Hey quiche enthusiasts! Today we are going on an expedition into the Swiss Alps. Don’t worry, you don’t need any mountaineering equipment for this trip. It is purely culinary. Vegan Swiss cheese tarts are in the spotlight. A real tongue twister that is in no way inferior to “Chuchichästli”. You can prepare yourselves for a portion of heavenly culinary delights. So fasten your seatbelts and get ready to immerse yourself in the delicious world of Swiss-style mini quiches. It will be hearty, humorous, and guaranteed to be fantastically delicious!
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These mini quiches with vegan cheese are real little superheroes. Buttery, crispy dough wrapped in a hearty umami cheese coating – that’s the promise of these cheese tarts. A spectacle for the palate with every bite. Try it once and you’ll fall in love. Even the biggest cheese hater becomes an enthusiastic fan. Although perhaps this is simply because these little mini quiche things simply don’t contain any real cheese 😝.
In any case, who would have thought that such a small savory pastry could spark such a great taste sensation?
We Swiss are not the quickest to pick up on trends. But we have our culinary delights just as well under control as our mountains and cows – *self-irony*-. Tradition and indulgence often go hand in hand here, just think of Swiss chocolate. And as we are currently in a time when traditional recipes and “back to the roots” are hip again, these mini quiches with vegan cheese hit the mark. Reskeptive the stomachs of every foodie. So for once, we Swiss are right on trend with this piece of history.
The history of Swiss Chäschüechli goes back to a time when the word “vegan” was still completely unknown. The farmer on the alp would probably have scratched his head discreetly if someone had come to him talking about vegan Swiss cheese tarts.
There are many different stories and theories about how they were invented. They are almost as varied as the cheese you can use for the filling. That’s where opinions differ. However, it is entirely plausible that the alphorn was blown out of sheer joy at such a delicious masterpiece. It remains to be seen, however, whether the cows were quivering with joy 🤣.
And since I’ve always loved cheese tarts, there was no way around the fact that I would have to do without the little rascals on my vegan journey. Maybe one or two of you feel the same way? So I thought to myself; why not create a non-vegan version of these little cheese superheroes for all of you? Et voilà – that’s how this delicious homage to traditional Swiss cuisine was created.
So, quiche buddies, are you ready to conjure up your little cheese superheroes in a crispy disguise? Then here are a few little tips and tricks to ensure that the result is a success and not a quiche disaster. Are you ready? 🤗
Vegan Swiss cheese tarts need two characteristics; they should be crispy on the outside and creamy and tender on the inside. You’re probably thinking; and how does that work, please? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you straight away – I’m not a monster.
The correct preparation of the dough plays an important role in making them crispy. Firstly, the ingredients should be cold. Capito? So no butter or water at room temperature! Secondly, never – but really NEVER – knead the dough, just grate it, and then briefly join it together to form a ball of dough. More explicitly, you add the cold butter in pieces to the flour and then rub the two ingredients together between your hands until they are well combined. Then add water, mix briefly, shape into a ball, and place in the fridge. Airtight, of course. That’s how it works!
The second requirement; is creamy and delicate. That’s pretty easy with normal cheese! It practically melts just by looking at it. Vegan cheese is a bit trickier. How so? Unfortunately, not all types of vegan cheese melt nicely like that. I’ve already experienced this first-hand, aka lasagna with unmelted cheese on top, nice – not!
But what now? There are two solutions to the problem. As we all know, many roads lead to Rome. Number 1, you take a vegan cheese brand that you already used and know 100% that this cheese melts. Solution number 2 – my personal favorite – you simply mix a little vegetable oil into the quiche filling. This trick will melt the vegan cheese without any problems in 99% of cases. 💪🏻
And to make sure it really hits the palate, I recommend not leaving out the nutritional flakes and miso. They add the necessary umami that is usually naturally attached to regular cheese. 🙃
What if you get tired of vegan Swiss cheese tarts now and then? Where is the creativity, you quiche heroes?
How about mixing in some caramelized apples or pears? Or spice it up with vegan ham or bacon? If you like, you can also mix in small pieces of vegetables. Or you could try my vegan onion tart.
Incidentally, a side salad goes very well with these mini quiches.
Now there’s not much more to say than that: Let yourself be catapulted directly into the umami stratosphere by the deliciously steamy flavor explosion of these mini quiches with vegan cheese and enjoy the culinary delight hot, straight from the oven!
Bon appétit!
*Author’s note: Translated into High German and English, the Chäschüechli would be called cheesecake. Outside of Switzerland, however, this term stands for a sweet cream cheese cake. Therefore, the only alternative names offered were cheese tarts or Mini Quiches. The author has opted for these names as an alternative name for German and English readers. But is well aware that shortcrust pastry is traditionally used for quiches and tarts and not the pastry suggested here.
Vegan Swiss Cheese Tarts
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 200 g white flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 90 g vegan butter cold
- 50 ml water cold
- 200 ml plant-based cream
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp kala namak salt
- 200 g grated vegan cheese
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp light miso paste
- 1 pinch of ground turmeric only for the color
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
- Cut the cold vegan butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix by rubbing the ingredients between your hands until you have a crumbly mixture. Add cold water and work quickly to form a dough.
- Place the dough in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes*.
- Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius.
- Place the dough on baking paper and roll it out. Cut the pastry into 8 pieces using the tart tins. Place each piece in a tart tin and layout to create nice mini quiches. Prick each pastry base with a fork.
- Dissolve the cornflour in the plant-based cream.
- Add the kala namak, nutritional yeast, miso, and turmeric and stir until everything is well combined. Add the grated vegan cheese and mix again quickly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the vegan cheese filling evenly over the 8 mini quiches.
- Bake on the lowest rack for 30 to 35 minutes. Then slide onto one of the top racks and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes. This gives the filling a nice brown color and the result is more authentic.
