Is this a good place to admit that in all years I sat down at the Thanksgiving table when I didn’t eat meat, it never occurred to me that I needed an alternative meal? Because: sweet potatoes. Because: green beans. Because: stuffing and cranberries and dinner rolls and four types of pie! My plate was heavy. My face was stuffed. I mean, who’s really in it for the turkey?
But, you’re probably a better vegetarian than I was (one who does not consider a montage of side dishes a proper meal) or at least a better host (one who believes every guest, regardless of diet, deserves a main dish), which means that you are probably currently tasked with making something vegetable-centric that’s a) not just everyone else’s side dish, b) ideally contains protein too, c) would be a good fit for the other harvest-y flavors on the table, i.e. no small order.
May I suggest a galette? These savory free-form pies have been an Smitten Kitchen favorite since our 2006 inception. There was one with Wild Mushrooms and Stilton, Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onions, Zucchini and Ricotta, Cabbage and Mushroom and even one with Burst Tomato with Zucchini and Corn (no side-eye over the zucchini, please, there were several at the market this week! Corn, yeah, not so much). Or, if you’re looking for something new, how about this one with roasted leeks, white beans, a little lemon, garlic and really never enough gruyere cheese?
Here’s the thing: any of these recipes will make one large (that can be cut into 8 appetizer-portion wedges) or four smaller ones that could replace turkey and gravy on a vegetarian plate. The dough keeps for a week in the fridge and longer in the freezer. The baked galettes keep for at least two days in peak form in the fridge and rewarm fantastically and all are also good nearing room temperature, which means that even if you’re juggling a massive menu, they’re not going to add any last-minute cooking drama. Plus, most essentially, they’re insanely good with the flakiest dough I know how to make and flavorful fillings and really don’t be surprised if people forgo the turkey to grab one of these instead.
One year ago: Classic Pecan Pie with Praline Sauce
Two years ago: Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions
Three years ago: Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Four years ago: Gingersnaps
Five years ago: Creamed Onions with Bacon and Chives
Six years ago: Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie
Seven years ago: Winter Fruit Salad and Mushroom and Barley Pie
Eight years ago: Pumpkin Waffles and Creamy White Polenta with Mushrooms
Nine years ago: Cranberry Sauce, Three Ways, Tomato and Sausage Risotto and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Fake Shack Burger
1.5 Years Ago: Soft Pretzel Buns and Knots
2.5 Years Ago: Greek Salad with Lemon and Oregano
3.5 Years Ago: Vidalia Onion Soup with Wild Rice
4.5 Years Ago: Rhubarb Streusel Muffins
Roasted Leek and White Bean Galettes
Filling inspired by this Food & Wine gratin
For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces or 115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
1/4 cup (60 grams) plain yogurt or sour cream
2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water
For the filling
6 small-to-medium leeks, dark green tops discarded, white and light green parts halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2/3 cup grated gruyère cheese, divided
Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Make dough: Stir the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, prepare filling: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange leeks cut-side-up in a large (9×13-inch) baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flip the leeks so that their cut sides face down, add 3 tablespoons of water to the dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Uncover and continue roasting the leeks for 10 to 15 minutes, or until caramelized. Leave oven on. Let leeks cool slightly, then chop into segments and place in a large bowl. Toss with beans, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble galettes: Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a floured counter, roll the first piece dough out into a roughly 8-inch round, although it really doesn’t need to be perfectly shaped. Transfer to a large parchment-lined baking sheet; I like to fold my dough gently, without creasing, in quarters then unfold it onto the baking pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the prepared filling into the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the remaining cheese. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, making 4 small galettes.
Bake the galettes: For 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Or, if you’re planning ahead, let cool completely and refrigerate until needed. Gently rewarm before serving in a low oven.
I don’t eat meat but I’ve never missed having a main dish on Thanksgiving! Too many delicious sides, a main dish wouldn’t fit on my plate (or in my stomach) anyway :)
These look incredible!
