February 7, 2023

Hummus and Tomato Tarts

Name: Hummus and tomato tarts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 13 min
Ingredients: 1 sheet ready made puff pastry; 2 Tbsp hummus; 10 cherry tomatoes; 1 Tbsp milk / mylk (optional as a pastry wash); herbs such as basil or parsley to garnish (optional)

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Posted: February 7, 2023 Updated: February 9, 2023

Sometimes the simplest things are the best, these hummus and tomato tarts are delicious and so easy. By using ready-made puff pastry you can put these tasty tarts together in under thirty minutes making it an ideal lunch time meal.

If you’re anything like me you enthusiastically buy frozen pastry with the best intentions. Before you know it, it’s sat in the freezer for six months. For me, it was moving house that prompted several last-minute baking sessions. I made super speedy sausage rolls and these gorgeous little cream cheese and peach pastries. I’ll write those recipes up soon!

Pastry options for hummus and tomato tarts

This recipe will work with any puff pastry you can pick up at the store. I used gluten free puff pastry by Simply Wize. It’s a bit smaller than non-GF pastry which is why I needed a whole sheet to make two tarts. You might find regular pastry gives you a bigger tart, or even better, more tarts!

In terms of gluten free pastry in Australia you can also get Coles I’m Free From puff pastry and puff pastry sheets by Heaven’s Bakehouse. Folks in the UK are lucky and can buy gluten free JusRol in the fridge section at most supermarkets.

Depending on the brand you should be able to find a dairy free or vegan option. Hummus is naturally vegan and dairy free making this a great dish for a lot of people.

Two plates with hummus and tomato tarts on them.

Prepping your pastry

If you’re working with pastry it’s important to take good care of it. You’ll want to let it defrost at room temperature before you start using it. If you take out the sheet you are going to use this will be much quicker than leaving it in the packet to defrost. It should only take ten minutes to defrost one sheet on the kitchen bench.

If it’s a particularly hot day take care that the pastry doesn’t get too warm. Pastry should be cool when it goes in the oven, not frozen and not warm. If your pastry gets too warm, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Method to make hummus and tomato tarts

Although the recipe is available down the bottom I’ve listed it here with a few extra points and explanations.

Get things ready

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C which is 375°F

This is an ideal temperature for most brands of pastry. If the one you bought recommends slightly higher or lower then go with that.

2. Take your pastry sheet from the freezer and allow to thaw for ten minutes. While it’s thawing prep your tomatoes by cutting them in half length ways.

Prepare your tarts

The size of your pastry will define how large your tarts are. I used Simply Wize which, typical for a gluten free product, are quite small. So when I did this recipe I only cut the pastry in half.

Before working with your pastry you may need to dust a little bit of flour on your surface to keep the pastry from sticking. I use plain flour for this or corn flour (also known as corn starch).

Once you have the desired size, using a sharp knife score (cut, but not all the way through) a border around the edge of the pastry. The size of the border is up to you, I recommend between 0.5cm and 1cm. The scoring will allow the pastry to puff up and create a wall around the filling, much like a tart case.

Smear hummus onto the tart keeping it within the border you’ve just created. For my pastries I used a heaped teaspoon per tart. Then arrange the halved tomatoes on top of the hummus.

If you’d like an even brown finish on the pastry you can brush a small amount of milk along the border. Both regular and non-dairy milk work for this effect. Alternatively you can beat an egg and use an egg wash which will give it a nice shine. However you’ll end up with a lot of leftover egg!

The tarts then cook in the oven for 13 minutes. During this time the borders of the pastry should puff up creating a tart case around the hummus and tomato filling.

After the time is up and the pastry looks cooked, remove the tarts from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Dressings and garnishes for your hummus and tomato tarts

Fresh herbs make a great addition to these tarts. My absolute favourite is with tomato and hummus is fresh basil. A drizzle of good quality olive oil doesn’t go astray either.

I actually made an impromptu pesto by combining olive oil and fresh basil paste. This was great drizzled over the tarts.

Storing your hummus and tomato tarts

These tarts are best eaten fresh on the day, preferably warm from the oven. They also work well cold, so if you’d like to prepare them in the morning for an afternoon picnic that would be fine.

Store your tarts in an airtight container, ensuring they are kept flat. If you’re eating them that day then you shouldn’t need to refridgerate them. Refridgeration can sometimes make the pastry soggy. If this occurs reheat the pastries in the oven for 10 minutes at 150°C.