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Vegetarian, Busy evenings

Endive and Emmental Tart with Lamb’s Lettuce Salad

This endive and Emmental tart is a savory pie for 4 people, ready in 55 minutes, rated easy, at about €1.80 per person. The key is slow cooking the endives in butter with sugar and lemon, which removes their bitterness before they join the crust and gratinéed Emmental.

Melted endives, gratinéed Emmental, a golden crust, and a lamb's lettuce salad for freshness.

Endive and Emmental Tart with Lamb’s Lettuce Salad
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.80
Calories per person
510 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Endive has a reputation for bitterness, but here it turns soft and almost sweet, thanks to a slow cook in butter with a touch of sugar and lemon. Shredded Emmental melts over the top and browns under the heat, while the shortcrust pastry stays crisp underneath. It's a hearty tart that feels substantial without being heavy.

This is the kind of dish to make on a busy weeknight when you want a warm dinner without spending hours in the kitchen, or on a quiet Sunday with the family. The lamb's lettuce salad brings the freshness the tart would otherwise lack, balancing the richness of the cheese and cream. It works well for adults and for kids who are willing to try the endives once they're properly cooked down.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Shortcrust pastry 1
  • Shredded Emmental 150 g
  • Eggs 3
  • Heavy cream 20 cl
  • Butter 30 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Endives 5
  • Lemon 1
  • Lamb's lettuce 150 g

Pantry

  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Vinaigretteoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Slice the endives into rounds and cook them down in the butter with the sugar, lemon, salt, and pepper. 15 min

    Remove the hard, bitter core at the base.

  2. Roll out the pastry into a tart pan, prick it, and blind bake it. 10 min

    Keep the oven at 180°C.

  3. Whisk the eggs with the cream, salt, and pepper.

    A pinch of nutmeg doesn't hurt.

  4. Fill the crust with the endives and Emmental, pour in the egg mixture, and bake. 30 min

    Drain the endives well, they release water.

  5. Serve warm with the dressed lamb's lettuce salad.

    Dress the lamb's lettuce at the last moment, it's delicate.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick firm, pale endives without any green, bitter leaves on the outer layer.
  • Drain the cooked endives thoroughly, even pressing them a little, or the tart will turn watery and the crust will go soft.
  • Always blind bake the crust before filling it, this keeps the bottom from turning soggy once the egg mixture goes in.

The variations

  • Swap the Emmental for grated Comté for a sharper, more pronounced flavor.
  • Add a handful of sautéed bacon bits with the endives for a heartier, non vegetarian version.
  • For a quicker version, use a store bought pre baked crust and skip the blind baking step.

What to serve it with

  • The lamb's lettuce salad already included
  • A glass of dry cider
  • A vegetable soup as a starter

Storage

The tart keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well once baked and cooled, and it's best reheated in the oven rather than the microwave to keep the crust crisp.

Questions about this dish

Can I use a different vegetable instead of endives?

Yes, thinly sliced leeks cooked down in butter work well in place of endives. The flavor will be milder and less bitter, so you can skip the sugar and lemon.

Can I make this tart ahead of time?

You can cook the endives and blind bake the crust the day before, then assemble and bake it the day you serve it. The fully baked tart also reheats well the next day.

How do I keep the tart from turning soggy?

Drain the cooked endives well, since they release a lot of water as they cool. Blind baking the crust before filling it also makes a big difference.

Do kids usually like this tart?

It depends on how they feel about bitter flavors, but cooking the endives with sugar and lemon softens that edge a lot. The gratinéed Emmental usually helps win them over.

How long does it take to make an endive and Emmental tart with a lamb's lettuce salad?

Count 55 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an endive and Emmental tart with a lamb's lettuce salad?

About 510 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an endive and Emmental tart with a lamb's lettuce salad cost?

About €1.80 per serving, or €7.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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