I haven’t even read the recipe yet, only the title. And I can already say: THANK YOU for this.
Okay, now that I’ve actually read the recipe, one question. Would it not be easier to cut the leeks into segments when raw? Cooked (and caramelized) leeks are so soft. Do they not mush up when cut after cooking? Or, conversely, would they burn if roasted in segments? Thanks again!
Yes! I will do this next time. That was the hardest part of the recipe. :)
I don’t ever remember reading that you used to be a vegetarian. As a not very good vegetarian, I thank you! There’s always so much good stuff on the table I never miss not having turkey except for the day after when I liked a turkey sandwich as a kid. It always tasted better to me on white Wonder bread slathered with mayonnaise. This galette looks and sounds delicious. Happy holiday!
I don’t eat meat and I never felt that was an issue on Thanksgiving. I just wish that gravy was somehow magically vegetarian. :)
And I love galettes – these look amazing! Never thought to make them smaller though. Great idea thanks!
While not homemade….a lot of the powdered gravy mixes are vegetarian! The knorr brand ones (in Canada anyway) are vegetarian friendly
Trader Joes has frozen leeks that pre-chopped and cheap. Wonder if they would work here.
Of the 100+ recipes I’ve made from this website and your cookbook, the Butternut Squash & Caramelized Onion Galette is hands down my favourite! I love it so much, and look forward to squash season just to make it!
I especially like the make-ahead aspect. Making Thanksgiving dinner for eight families and one vegetarian, I thought no way would I be able to fit this in. It sounds wonderful though, and if I can make it the day before, it might actually be possible!
People who were vegetarians but then went back to eat meat always intrigue me! Anything with a crust makes me sublimely happy. Scrumptious as always. Happy Thanksgiving. Maybe we’ll see you on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade special. You never know!
What a wonderful idea! I remember always being so grateful when the host made a special effort to accomodate my diet. These will fill the bill beautifully! Thanks again and happy Thanksgiving!
Wow, yum, these look amazing! I wouldn’t make them for Thanksgiving because I wouldn’t want to share! LOL
This looks amazing. As a vegetarian, my biggest pet peeve is that while delicious, my traditional meal is always starch, starch and more starch (most of the family likes the green bean casserole with the canned soup, or overcooked frozen vegetables… yuck). So this? PERFECT. Thank you thank you thank you. Can’t wait to make them.
I went to the trouble to make gorgeous stuffed roasted onions for my vegetarian Thanksgiving guests one year. They really looked entree-worthy! While everyone loved them, omnivores and veges alike, everyone still ate turkey. meaning, for some vegetarians, that roasted bird is tough to turn down!
This looks delicious! Though I’m wondering for someone who needs gluten-free and non-cow-dairy free, if I could make a version of this with a gluten free crust, and replacing the gruyere cheese with some other non-cow-milk version. Possibly goat cheese? Suggestions are VERY welcome, as I’d really like to make this! Thanks!
This looks great, but I’m vegan. For the filling I would simply omit the cheese and glaze, and butter in the pastry is easy to substitute. The only thing I can’t figure out is the sour cream. I haven’t had luck with vegan substitutes in the past. What would you recommend? Thank you!!
Abigail- I used almond yogurt as a sub!
Haven’t tried yet but hope it’s tasty!
Making this next week. Not for Thanksgiving. For funsies. Because YUM.
These are ‘galettes’ in a very different style from the French original use of that term, which means thin crepes made with (I think) buckwheat flour.
Using this filling in the French kind of galette instead would reduce the starch content considerably and avoid most of the issues with how to make them vegan, since they require neither butter nor sour cream.
Galettes are also cookies, and there is so strict definition of what constitutes a galette. I am Quebecoise and we make a cookie called galette a la confitures. A brown sugar cookie filled with preserves. There are many things that are referred to as galettes. I’ve actually never heard of a crepe being referred to as a galette.I think it just needs to be round….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galette
The crepe-like Galette you described is referred to as a “Breton Galette”
These look so healthy! I love the beans and leek combo.
