Onion Tart
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This simple onion tart has gotten a facelift after languishing for 12 years on my website. The recipe is from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Patricia Wells, and her book, A Home in Provence. She does simple recipes so well!
And simple, this recipe is. It’s definitely falls under the “my refrigerator is bare, what can I make?” category, with just a handful of readily available ingredients. If you’re looking for a cheesy onion quiche, this isn’t it. This onion tart is made without a pastry crust, which makes it naturally gluten free and low carb. It’s feel like one of those classic bistro dishes you might find in small restaurant the south of France. (This recipe was originally published on April 16th, 2012)
Ingredients for onion tart
Onions are the star of the show in this simple tart. There’s no cheese, which means it’s all about the onions! It has minimal ingredients; 1 pound or 3 onions, but don’t sweat if you end up with a few ounces more. No fresh thyme? Use dried. No heavy cream? Add more milk and an additional egg. It’ll still turn out! Don’t be tempted to substitute sweet or Vidalia onions which makes it makes it too sweet.
- 1 pound yellow onions
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional for buttering the pan.
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 Tablespoon minced chives
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided
How to make this onion tart recipe
Bake it in a 9 or 10″ quiche or tart pan, or in an 8″x8″ square baking dish for small bite-sized appetizer portions. Adjust the time by adding about 5 minutes to the baking time.
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 or 10″ baking dish. You can use a tart pan with a removable bottom or a glass pie dish as well. This is the quiche pan I used.
- Slice onions in half and then slice thinly.
- In a large skillet or large frying pan over a medium to medium-low heat, add butter, onions, fresh thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and a pinch of the nutmeg.
- Cover and cook until onions are soft, but not caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
- Spread onions over tart pan or dish.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, chives, and remaining seasonings.
- Pour over onion mixture.
- Bake at 425 degrees F. for about 30 minutes or until the top of the tart is a deep golden brown and custard is firm.
- Let sit for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
What to serve with an onion tart
This tart is delicious with a simple Green Salad. It’s also a perfect addition to a picnic menu, as it travels well and you can serve it room temperature.
More picnic options:
More quiche and savory tart recipes
- Crab Quiche with a buttery crust and rich Gruyere cheese filling.
- Crustless Asparagus and Mushroom Quiche is naturally gluten free.
- Tomato CheeseTart with Thyme (naturally gluten free and low carb).
Onion Tart
Ingredients
- 1 pound yellow onions (about 3), sliced thin
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for buttering the dish
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon chives chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425*
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 10″ baking dish.
- Slice onions in half and then slice thinly.
- In a large unheated skillet, combine the onions, butter, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Cover pan and cook until the onions are soft, but not caramelized or brown, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl with milk, cream, and remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg, until eggs are blended. Add chopped chives.
- Spread the onions out in the buttered baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the onions.
- Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the custard is firm, about 30 minutes.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes to firm up. Serve warm.
Notes
- For appetizer size portions, bake in an 8″ by 8″ square pan and cut into 16 portions.
I’ve lost my Patricia Wells cookbook over the years and have been searching for this specific record! Thank you so much for posting this recipe… it’s a keeper!!!!
Oh, I’m so glad! Thank you!