It’s hard to beat a summer tomato picked fresh from the garden, which is why I’ve been waiting all year to come up with this vegan, gluten-free tomato pie!
Traditional tomato pies are buttery, cheesy, and thus very fattening. I replaced the cheese filling with a vegan ricotta consisting of soaked cashews and pine nuts, and flavored it with cooked onions, garlic, and fresh basil. The crust is a modified version of my chickpea herb pie crust, which is gluten-free and fairly simple to make.
Of course, you can always purchase a pie crust in the freezer section of the grocery store, but this recipe is much better for you than anything you buy — trust me!
The key to a good tomato pie is fresh, ripe tomatoes, preferably from a local garden. To slice them with ease, be sure to peel them first. This is done by cutting a large X in the skins, placing the tomatoes in boiling water for about one minute, then transferring them to cold water to blanch them. The skins should peel off easily, making them easy to slice.
I love this recipe because it’s easy, filling, and pretty enough to serve to guests or give to a friend or family member in need of a home-cooked meal. The basil and tomatoes taste like summer, and the chickpea flour, almond flour, and cashew/pine nut cheese round up this tomato pie’s nutrition with good servings of protein, healthful fats, and fiber.
Just pair this tomato pie with a simple green salad, and dinner is served!
Press the dough into your pie plate and pinch the edges between your fingers to form scalloped edges.
Prick the bottom of your crust before baking to prevent the formation of bubbles.
Process soaked nuts, onions, garlic, and basil until you reach a ricotta-like texture.
Start with one layer of “cheese” filling, then top with sliced tomatoes. Repeat once more.
Top with sea salt, black pepper, and fresh basil and serve as is, or . . .
. . . drizzle with a balsamic reduction for a sweet & tangy addition!
- Crust:
- 1¾ cups chickpea flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- 1 t. sea salt
- Black pepper
- ½ cup chilled coconut oil (or you can leave it out if avoiding oil)
- ⅔ cup cold water
- Pie Filling:
- ⅔ cup raw cashews or macadamia nuts, soaked in warm water at least one hour
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, soaked in warm water at least one hour
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 t. minced garlic
- ½ t. sea salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 10-15 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 2-3 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick
- Garnish: fresh basil, salt, pepper, balsamic reduction (store-bought is fine)
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a standard pie plate with coconut or olive oil and set aside.
- Make your crust by stirring together the dry crust ingredients until no clumps remain. With your hands, work in the chilled coconut oil and water until no dry flour remains and pea-sized clumps of coconut oil are dispersed throughout the dough. Press the dough evenly in the pie plate and use your fingers to scallop the edges. Prick the bottom of the crust to prevent bubbling and bake for 23-26 minutes, or until the crust appears dry and the edges are slightly golden.
- While the crust bakes, prepare your filling. In a small pan over medium-low heat, cook your onions in a splash of water until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir, and set aside.
- Drain your soaked nuts and transfer them to a food processor. Add the ½ t. salt, lemon juice, a few grinds of black pepper, and pulse until you reach a ricotta-like texture. Add the cooked onions and garlic and pulse a few more times. Finally, add in the fresh basil and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
- Remove crust from oven, leaving oven on. Spoon slightly less than half of the filling into the crust and spread evenly in the bottom of the pie plate. Next, add a layer of tomato slices, pressing them gently into the filling. Spoon the rest of the filling on top of the tomato slices, then add the final layer of tomato slices (I saved the pretty slices for the top), pressing them down slightly as well. Eat pie as is, or return pie to the oven for 15 minutes.
- Top the pie with sea salt, fresh black pepper, a sprig of basil, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the pie, and serve with a simple green salad for a complete meal. Enjoy!
I shared a slice of this with my toddler, and she screamed for more! Some kids will refuse to eat tomatoes, but I encourage you to make this so they can try it! It might even change their minds about tomatoes 🙂
Abby loves watching pies bake!
More please!
I plan on making this tomato pie as many times as I can until my tomato plants stop producing tomatoes.
It’s that good!
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