I love this! As a lifelong vegetarian I was lost on what to make for thanksgiving this year. I did not feel like a lasagna and this my dear Deb calls my name. My entire family including the 18 month olds will love this. This is the reason I love this blog. It is not necessary to be austere to eat well. Just balanced:) this a nice kale salad and your pecan pie is going to be our thanksgiving menu. Maybe some sweet potato to please the kids and kid minded among us.
Sides are by far the best thing about Thanksgiving, and in the years that I did not eat meat I was always more than happy to have a dinner made up of all the sides. That being said, these would be an incredible addition to the Thanksgiving table. The beans, leeks, and gruyere sound like a perfect combination.
Using canned beans is really a good idea. I don’t make bean dishes often enough because I have this residual from-scratch anxiety, but I wouldn’t bet my life on telling canned beans (good ones, Progresso or something) from cooked-from-scratch in a blindfold test. (In fact I wouldn’t bet five dollars on it.) Time to overcome that anxiety and make this terrific dish–thanks, Deb.
What a wonderful, wonderful recipe. I’m gonna make these!
This looks delicious, and I’m sure I would enjoy it. But…I’ve been a vegetarian lo these many years, and frankly, I delight in Thanksgiving as a festival of carbs. I might feel a bit put out if someone actually served me a main dish, and I had to make room for it on my plate. But I come from a family where we place much emphasis an overabundance of sides (and pies) including my fave, mac and cheese. Also my mother and/or grandmother always makes me a small dish of cornbread dressing with vegetable broth, and I am in heaven.
YES! A new bean recipe that I haven’t yet tried! Thank you! I’m really excited to make this… possibly without the gruyère, because I am one of those monsters who doesn’t appreciate cheese.
Beautifully done! Leeks are so underappreciated at Thanksgiving.
I am going through another extended period of obsessively eating white beans with everything. Usually your roasted cherry tomatoes and onions, but this looks like a good alternative. PS. I think the one year link should say pumpkin pie and not pecan.
Why do you wait to chop the leeks till after they are cooked? Just wondering about the logic there (also thinking it would be nice not to have to wait till they cool to cut them)
Just made and devoured this. DEFINITELY going in the recipe box, so good!!! Added little tiny buttery gold potatoes because I couldn’t help it.
Did you precook the potatoes?
I look forward to trying both the new and more established galettes for vegetarian friends at Christmas (had Canadian Thanksgiving a month ago). Next, I hope for one of your lovely galette fillings for my vegan buddies. Me, I think, no cheese? Why go on? But the vegans beg to differ.
Somewhat recently in the NY Times was a cooking article about using store-bought pizza dough to make galettes…did you see that? (I think it was someone famous writing the column, which I know totally helps…google is not helping me, I’m sorry) Have you ever tried it? The appeal is the dairy-free-ness for certain people who sit at my table
@#31Kate: There are a lot of very good pastry dough recipes that contain no dairy. I would try that rather than pizza dough that is not ever flaky but more chewy. I can’t see a galette with chewy pastry. It should be more like a pie pastry, if I am not mistaken.
I’ve been tasked with bringing the veggies to holiday dinners since I discovered the joy of the farmer’s market in college and whelp, I know what I’m bringing for Thanksgiving this year! And maybe Christmas too!
For those asking about dairy substitution, I’ve made Deb’s galette dough with tofutti’s better than sour cream, which is vegan. It worked beautifully. I am not a vegan (but have dairy averse friends), and have made the dough with regular sour cream before. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference when I used the substitute, and the texture was still wonderful.
I second Cindy on the sour cream substitute, and I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread. Both are vegan, and work for the lactose intolerant (me) and for my very-picky-about-anything-resembling-savory-pie British partner who is a huge believer in butter.
Where’s the baby click bait?? ;) p.s. Jacob is adorable.
