Caramelised Onion Tart with Figs and Feta

Our recipe for Caramelized Onion Tart with Figs and Feta brings so much sweetness but still being a savoury dish. It can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish combined with a leafy green salad.

It’s fig season again, and this year we are determined to make the most of it! We started with a Vegan Cream Cheese and Fig Toast, and now, we bring you this delicious recipe that combines the figs with sweet caramelised onions and salty Greek feta cheese. Figs are such a yummy fruit with amazing health benefits such as calcium, fibre and prebiotics that helps us support the existing good bacteria in our gut. That said, make sure you grab some before the season ends.

Ingredients

Our recipe for caramelised onion tart with figs and feta uses simple ingredients and even if it takes a bit of cooking and oven time, it’s really easy to follow.

• Puff Pastry. We love using homemade pastry but the truth is that we don’t always have the time. Puff pastry is quite complex to prepare so for this recipe, we’ll be using store-bought pastry. We used block puff pastry, but you can use already rolled out pastry whether it’s fresh or frozen.
• White onions. We use white onions to prepare our caramelised onions. You can of course use red onions and it will be just as delicious.
• Figs. If you are picking the figs yourself, they will stay good for about 5 days in the fridge. Store-bought figs should be used in the next 2-3 days. Don’t wash them until right before using them for cooking. When choosing figs, make sure they are tender and you can smell the sweetness already.
• Feta Cheese. When looking for feta cheese, choose the feta that comes in blocks instead of chopped and always choose original Greek feta when possible.
• Thyme. The last touch to our caramelised onion tart, lovely dried thyme sprinkled on the top.

How to caramelised the onions

To cook caramelised onions all you need is a good pan and some patience. We use a cast iron pan to caramelise the onions.

First, heat some olive oil in a pan. We recommend using a big pan as it will help to caramelise the onions faster. Slice the onions and add them into the pan.

The pan should be on medium-low heat as the caramelising process requires some time and otherwise, the onion will burn or dry out and won’t release the natural sugars. You can always add a small bit of water from time to time to keep the onions moist.

When making caramelised onions, you need to find a balance. Allow the onions to cook without stirring them quite often so they can brown and release the sugars but at the same time, stir them enough so they don’t stick to the pan.

When the onions start to soften, you can add and some sugar to speed the caramelising process.

After around 30-40 minutes, your onions should be caramelised but you can always add a few more minutes of cooking. The longer they cook, the browner and sweeter.

By the end, add a little balsamic vinegar, wine or water to deglaze the pan and stir one last time. The onions should look like in the picture below, brown and soft. Add salt to taste and this part is done!

Print Recipe

Caramelised Onion Tart with Figs and Feta

Delicious appetizer or main dish to make the most of the fig season using caramelised onions and feta cheese.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Appetizer, Tart

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: caramelised onion tart, fig tart

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 350 g puff pastry block
• 1 egg
• 3 big white onions
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 150 g fresh figs
• 80 g feta Greek cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• honey optional

Instructions

• As the caramelised onions take quite long, we will start from there. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan. Slice the onions and add them into the pan.
• The pan should be on medium-low heat. When making caramelised onions, you need to find a balance in between allowing the onions to cook without stirring them quite often so they can brown and release the sugars and stir them enough times so they don’t stick to the pan.
• When the onions start to soften, add sugar to speed the caramelising process.
• Keep stirring every 5-7 minutes depending on the pan just making sure the onions are not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 40 minutes.
• When the onions are caramelised, add balsamic vinegar, wine or water to deglaze the pan and stir one last time. Add salt to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 200Cº.
• Place pastry on a surface and roll out the puff pastry. Keep turning the dough while rolling. When using frozen puff pastry, leave it out and allow to thaw. Work while the pastry is still cold. Place pastry dough on surface and lightly dust it and the rolling pin with flour.
• Transfer the puff pastry onto a baking tray and using a knife, score a border (about thumb-size) around the edge of the puff pastry sheet to create a crust. Whisk the egg and using a baking brush, brush the egg wash over the border.
• Add evenly the caramelised onions covering the whole dough, except the egg-washed corners.
• Wash the figs with cold water and cut into quarters. Add evenly on the tart. Using your hands, crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle on the top of the tart.
• Add the thyme and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden. Before serving, you can add a little bit of honey on the top for extra sweetness and texture.