Caramelised Onion & Goat Cheese Tart with Rocket Salad

Sweet, savoury, buttery goodness that screams “I totally planned this.”

This one’s got date night energy written all over it—especially if the date is with yourself, your latest streaming obsession, and a crisp glass of sauv blanc. It’s simple enough for a Tuesday, but fancy enough to trick your brain into thinking you’re dining al fresco in Provence. Win-win.

We’re talking flaky puff pastry, sticky-sweet caramelised onions, tangy goat cheese, and a whisper of thyme. Add a peppery little rocket salad on the side and boom—sophisticated dinner, minimal mess, maximum smugness.

🛒 What You’ll Need (serves one, generously)

For the tart:

1 square of frozen puff pastry (thawed)
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp olive oil or butter (or both!)
1–2 tsp balsamic vinegar or a pinch of brown sugar (optional, but magic)
40–50g goat cheese (soft or crumbly)
A few sprigs of fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried)

For the rocket salad:

A handful of rocket (a.k.a. arugula if you’re feeling international)
1 tsp olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper

🍳 How to Make It

1. Caramelise the onions

Heat oil or butter in a pan over low heat.
Add the onions and cook sloooowly—like 20–25 minutes slowly—until soft, golden, and sweet. Stir now and then so they don’t stick.
Add a splash of balsamic or a tiny sprinkle of brown sugar towards the end if you want extra depth.

💡 Hot tip: Make a bigger batch and stash it in the fridge. Caramelised onions are the MVP of lazy flavour boosts and keep for a week.

2. Assemble the tart

Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan-forced).
Place the pastry square on a lined baking tray. Lightly score a 1cm border around the edge with a knife (don’t cut all the way through—this gives it that fancy puffed crust).
Spread the caramelised onion inside the border.
Dot with goat cheese and sprinkle over thyme.

3. Bake

Bake for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is golden, puffed, and smelling like a very small bakery in the south of France.

4. Make the salad

Toss rocket with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Keep it simple—it’s here to balance the richness of the tart, not upstage it.

5. Serve it up

Slice your tart, pile on that rocket salad, pour yourself a glass of something crisp, and marvel at how incredibly adult you suddenly feel.

🧠 Why It Works

Minimal effort, maximum payoff. Puff pastry does all the heavy lifting.
Flavour magic. Sweet onion + creamy goat cheese = the kind of combination that makes you stare lovingly at your plate.
Plays well with wine. Which, let’s be honest, is sometimes the deciding factor.

🥄 Swaps & Tips

No goat cheese? Try feta, blue cheese, or even brie for a melty twist.
Vegan version? Use plant-based puff pastry and swap the goat cheese for cashew cheese or a vegan soft cheese.
Low effort? Use pre-cooked caramelised onions (some delis or supermarkets carry them).
No rocket? Baby spinach or even sliced cucumber with lemon works in a pinch.

🧡 Perfect For:

A solo wine-and-dine moment where you want to feel a little bit posh
A low-effort-but-high-impact meal to impress a date (or your mum)
Using up that goat cheese you bought during your “I’m going to cook more” phase

🙌 Wrap-Up

This Caramelised Onion & Goat Cheese Tart is one of those rare dishes that looks (and tastes) like effort but is secretly easy enough to pull off half-asleep. Whether you’re cooking for one or sharing with someone special, it’s bound to leave your kitchen smelling amazing and your tastebuds very, very happy.

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