Oh my gosh that looks so stinking good!!
Oh holy shit. (runs for kitchen)
I have made a variation on Mark Bittman’s boulangerie beans and potatoes for years that is reminiscent of this. Leeks, cannellini, potatoes, a bit of cream and stock baked for forever.
I just came off your butternut squash galette and cannot wait to give this one a try! I know the crust is superb. I know the filling is what I want.
(SWOON)
I love this pastry so much that I would happily eat it with no filling at all.
I have wondered if it could be rolled into croissant-ish shapes, and baked by itself?
This is beautiful! I’ve already got my Thanksgiving entree figured out, but I’m contemplating making this at Christmas, when there will be another vegetarian present.
This looks delicious! Great to make for a dinner party :)
Cool, that’s my Christmas dinner sorted as like you usually just fill up on all the sides! Yummy….
I love this pastry so much! It looks so yummy, nutritious and the most important is, I can make this for my vegetarian friend to surprise them! I always running out of idea when I plan to make some dishes for them. I’m really excited to make this.
Yes Trish, I also decided to Make this recipe on Christmas, it sounds tasty.. thanks for sharing method of preparation..
I have actually hosted Thanksgiving once in my life (I’m the kind of person who invites 15 people and then says “how do you make a turkey?”) I had 3 diabetics, 2 heart problems and an anorexic. No vegetarians, though…
Deb, do you think you could make a galette and freeze it BEFORE it’s baked? Then bake it from frozen? Or thawing it out first? I use your galette recipes ALL the time. Wondering if this would work…. :)
Did you make this recipe and freeze? Did you thaw or cook from frozen?
These look so delish – and leeks and white beans? I would have never thought to do that combination. Sounds very different and good!
Thank you so much – these sound delicious and a god send for my vegetarian Christmas Day Main and perfect they can be made ahead. :)
This recipe looks wonderful. I have enjoyed so many of your recipes over the years and look forward to enjoying this one too.
With respect, I think that providing a main course for every guest’s dietary desires is not the responsibility of a host. Like you I was a vegetarian for many years. Indulging in a wealth of side dishes was my MO, with no sacrifices involved. This is being a gracious guest.
If hosts feel they *must* provide a main dish for everyone’s dietary needs, they turn their home kitchen into a restaraunt kitchen. If a guest has a dietary need related to a medical issue, then a special dish is important. If a guest has a dietary limitation based on choice (and vegetarianism is a choice), then the gracious thing is to enjoy the side dishes in the spirit in which they were prepared – as a gift.
Or perhaps the vegetarian or glutein-free guest can bring a dish they made in introduce the other guests to the delicious options available within a restricted diet.
I write this not to question anyone’s dietary choices or needs, but as a reminder that the gracious guest enjoys the food a friend or family member makes for you in a spirit of gratitude.
As luck would have it, I made my first-ever visit to a Trader Joe’s yesterday, and what was among my purchases? Why, two bags of frozen leeks! Along with some bags of frozen pearl onions, for the Creamed Onions with Bacon and Chives! It is one long, honkin’ drive to TJ’s, but I think it will be worth it in the future. I think I might have regrown part of a recent 55-pound weight loss just thinking of creamed onions and creamed leeks and precious little gallettes. Totally worth it. Wishing everyone a big,fat, rich American Thanksgiving meal!
This recipe for the leeks sounds good enough on its own without the galette. I would even try it with puff pastry and skip making the pastry dough.
For questions on freezing galettes, I will often par bake small pies (flaky or yeast dough) about half way through, cool and then freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then put them in a bag (preferably a vacuum seal bag so they do not get icy) to keep indefinitely. It makes them a bit more solid to handle (and pack for lunch) and less likely to stick to the bag. Take them directly from the freezer to the oven and bake a bit longer. If you are afraid that it will get too dark, cover it in some foil. I would expect that it would work with a big pie as well, but then I would need space in my freezer for such things so I will never know.
