Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart is a stunning seasonal dish that combines a light, flaky sourdough discard crust with a creamy, herb-infused filling. The tangy goat cheese is blended with garlic, fresh dill, and thyme, creating a flavorful base that perfectly complements the tender, roasted asparagus. Baked to golden perfection, this tart is both elegant and rustic, making it ideal for breakfast, brunch, a light lunch, or a simple dinner.
Something we love to do is to rotate our breakfast lineup between sweet and savory recipes. When your sweet tooth kicks in, reach for sourdough discard treats like sourdough blueberry bread, sourdough lemon bread, or sourdough blueberry muffins.
But, just as satisfying, are the savory options—like this sourdough goat cheese tart, with its crisp, golden brown crust and creamy, herb-infused filling
Why You’ll Love Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
- Sourdough Discard Crust: A flaky, flavorful asparagus tart made with sourdough discard—an easy way to reduce waste and add tangy depth. Need more savory sourdough? Try these sourdough cheddar biscuits.
- Protein-Packed: With goat cheese, eggs, and roasted vegetables, this tart makes a hearty addition to your morning table or midday spread.
- Fresh Seasonal Flavor: Bold asparagus, creamy goat cheese, and fresh herbs bring spring flavor to every bite.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cold Butter: Used in the crust—keeping it cold while mixing helps create a tender, flaky texture.
- Sourdough Discard: Adds subtle tang and moisture to the homemade crust. You can also use active sourdough starter.
- Fresh Asparagus: Pre-roasted to deepen flavor and prevent sogginess in the tart. Feel free to toss in your favorite veggie add-ins.
- Goat Cheese: Creamy and rich, goat cheese adds a smooth, savory base that balances the roasted vegetables. You can also try cream cheese, ricotta, or feta.
- Parmesan Topping (optional, but recommended): Adds a golden, cheesy finish that complements the creamy filling.
How to Make Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this savory sourdough tart.
Step 1: Make the crust. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the cold butter and pinch it into the flour until you have coarse, flat pieces. Keep the mixture cold—if it gets sticky, place it in the freezer for a few minutes (Photo 1).
Step 2: Add the sourdough discard and stir just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and shape into a thick disc (Photo 2). Wrap in the parchment and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3: Pre-roast the asparagus. Toss trimmed asparagus with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375°F for 10 minutes. Set aside (Photo 3).
Step 4: Roll the chilled dough to ⅛” thick directly on its parchment (Photo 4).
Step 5: Fit the dough into a 9-inch tart pan, or for a rustic-style tart, shape it on a baking sheet and fold the edges over to create a 1-inch border (Photo 5). Poke the bottom with a fork and blind bake at 375°F for 10 minutes using pie weights (Photo 6).
Step 6: Make the goat cheese mixture (Photo 7). In a bowl, mix goat cheese, cream, eggs, lemon zest, dill, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper until smooth (Photo 8).
Step 7: Assemble the tart. Spread the filling into the parbaked crust (Photo 9). Top with the roasted asparagus and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and parmesan cheese, if using (Photo 10). Bake at 375°F for 25–30 minutes, or until the filling is set and golden on top.
Step 8: Bake at 375°F for 25–30 minutes, or until the filling is set and golden on top (Photo 11).
Step 9: Let the tart cool slightly before slicing (Photo 12). Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh dill, and top with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
How to Store
Store fully cooled leftover asparagus goat cheese tart covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in the oven at 300°F until warmed through, or enjoy cold straight from the fridge.
To freeze, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat before serving.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Prepare the sourdough tart dough and chill it overnight. The fully baked tart also reheats well—just store it covered in the fridge and warm before serving.
Tips
- This recipe uses sourdough discard, so you don’t need your starter to be active. Just be sure your discard is cold and well-stirred before adding to the dough.
- Keep the butter cold while making the crust to achieve the best flaky texture. If it starts to get warm, place the dough in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
- Roast the asparagus before baking to deepen the flavor and prevent the tart from becoming soggy.
- Add egg wash for a golden finish. For extra color and sheen, lightly brush the edges of the pastry with an egg wash before baking. Just whisk one egg with a splash of water and apply it gently with a pastry brush.
- Make it ahead: Who needs grocery store puff pastry when you can prep yours from scratch at home? Make it a day in advance or assemble the full tart and refrigerate it overnight before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The combination of asparagus and goat cheese is amazing, and the flavor combination really shines in this tart.
Yes, if you’re short on time, you can use store-bought puff pastry instead of making the sourdough discard crust.
This tart is very flexible! Try roasted cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, or sautéed mushrooms for a delicious twist.
Sourdough discard adds flavor and tenderness to the crust. If you don’t have discard, replace each 100g with 50g flour and 50g cold water.
Blind bake the crust before adding the filling, and always pre-roast vegetables like asparagus to remove extra moisture.
More Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
- Sourdough English Muffins
- Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Granola
- Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!
Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
Equipment
- Small Baking Sheet or 9 inch tart pan
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Crust:
- 105 grams all-purpose flour about 3/4 cup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 116 grams butter cold, and cut into cubes, about 8 tbsp
- 120 grams sourdough starter discard cold, about 1/2 cup
For the Filling:
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 ounces goat cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
To Serve:
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan optional for topping
Instructions
Make the Sourdough Crust:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- Add the cubed butter and with clean, dry hands, cover the cubes of butter with flour. Then pinch the butter into the flour, flattening the butter and making very rough and coarse crumbs. You want to keep the butter mixer cold as you are doing this. If the mixture gets too sticky, put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes.
- Add the sourdough discard to the butter mixture. Using a mixing spoon, combine the wet starter into the butter/flour mixture. Stir only to combine.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper onto your counter and dump the dough onto the parchment and work it into a round thick disc.
- Fold up the parchment around the disc, and chill it in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Pre-Roast the Asparagus:
- Toss the asparagus in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and roast at 375°F (190°C) on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Pre-bake the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roll out the dough to ⅛ inch thick on its piece of parchment to the size of your 9 inch tart pan, baking pan, or shape it rustic style on a baking sheet. If the dough gets sticky during this process, just put it in the freezer on its parchment for a few minutes.
- Poke the finished crust with a fork and blind bake for 10 minutes with pie weights.
Prepare the Filling:
- In a bowl, mix goat cheese, cream, eggs, lemon zest, dill, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, until smooth.
- Spread the mixture over the parbaked crust.
- Arrange asparagus on top. Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper and Parmesan, if using.
Bake & Serve:
- Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until set and golden.
- Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or room temp. Garnish with fresh dill fronds if desired.
This is such a lovely spring sourdough recipe!