Thanksgiving and the holiday season can often be a challenge if you’re a vegetarian – or if you’re entertaining vegetarian guests. I always like to make sure my non meat-eating company is offered more than a “meal” consisting of a bunch of side dishes. The good news? This hearty and appetizing galette is sure to please. An all-butter pastry filled with roasted butternut squash, onions, sage and goat cheese is both filling and festive, and would make the perfect addition to any holiday table. It’s actually a wonderful main dish for both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike! It’s also great to prepare ahead of time – and to make things even easier, you can substitute a store-bought shortcrust pastry.
Looking for more crowd-pleasing vegetarian dishes? Since the holidays are nothing without dessert, we’ve got you covered with these vegan Thanksgiving desserts.
ingredients
Pastry
Filling
Assembly
directions
Note: the pastry requires at least 1 hour of chilling time. You can also substitute the pastry for store-bought pastry crust.
For the pastry, whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and, using your fingertips, lightly rub the butter into the flour until it resembles large breadcrumbs with some pieces the size of small peas. You can also use a pastry blender for this job.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix the egg into the flour until completely combined.
Add the water and mix until the dough is firm enough to form a ball when you press it together with your fingers — it might be a little crumbly, but form the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the dough, tightly wrapped in plastic for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before you roll and bake.
For the filling, preheat the oven to 425˚F.
Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spread the butternut squash in a single layer on the tray.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with the flaky sea salt and pepper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the squash starts to brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
Cook the onions for about 5-6 minutes until they start to soften and colour slightly.
Stir in the chopped sage and allow to cool.
For assembly, preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Remove pastry from the fridge and let it sit for about 10 minutes so it’s easier to work with.
Roll out the pastry to approximately 14-inches (35 cm) in diameter. Place the pastry on the parchment-paper lined baking tray.
Spread the cooked onions evenly around the pastry base, leaving approximately 2-inches (5 cm) around the edge.
Layer the cooked squash in a single layer over the onions.
Tuck the goat cheese rounds around the tart (some of them underneath the squash).
Fold the pastry up and around the edges of the filling, crimping slightly with your fingers as you go, and brush the edges of the galette with the egg wash.
Bake until the cheese is melted, the edges of the tart are golden brown and the bottom is cooked through, 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with the arugula, pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.