That will be served at my house for dinner one night. It looks great, but my Thanksgiving menu is too full already!
Susan — Perhaps? I don’t think it would be a total fail, FWIW. It’s more about figuring out if the frozen-then-defrosted-then-cooked-again filling would have a nice final texture. I’d put my confidence level that it would without testing at… 80% :)
Marcia — I think you could, but it would be a crisp thing, not like a croissant. Soft inside, but still a firm pastry knot. How about rolled into a croissant shape with a little marinated feta in the middle for a party appetizer?
Yeasted galette dough — Actually, I have one I’ve been wanting to audition forever. But I probably won’t be able to report back on it until January. If it works, it would work with any of these galette recipes, so I too am intrigued.
Jorj — You could, I suppose, but I think they roast prettier in long lengths. You don’t have to wait long; you can chop them hot.
Regarding comments about guests with special food issues: In my family we have one very dear and close person who is lactose intolerant – so butter and milk are out. I can deal with that (though Earth Balance and Lactaid do not an awesome mashed potato make!). However, what about folks bringing dishes – EVERYTHING has butter. And most folks resent my asking them to use a substitute.
Then, there’s the individualin our family who is truly allergic to nuts. I can deal with that, but it seems that others keep “forgetting” or don’t want to think about it when they are making their dish.
Then, there’s the vegetarians. They are cool. They’ll eat whatever, but many folks seem to want to comment about their choices at Thanksgiving.
Love the looks of this dish and will be making it for my vegetarian family as well.
People! c’mon!
@#6 Megan, it is possible to make a great vegetarian gravy. :-) My mom has been making it for my vegetarian sister for years. She always starts with chopped carrot, celery, garlic and onion; sometimes chopped mushrooms, too. A veggie stock base, obviously, as well as mushroom stock, soy sauce and various herbs and seasonings. Mom doesn’t make her stock from scratch; she uses whatever is on sale at Whole Foods or Wegman’s. Since my sister does eat dairy, The veggies are sautéed in butter and olive oil for richness. It works! My mom has learned to make enough gravy for the carnivores, too. (Though she makes a mean turkey, my mother-in-law’s gravy is very inconsistent.)
What a great and fairly easy idea for serving the vegetarians invited to a meal! Everyone would love these. As far as preparing special items for guests with food allergies, I feel that if you invite them it IS your responsibility to feed them something they can eat. Would you invite someone out to eat then make them pay? I can’t imagine it!
Deb.
I made the butternut/caramelized onion version tonight.
I am currently eating it and I don’t want to eat anything else ever again.
I can’t thank you enough!
This might be a dumb question but are the leeks washed?? I often use them for soup and find I have to chop them before I clean them to get all the dirt out of the layers.
Lindsey,
When you half the leeks lengthwise, you can (carefully) separate the root end and rinse out any grit, then rearrange the layers. Usually it’s just the bottom of the leek that still contains dirt. Since you add liquid as you roast anyway, a little extra clinging to the leeks should be no problem.
Made this tonight to accompany lamb steaks, and it was just awesome. I added a little caramelized onion to the filling, but made the rest of it per Deb’s recipe and it was just crazy good. Smitten, thanks so much for yet another keeper.
Can you freeze these, and what stage would you freeze them at. I’m a single lady I cook for one
Looked so good I just had to try it on this cold saturday (and added some diced bacon in those for the meatlover part of my family…) Everyone loved it, veggie or not, thank you very much for the recipe!
Greetings from Germany (near Black Forest)
Anne
As a vegetarian, I’m more than happy to enjoy sides! My family made fun of me a few years ago for making rolls into sandwiches with sweet potatoes, blue cheese, and cranberry sauce, but why not skip straight to the sandwich portion of the Thanksgiving experience? I’d be very happy to be served one of these galettes, though. It’s a little unusual to see them with beans, so that’s a happy surprise!
