Swiss Vegetable Tart (Gemüsewähe) with Leek — the Friday Classic
Yvonne Ammann VegetarianPastry into the tin, sprinkle the base with breadcrumbs, add the sautéed vegetables, cheese on top, pour over a custard of 3 eggs, 2 dl milk and 1 dl cream. Bake on the bottom shelf at 220 °C for 35 minutes. The vegetables must be cooked first, or they water down the tart.
The Wähe has been Swiss Friday food since the days of fasting rules, and it is still the most practical family meal there is: one tray, one custard, and whatever vegetables are in the fridge. Shop-bought pastry is perfectly fine — the tart is made good by the custard and vegetables, not the pastry. One trick against a soggy base, and it works every time.
Ingredients
- 1 piece Shortcrust pastry (ready-rolled round, about 320 g)
- 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
- 2 pieces Leeks
- 2 pieces Carrots
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 150 g Gruyère (grated)
Custard
- 3 pieces Eggs
- 2 dl Milk
- 1 dl Double cream
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pepper
- Nutmeg
Method
- 1
Sauté the vegetables
Slice the leeks into thin rings, the carrots into thin rounds. Sauté in the butter for 8 to 10 minutes until the leek is soft and no liquid remains in the pan. Salt, and let cool.
- 2
Line the tin
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Lay the pastry with its paper into a 28 cm round tin, press up the edge, prick the base with a fork and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
- 3
Fill
Spread the vegetables over the pastry and scatter the cheese on top.
- 4
Custard
Whisk the eggs with the milk, cream, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg and pour evenly over the vegetables.
- 5
Bake
Bake on the lowest shelf for 35 minutes until the custard is set and the top golden. Rest 10 minutes before cutting — the custard then holds its shape.
Tips
- Variations with the same custard: 400 g spinach, wilted and squeezed dry (spinach tart). 300 g cheese and no vegetables (cheese tart). 2 onions plus 100 g bacon (onion tart). Broccoli, courgette, pumpkin — always cook first.
- Wähe tastes best lukewarm and cold the next day makes a perfect snack. Keeps three days in the fridge and freezes well once baked.
- A rectangular tray with double the amounts is the answer when guests come — you cannot overcook a Wähe, only make too little of it.
What can I substitute?
Lighter. With quark the custard is firmer and slightly tangy — balance with one more egg.
Airier, with a less crisp base. Then breadcrumbs and the bottom shelf are essential.
Feta suits spinach and courgette, Parmesan tomatoes. Both are saltier — halve the salt in the custard.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the base of my tart not crisp?
Three causes: wet vegetables, too high in the oven, no breadcrumbs. Cook the vegetables until the liquid is gone; bake on the lowest shelf where the heat comes from below; breadcrumbs on the base. All three together and the base is crisp.
Can I prepare the tart ahead?
Cook the vegetables and mix the custard the day before, refrigerate separately. Fill and bake only shortly before — a filled raw pastry goes soggy. Or bake fully and reheat: 10 minutes at 180 °C.
Which vegetables suit a Wähe?
Anything that can be sautéed: leek, spinach, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, pumpkin, peppers, mushrooms. Tomatoes only sliced on top, not in the custard — too watery. About 500 g cooked vegetables in total for one tin.
What goes with a vegetable tart?
A green salad with a sharp dressing, nothing more. Many families have Wähe with a soup before it on Fridays — the combination is a complete supper.
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