Vegan Smashed Potato Onion Tarte

I don’t want to bore you, but of course, I have to start by catching up those of you who might not be too familiar with our blog: I L-O-V-E the German dish potatoes with curd. This combination sparks emotions in me that neither mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, nor even canned carrots and peas could ever match. Of course we have a „basic recipe“ for it on our blog, but we’ve also created a few variations that still capture the vibe: our crispy smashed potatoes with dip, the sweet potato fritter with a lemon-herb dip, or the thousand layer potatoes.

Today, we’re adding another recipe to this series: a savory tart with a crispy potato crust, a creamy onion filling, and a salty plant-based bacon and cheese topping. You might already have a picture in mind because the smashed potato tart was trending on Instagram and TikTok a few months ago. We tried it back then and even made a video of it. But to make sure this ultra-delicious recipe doesn’t disappear into the algorithm chaos, we’re giving it a permanent home on our blog so you can come back to it again and again.

A few final tips before we start—because we often get these questions:

What vegan curd and sour cream alternatives do we recommend?
Unfortunately, there still aren’t that many curd alternatives (sometimes labeled as "vegan skyr") available in Germany. The best-known soy-based ones from supermarkets and organic stores have worked well for this recipe, so we can recommend them all. The situation is a bit different for sour cream alternatives, as there are now plenty—even from store-brand lines. So far, the higher-fat products have worked best for us. Aim for a fat content of around 30% for the best results.

Is chickpea flour really necessary?
We use both cornstarch and chickpea flour in this recipe to help bind the creamy ingredients. We’ve tested the tart multiple times, and this combination has worked best for us. That said, we’ve also had experiments where the filling held up without either of them—but that heavily depended on the specific plant-based cream products used, which should ideally have a firmer texture. That’s why we recommend using both to be on the safe side.

But let’s be real: Even when our tart fell apart after baking, every single bite was still devoured because it was just that delicious. If you don’t have chickpea flour, you can also use soy flour, as both have binding qualities. And if you try making the tart with different flours (or none at all), let us know in the comments—we’d love to learn from your experiences!

What vegan cheese do you use, and how does it melt best?
We always say: Use whatever shredded plant-based cheese you like. The key to getting a good melt isn’t necessarily the brand—it’s mixing the vegan cheese with a little oil beforehand.