Made these on Friday night for dinner, paired with some tomato soup. Absolutely fantastic! My husband (who prefers meat-based dinners) was extremely happy with these as well. We had the leftovers for lunch yesterday – they re-heat beautifully so I will definitely keep these as an idea for a dinner for company. Prepare earlier and just re-heat – elegant and very yummy! Wonderful recipe.
Hi Deb,
Any other cheese that would be a good substitute? Love gruyere but I am making a sweet potato and gruyere casserole that is to die for and can’t be omitted from the menu.. would a goat cheese work well?
Thanks!
Made this tonight as 1 big galette. That worked perfectly. I forgot to turn the oven on, which didn’t work so well, and I do not recommend. My husband wants to make this again and to add some bacon, because he felt like it needed little bits of salty. We talked about adding olives or maybe little bits of feta to achieve the salty bursts while staying meatless.
Perfect timing, as we’re test driving vegetarian recipes for the holidays. We prefer to offer a “real” main dish to our vegetarians, and this fits the bill. I made these last night and my husband, a committed carnivore, loved them as well. Will try the butternut squash ones next. Thank you so much!
I made this for dinner tonight. Even the kids loved it – the flaky pastry, the soft filling – the of the nuttiness of the cheese against the sweet leeks. This is a winner! I served it with roasted brussels sprouts and garlic bread. It worked well together.
As you always do, thanks for the inspiration! I made these last night for a dinner party and they were a big hit! Didn’t have any cheese on hand, but 1/4 sour cream with a dash of thyme was perfect. ;)
Thanks again!
P.S. This goes really well served with risotto!
Made these this past weekend for a pot luck – they were fantastic, however I have two notes: the leeks took much longer to caramelize than the indicated baking time, and because the leeks were still warm when I filled the dough, the butter in the dough melted, creating breaks and holes (so frustrating!!) and causing the filling to leak (leek?) as it baked. Despite this, it was super delicious and I can’t wait to make it again – but I will definitely prepare my leeks in advance!
Deb, I made these Galettes the day you posted them! Totally, Totally AWSOME! Can hardly wait for a reason to serve these again. Thanks for the pleasure:-)
I completely agree though – the side dishes are all you need! I was only vegetarian for one Thanksgiving, but I felt like the sides were more than enough. Although these… with homemade flaky crust? Heck yes. Looking forward to making these next time I have a quiet Sunday afternoon to myself :)
I am making this for dinner tonight. Why wait until Thanksgiving? Anything with leek and cannellini is perfectly A-ok with me! Thanks for the recipe, Deb!
I would forgo turkey any day for a beauty like this. Love the addition of yogurt in the dough – it probably makes it a bit less fussy to work with. Must try! :)
Mmmh, just finished dinner, that was delicious! I had never eaten galettes before, much less made them (I am more familiar with the traditional French galettes mentioned by someone else earlier, which is like a crêpe made with buckwheat flour and a savoury filling – had plenty of those on holiday in Brittany and Normandy). I was a little worried at first because the pastry dough was very soft and sticky when I made it, and I had to add more flour, but after chilling it was just about workable. And it turned out to be wonderfully flaky once baked.my husband and I both loved them. Now I have two left over to freeze and enjoy another day. Thanks for the recipe!
Greetings from the Black Forest
Linda
Just made these. Brilliant. The pastry is so good, and we’ll be thinking up different fillings to try next time. These went really fast and will definitely get made again. Thank you.
You could probably assemble these, freeze them, and egg wash + bake them whenever you want to eat them! That’s what I do with turnovers at work and they have a similar dough.
I am so thankful for your entertaining writing and your generous sharing of delicious recipes. My family has no reason to eat meat. We are fortunate for the abundance of good food available. Our main today is a mushroom nutloaf. Happy Thanksgiving!
