Rustic French-style Tomato Tart

Make the most of your summer tomatoes with this effortless dairy-free tomato tart recipe with peppery Dijon mustard and fresh herbs. The olive oil crust combines whole wheat and all-purpose flour for a perfectly flaky, nutty, and rustic touch. 

French tomato tart is a savory summer pastry with a rich and flaky dough, lined with a thin coating of pungent Dijon mustard, and piled with thick slices of juicy tomatoes.

The crust is traditionally made with butter, but I swap it for olive oil, making this tart dairy-free. While I believe it can be a crime to cook a summer tomato, roasting them in this tomato tart recipe only concentrates their flavor. The crisp crust and sharp mustard enhance the tomatoes’ natural flavor without dimming their light.

While I’ll happily make something like Stuffed Tomatoes with Tuna when tomatoes aren’t quite at their prime, I generally prefer to eat them raw. In the summertime, I enjoy them sliced with a generous drizzle of olive oil, some flaky sea salt, and Focaccia for mopping up the juices . I have one exception: this Tomato Tart recipe inspired by a French classic.

The first one I had was in a seaside café in Collioure, just across the border from Spain. It’s a beautiful little beach town with a castle, surrounded by vineyards on the slopes of the mountains that bind the town to the sea. It’s the one recipe I’ve found that merits cooking a perfect summer tomato, so I’ve been making it ever since!

Table of Contents

1. Tomato Tart Ingredients
2. How to Make this Tomato Tart Recipe
1. Make, Chill, and Bake the Crust
2. Assemble and Bake the Tart
3. Ways to Mix it Up
4. What to Serve with this Tomato Tart Recipe
5. More Summer Tomato Recipes
6. Rustic French-style Tomato Tart Recipe

Tomato Tart Ingredients

Walking through the farmers market always inspires a sense of wonder and possibility. Carefully nurtured fruits and vegetables, in perfect ripeness, lead to endless ideas of what to make with purple bell peppers, golden raspberries, or patty pan squash.

But it’s fresh summer tomatoes, vine-ripened, and in all shapes, sizes, and colors that I look forward to most. In contrast to a pale supermarket tomato, a summer market tomato–or if you’re lucky to have a yard for growing them yourself–is magical: a tomato that tastes like a tomato. It takes just a few pantry staples to turn them into a beautiful, shareable tart.

• Flour: I like to use a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour adds a rich, nutty flavor, plus some healthy whole grains, and the all-purpose flour makes the dough flaky and tender.
• Olive oil: Instead of the more traditional butter, I opt for fruity olive oil, like our Arbequina, in the tart dough. Not only do I prefer the flavor, but it makes mixing the dough a breeze compared to butter crusts.
• Egg binds the dough together.
• Tomatoes: Use the best, vine-ripened tomatoes you can find. I like to use an assortment of heirloom tomatoes in a couple of colors for a variety of flavors.
• Dijon mustard is tangy, pungent, and spicy, a perfect foil for the sweet and fruity tomatoes. 
• Fresh herbs: I like this tart best with fresh herbs, but dried herbes de Provence is a good substitute. I use the blend as a cue for which fresh herbs to add to the tart, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
• Salt and pepper: Salt not only enhances flavor, but it also helps extract excess moisture from the tomatoes avoiding a watery tart. Freshly ground black pepper adds a warm spiciness.

How to Make this Tomato Tart Recipe

This tomato tart recipe takes just over an hour and a half, but it’s really just 20 minutes of hands-on time. You can simplify the process with your favorite store-bought crust. Just don’t skip salting and draining the tomatoes or the tart will end up watery.

Make, Chill, and Bake the Crust

• Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons cold water, and 1 large egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until a rough dough comes together.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Gather the dough with your hands and knead a few times until the dough comes together into a ball. If the dough feels too dry, sprinkle a teaspoon of water over the dough and continue bringing the dough together with your hands. If the dough feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and continue bringing the dough together with your hands.
• Roll out the dough: Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a circle about 2 inches wider than the diameter of the tart pan.
• Line the pan: Carefully transfer the dough into a false-bottom tart pan by rolling the dough around the rolling pin and unrolling it into the tart pan. Gently press in the dough to line the pan. Trim the excess dough around the edges.
• Chill the crust: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before blind baking. While the crust chills, preheat your oven to 350°F. 
• Blind bake the crust: Dock, or prick, the dough all over with a fork. Bake in the hot oven for 30 minutes.

Assemble and Bake the Tart

• Prepare the tomatoes: While the tart shell bakes, slice 3 large tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices into a colander set in a large bowl or the sink. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and toss to coat. Leave to drain until the crust is ready.
• Assemble the tart: When the tart shell is done baking, remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Spread 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard into the bottom of the tart. Arrange the tomato slices in an even layer in concentric circles in the tart shell. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake: Bake the tart for 25 to 30 minutes until the tomatoes are tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring the tart to a serving plate, slicing, and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ways to Mix it Up

I love a good fundamental recipe because while they’re delicious in their simplicity, they’re also easy to customize and add to. To the last tomato tart I made, I added shallots caramelized with balsamic vinegar and a handful of Kalamata olives.

There are so many classic variations on this tomato tart recipe; it’s common to see it with cheese, anchovies, and even a creamy version with crème fraîche. I also like to drizzle the finished tart with Basil Pesto or Balsamic Glaze before serving. Here are some of my favorite additions:

• Caramelized shallots or onions: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add 2 to 3 sliced shallots or 1 small sliced onion and cook until soft and caramelized. Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute longer until the vinegar has reduced.
• Olives: Before or after baking, add a handful of pitted olives, such as Kalamata olives from our shop, Niçoise, Picholine, Castelvetrano, or Manzanilla.
• Anchovies: Add an anchovy to each slice for their salty, savory goodness.
• Sardines: Good quality canned sardines are meatier than anchovies, fishier, and not as salty. They help turn this tart into more of a meal than just a snack or appetizer.
• Cheese: Layer 1 cup of shredded cheese, such as Gruyère or Comté, in with the tomatoes. Or add brie or a goat cheese log cut into slices on top of the tomatoes.
• Crème fraîche: To add a tangy, creamy layer, mix 1/2 cup crème fraîche with the mustard and spread it into the bottom of the blind-baked crust before adding the tomatoes.
• If you love savory pastries, try your hand at this Savory Galette with Summer Veggies and Za’atar next.

What to Serve with this Tomato Tart Recipe

Serve this French tomato tart on its own as a snack or appetizer with a cold drink, like a classic rosé from Provence, a zesty and refreshing Aperol spritz, or a non-alcoholic pink drink, like Pink Lemonade.

For a light lunch, I serve it with this easy Arugula Salad. And when I’m looking for something more substantial, I’d pair it with a flavorful and filling Niçoise Salad or this Tuna and Potato Salad.

For dinner, serve it with another summer vegetable, like a side of Roasted Green Beans, along with Balsamic Chicken. For dessert, Strawberry Shortcakes are always a winner. And if you If you love summer tomatoes, keep the celebration going with these 50+ fresh tomato recipes.

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