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Provençal fennel and goat’s cheese tart

Provençal fennel and goat’s cheese tart

This Provençal fennel and goat’s cheese tart captures the sunny flavours of southern France in every bite. Meltingly soft braised fennel wedges nestle alongside sweet cherry tomatoes, briny black olives and punchy capers in a creamy custard. Topped with slices of fresh goat’s cheese and served with a crisp baby gem salad, this vegetarian tart delivers effortlessly elegant tastes perfect for lunch or light dinners.

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 1 hr 30 mins
Serves: Serves 6–8
Dietary: Healthy, Nut-free, Pregnancy-friendly, Vegetarian
Provençal fennel and goat’s cheese tartBy Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

Nutri-Score C rating
This Provençal fennel and goat’s cheese tart scores a Nutri-Score of C, reflecting moderate nutrition from creamy custard, goat’s cheese and butter alongside fibre-rich fennel and vegetables.

The dish provides approximately 485 kcal per serving, with 32g fat, 28g carbohydrates, 6g sugars, 5g fibre and 14g protein.

The fennel bulbs add vitamins and fibre while keeping this vegetarian tart satisfying and flavourful.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the fennel

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 fennel bulbs
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tarragon sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
  • 150ml/5fl oz vermouth
  • 30g/1oz butter
  • 1 lemon, zest only
  • 200ml/7fl oz vegetable stock

For the tart

  • 1 cooked 23cm/9in tart shell, shop bought
  • 4 medium free-range eggs
  • 150ml/5fl oz whole milk
  • 300ml/10fl oz double cream
  • 150g/5½oz cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 100g/3½oz black olives, halved
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 250g/9oz goat’s cheese
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

  • 2 baby gem lettuces
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 30g/1oz goat’s cheese, frozen, for grating

Customise

  • Swap goat’s cheese for feta, halloumi or ricotta for different creamy textures
  • Use red onions instead of fennel for a sweeter, milder Provençal tart flavour
  • Add sun-dried tomatoes or roasted peppers for extra Mediterranean depth
  • Replace vermouth with white wine or vegetable broth if preferred
  • Try spinach or rocket instead of baby gem lettuce for the accompanying salad

Method

  1. Braise the fennel (10 mins prep + 1 hr cooking)
    Cut the fennel bulbs into wedges, keeping the core intact so they hold their shape. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the fennel wedges until coloured on all sides, about 5–6 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, tarragon sprigs, bay leaves, thyme leaves, vermouth, butter, lemon zest and vegetable stock. Cover with a circle of baking paper and cook gently for 1 hour until the fennel is meltingly soft. Remove the fennel from the pan and set aside.
  2. Reduce the cooking liquor (5 mins)
    Boil the remaining cooking liquor in the pan until reduced to a glossy glaze, about 3–4 minutes. Spoon this concentrated glaze over the braised fennel wedges to intensify those Provençal flavours. Set the glazed fennel aside while you prepare the tart filling and assemble your goat’s cheese tart.
  3. Make the custard filling (5 mins)
    Whisk the eggs, milk and double cream together in a bowl until well combined. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. This creamy custard mixture will bind all the flavours together in your Provençal fennel tart.
  4. Preheat the oven (2 mins)
    Preheat your oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2. This moderate temperature ensures the tart cooks gently and evenly without the custard splitting or the goat’s cheese becoming too brown.
  5. Assemble the tart (10 mins)
    Place the braised fennel wedges in the base of the cooked tart shell and spoon over any cooking juices. Scatter over the halved cherry tomatoes, black olives and capers for bursts of Mediterranean flavour. Slice the goat’s cheese and arrange it evenly over the top. Pour in the egg and cream mixture, ensuring it seeps around all the ingredients.
  6. Bake the tart (30 mins)
    Bake for about 30 minutes until the custard is just set with a slight wobble in the centre. The goat’s cheese will soften and the tomatoes will release their sweet juices into the filling. Leave the Provençal tart to cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature.
  7. Serve with baby gem salad (5 mins)
    Toss the baby gem lettuces with olive oil and white wine vinegar for a crisp, refreshing salad. Serve alongside the warm fennel and goat’s cheese tart. Grate over a little frozen goat’s cheese if you like extra creamy tang. This vegetarian tart works beautifully for lunch, brunch or light summer dinners.

Tips for success

  • Buy a good-quality shop-bought tart shell to save time on this Provençal recipe
  • Cook the fennel until truly soft – it should yield easily when pressed with a fork
  • Let the tart rest for 10 minutes before slicing for cleaner cuts
  • Freeze the goat’s cheese for 30 minutes before grating for easier handling
  • Serve at room temperature for the best flavour from the olives, capers and fennel

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