-powered blender.
• Cashews can replace macadamias.
• Steaming the asparagus produces a vivid green, tender result.
• You can prepare the tart components ahead and store them separately in the fridge for one to two days before assembling.

Nutrition

Calories: 790 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 53 g |
Protein: 10 g |
Fat: 63 g |
Saturated Fat: 25 g

If you enjoy this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card!

More Recipes

If you like this tart, you may enjoy other vegan and gluten-free lunch recipes, including roasted vegetable tarts, herby quinoa salads and mushroom feuilletées.

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