So I made and frozen these and then baked them off just before Thanksgiving dinner. Best thing on the table! They took about 35 minutes at 350 and then I gave them another 10 at 400 to get them fully brown but the filling was as bright and flavorful as on the day I made them. I had to promise one of my guests that I would make them again for him. Thank you for a delicious and unexpected addition to our Thanksgiving!
I have leftover pie crust (traditional all-butter crust) from my Thanksgiving prep. (Hooray for guests bringing pies!) Would that work well for this dish?
I’ve read Smitten for ages. I have the book. I love Deb. My husband loves Deb. Whenever we try a new recipe, we say, “It’s Smitten. It’ll work.” But you won tonight. I was diagnosed as Celiac in March and have missed pastry so much. This recipe? With all-purpose gluten free flour? TOTALLY WORKED. And was delicious. Thank you for feeding us, all, well!
Rashmi — A soft goat cheese might taste good, but I’m not confident it will bind as well. I’d suggest comte or swiss, but they’re all all in the same family as gruyere/not enormously different in taste.
To freeze — You could freeze these baked or unbaked.
Lindsay — Yes, washed. Someone described this above, but I always split them and plunge them in cold water, fanning out the layers to make sure no grit/dirt remains. Leeks love collecting dirt.
I loved the idea of these galettes. However, when I started making them, I couldn’t help but feel there was an error in the amount of flour called for. Using the amount listed resulted in a very wet, totally unrollable dough. I added another cup of flour. The final result was yummy – I’m just wondering if that’s really how the dough was supposed to be.
Rachel — The flour is what I use. The dough is a little sticky but when firm from the fridge on a floured counter, shouldn’t be an issue. (It only gets sticky when it warms up and the butter begins melting.) Stickier doughs generally yield flakier results, so it’s best to resist adding extra flour.
Thanks for the clarification, Deb. I will try again and make sure to chill it for long enough :)
I made these tonight, and added 4 oz bacon, chopped. Then I used the hot bacon grease to wilt a couple handfuls of spinach and threw that in, too (both of these were winners in the “what’s about to go bad in the fridge?” sweepstakes). Not really vegetarian any more, but the boy, who usually hates onion, gobbled it up. Thanks!
Made this last week and it was wonderful! I used a premade crust and added in 4-5 leaves chopped kale, which went really nicely. Didn’t have gruyere, so I used a little Cypress Grove truffle goat cheese, and a little regular goat cheese. Sprinkled a little shredded mozz on top. Delicious!
These are delicious. I couldn’t help adding a bit of pancetta to the mix, though I know they would have been perfect as is.
I made these for my cooking club last night. The dough is AMAZING. I used Greek yogurt, and the combo of that with the fresh lemon juice results in the tangiest, flakiest crust! I think I have to try all the different filling combos now.
That gratin sounds great. I just got some awesome-looking leeks and have been looking for a good way to use them. I think that wins!
I made a version of these the past weekend. I used white beans, roasted fennel, and Swiss chard. It’s what I had in the fridge! I used the seasonings in the recipe, but used some parm instead of gruyere, as that’s what I had.
I never would have thought to put white beans in a galette. It was interesting! I think my version had too many beans to fennel and thus was a bit dry. I think I need a little drizzle of something over it when I eat it. But the flavours were definitely there. I’d try it with leeks next time!
I just made this with ramps (wild leeks) and they came out amazing! I sauteed them in butter first and then chopped them up. Thank you for all your amazing inspiration. It keeps my family and me sane when cooking can get routine and mundane!
This galette is wonderful — the filling is delicious (I used asiago instead of gruyere because I happened to have it in my fridge) and the dough is lovely with the added touch of sourness from lemon zest and yogurt. I, found, however, that the half cup of liquid for the dough (yogurt and ice water) was way too much. I had to add a lot of extra flour so I could roll out the dough. Next time I will gradually add no more than a quarter cup.
These are SO DELICIOUS and so easy! Now a favorite, especially because the dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a couple of days.
I made these last night with mushrooms instead of beans and they were mighty tasty!
