Carrot and Goat Cheese Tart with Carrot Top Chimichurri

Apr 23, 2023 · 3,970 Comments

This simple, stunning carrot and goat cheese tart is both sweet and savory with whipped honeyed goat cheese, spicy roasted carrots and carrot top chimichurri. A show-stopping appetizer!

Due to an unfortunate series of miscalculations and grocery delivery errors, I found myself with seven pounds of carrots to use last week. I can’t tell if that sounds like a lot or a little, but as someone who often struggles to use up a single two-pound bag of carrots before they go completely squidgy, the situation has me a bit overwhelmed.

As a result, I’ve been experimenting with the often slept-on vegetable, and when I stumbled upon this combination, it left me speechless. I’m guilty of dismissing carrots as an ingredient in mirepoix, not really good enough to stand up on their own. But y’all, this recipe will convert any carrot hater.

The flavor profile is surprising in all the best ways: a perfect blend of savory, sweet, spicy, herbaceous, tangy… It hits just about every note. I intended to make it as an appetizer, which you can certainly do, but it also makes an outstanding light meal when paired with a little green salad.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions and Variations
Expert Tips
Equipment Needed
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Carrot and Goat Cheese Tart with Carrot Top Chimichurri

Halved raw carrots on a baking sheet, tossed together with olive oil, honey, cumin seeds and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

This tart feels fancy, but the ingredients list is actually pretty minimal. Focus on buying the highest quality ingredients you can afford, then treat them with plenty of TLC. Be sure to scroll all the way down for the full list of ingredients with measurements!

To make this carrot and goat cheese tart, you’ll need…

Carrots! The star of the show. For this recipe, you’ll need to find carrots with the green tops still attached. I prefer to use smaller carrots for this recipe, since they’re more tender and often sweeter. You can usually find these in the organic section of most grocery stores, or you can seek out an exceptionally sweet bunch at the farmer’s market in spring or fall.
Puff pastry. You’ll need one sheet of frozen puff pastry for this. Any brand will do, and in my experience, Pepperidge Farm is the easiest to find. If you’re able to get your hands on all-butter puff pastry, even better!
Goat cheese. This tart gets a punch of creamy, salty, savory flavor from whipped goat cheese. To make it, you’ll need a standard 4-ounce log, which you’ll whip in a blender with some honey and lemon. Just make sure to buy the log rather than the crumbles, as crumbled goat cheese won’t whip smoothly.
Honey. We’re leaning into carrots’ natural sweet-and-savory profile by adding honey in two elements: first to the roasted carrots, then again to the whipped goat cheese. It’s not enough to make it sweet; just enough to bring out the natural sweetness.
Lemon. A squeeze of lemon brightens up the whipped goat cheese. Fresh is best!
Olive oil. You’ll need just a bit to roast the carrots, then another hearty glug for the carrot top chimichurri. A high-quality, grassy extra-virgin oil is best here.
Vinegar. An essential ingredient in any chimichurri! I used white wine vinegar, but red wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar will work as well.
Herbs and spices. We’ll be using whole cumin seeds and cayenne pepper to spice the carrots, plus dried oregano, ground cumin and crushed red pepper in the chimichurri.

A glass bowl of bright green carrot top chimichurri with a spoon in it.

Instructions

With a small amount of multitasking, you can pull this tart together quickly. The carrots and puff pastry pre-bake at the same time, leaving you to put together the whipped goat cheese and chimichurri. Put it all together and you’ve got yourself a seriously show-stopping starter. Be sure to scroll all the way down for the full written recipe with temperatures and cooking times.

Here’s how to make this carrot and goat cheese tart:

Thaw the puff pastry on the counter before you get started. You don’t want it to be warm, but it should be pliable enough to roll out without cracking. This usually takes about half an hour.
Prepare the puff pastry by rolling it out, scoring a light border around the edge, and pricking some holes in the middle with a fork. This creates a nice crust and prevents too much puffing in the center, where we’ll be layering our goat cheese and carrots later. Bake the puff pastry by itself for a few minutes to get it nice and golden.
Toss the carrots with olive oil, honey, cumin seeds and cayenne, then roast them until they’re about halfway done.
While the puff pastry and carrots are in the oven, whip together the goat cheese, honey and lemon until smooth and creamy.
Spread that sweet and savory whipped goat cheese onto the puff pastry, then layer on the carrots and return the tart to the oven to finish baking.
While the tart bakes, stir together all the chimichurri ingredients in a small bowl.
Top the tart with the carrot top chimichurri, then slice into rectangles and dig in.

Substitutions and Variations

Feel free to use this recipe as a framework for any and all vegetable tart combos. A few ideas to try…

Parsnips or even beets would work beautifully in place of carrots. Treat them the same way, giving them a quick roast before layering them onto the puff pastry.
Swap out the goat cheese for whipped feta or ricotta.
Can’t find carrots with those big, beautiful greens attached? Go for a classic chimichurri with parsley, or switch it up by using cilantro instead.

A close-up of a carrot and goat cheese tart, with perfectly roasted carrots and bright green carrot top chimichurri.

Expert Tips

If the puff pastry puffs more than you’d like it to during its first bake, don’t worry! Just use a fork to poke some more holes in it while it’s warm. It should deflate enough for you to spread the goat cheese on top.

Since this recipe has so few ingredients, be sure to taste everything as you go, adjusting salt, spice, sweetness and acidity as needed before you assemble the full tart.

Equipment Needed

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

This tart keeps surprisingly well in the refrigerator for a day or two, or in the freezer for up to one month. Just store individual slices in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag, then reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

A slice of carrot and goat cheese tart on a wooden serving board, surrounded by bits of crisp, flaky puff pastry.

More delicious ways to use carrots:
Harissa Roasted Carrot Soup
Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Did you make this recipe? If you loved it, please leave a ⭐5-star rating⭐ and/or leave a comment below the recipe card! And don’t forget to share a photo and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok — I love seeing you recreate my recipes.