Easy Heirloom Tomato Pie
User Reviews
5
Easy Heirloom Tomato Pie
Description
This recipe begins by blind baking a pie crust until golden and fully baked to prevent sogginess. Meanwhile, ripe heirloom tomatoes are sliced and salted to draw out moisture, which prevents the crust from becoming wet. Sweet onions are caramelized in olive oil, often in the same pan used to cook bacon, integrating flavors. The pie is assembled with layers of drained tomatoes, caramelized onions, crumbled goat cheese, basil ribbons, and cooked bacon.
The combination produces a pie rich in flavor and texture: the tomatoes offer juiciness balanced by the creamy goat cheese, the caramelized onions add sweetness, and the bacon contributes a smoky saltiness. The basil adds a fresh herbal note. This pie can be enjoyed warm or cooled to room temperature, making it suitable for brunch or a light dinner.
For best results, eating the pie the day it is baked is recommended, as the tomatoes continue to release juices that may soften the crust over time. Refrigerate leftovers to maintain quality. The recipe is adaptable for vegetarians by omitting bacon and for gluten-free diets by using appropriate crust alternatives. Substitutions for goat cheese and tomato types are also possible based on preference.
Ingredients
- 1 inch pie crust I used organic store bought but make your own too, or tart shell
- 2-3 ripe tomato about 1 lb | sub with other beefy tomatoes, heirloom
- 1-2 medium sweet onion like Vidalia or other sweet onions, sliced ½ inch
- kosher salt a few teaspoons to cover the tomatoes and salt the onions
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar I used all natural cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 cup goat cheese crumbled and divided (see notes for alternatives)
- 2-3 tablespoons basil chiffonade (rolled and sliced thin, fresh
- 3 lices Bacon cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Step 1 | Blind Bake the Pie Crust
- Roll the dough out a bit larger than your pie plate and press it into a greased tart pan or pie plate.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and blind bake crust. What is blind baking? It simply means to bake your pie crust empty.
- Best practice; pierce the pie dough with a fork all over to prevent puffing and slipping, and even better if you line the pie crust with a crumbled then smoothed out piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights, or use dried beans like I did.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden, remove pie weights and allow to cool completely on wire rack.
- Step 2 | Prep Tomatoes & Caramelized Onions
- Slice tomatoes into ½ inch slices, laying out on a several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let drain on paper towels 15 minutes, flip tomatoes and let drain on other side.
- Slice onions into ½ inch slices, heat oil in same skillet as you cooked the bacon (love my cast iron) over medium-low heat; add onions, sprinkle with kosher salt. Stirring frequently, cook until onions start to caramelize, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in sugar and red wine vinegar; continue cooking until onions are deep golden brown, stirring frequently. About another 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to assemble tomato and goat cheese tart.
- Step 3 | Assemble Tomato Pie
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place ½ cup of goat cheese in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Add heirloom tomatoes, overlapping on top of feta cheese. Next sprinkle with fresh chopped basil, crumbled bacon and caramelized onions. Sprinkle on the rest of the goat cheese and bake 20-30 minutes or until tomatoes are soft. Delicious hot or cold.
Notes
- Consume the Heirloom Tomato Pie fresh, preferably the day it is baked, to avoid soggy crust from tomato juices.
- Leftovers should be refrigerated to maintain texture and freshness.
- Salting and draining tomatoes for at least 30 minutes helps prevent excess moisture and soggy crust.
- For vegetarian or vegan versions, omit bacon and cheese or use plant-based alternatives and ensure the crust matches dietary needs.
- Goat cheese can be substituted with feta, mozzarella, or shredded cheese as preferred.
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes stored at room temperature for optimal flavor.
- Gluten-free crusts or crustless versions can be made by layering tomatoes and other filling ingredients carefully.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10-12 slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 216 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 11 serving | |
| Calories | 216kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 13g | 4% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 212mg | 9% |
| Potassium | 81mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 260IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 43mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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