The crust is so flaky and nice and they’re actually still really good the next day for lunch.
Thanks Deb!
Thank you! These are supremely delicious, I just made them with rough flaky pastry two thirds whole meal spelt and one third chestnut flour because that’s what I had :0) , just as short and crumbly I think as the sour cream pastry. The filling is luscious, the lemon rind adding a certain’ je ne sais quoi’. Yum..
Do you think the dough can be made with a gluten-free flour mix such as Cup-4-Cup?
Thanks
Looks Yummy!
I’ve made this dough (for the butternut squash galette) with Better Batter and it came out splendidly. I imagine Cup4Cup would be great – the extra starch would make it nice and flaky. Just some adjustments I made that worked well for me – I left the butter in slightly bigger chunks (flattened between fingers) and put a couple turns in the dough as I rolled it out, which helps build in structure that would otherwise come from the gluten. And I added the water separately from the other wet ingredients (after) and by the tablespoon – I’ve found that I only end up using 2 Tbs before it comes together really well!
Thank you! I’ve recently had to go gf and I LOVE these galettes! I was hoping there was a way for me to keep making them! I can’t wait to try this one with your helpful advice!
Hi,
Was wondering if that would work as one large galett as opposed to 4 smaller pnes. Thank you,
O
I made this and added sauteed mushrooms and it was a HUGE hit! As a side, simple salad and then glazed beets, carrots and parsnips. The plate was gorgeous. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
I cheated and used readymade pie crust from ALDI, but followed the recipe for the filling– soooo tasty!
I followed your directions. And put the dough in the fridge. It was stickier than I thought it would be — is that right or should it be very firm? It will be in the fridge until tomorrow.
The dough feels sticky at first but rolls out easily and gets very flaky.
Awesome. Thank you!!
I’ve never had a problem with a Smitten Kitchen recipe before, but this dough got the best of me. At the part where the flour and butter were supposed to turn into “rough meal” looking balls, my mixture basically felt like butter. It was absolutely not doing anything but staying a big mass of butter. I didn’t know what to do so I continued on. The liquid was way too much, as one commenter already noted – lumps did not look like they were going to form at all. I panicked and started adding cups and cups of flour to make it look more like dough; it’s still incredibly sticky, to the point my rolling pin was useless. I decided to just try to pat it out into an 8″ round, and baked it; the dough dissolved in the oven, filling nearly my entire 9×13 pan, and burned badly.
Where did I go so wrong?? Please help.
I made these and they turned out great. The butter has to be cold, very cold. You might want to try mixing in a food processor if your fingers are producing too much heat. Also, it got much firmer after sitting overnight in the fridge.
I’m sorry you had trouble; this is usually one of the most successful crusts for beginners on this site. How did you cut the butter into the flour? This might help me see what happened.
I had the butter in the fridge, and cut it into maybe 1/2-1/4″ slices, then cut the slices into quarters. I put in a few pieces at a time and mixed them with my fingers (I don’t have a food processor or pastry blender). I would squeeze each piece until it flattened and then continue stirring the whole thing with my fingers.
Thank you!!! I still have the leek and bean mix in the fridge and all the ingredients to make the dough!
Deb, any thoughts on why the dough dissolved in the oven or why it just felt like a bunch of butter instead of meal?
Too much butter could be the culprit for both… did it really fall apart, i.e. just wasn’t holding anything at the end? Too little flour would have the same effect.
I thought the same but I used the amounts stated in the recipe, then added TONS of flour when it wasn’t working. Like, my entire flour jar’s worth. I’ll try starting with 1/4 of the butter next time and see where it gets me. also, I used Greek yogurt – not sure if that could have been a problem.
I made the gratin. I don’t know if my leeks ever caramelized — they started drying out and browning on top (with some browned dried juices in the dish). Is there something I should do differently?
I wonder if they’d benefit from longer under the foil in the oven. I also think that my use of caramelized is a bit misleading; they should be mostly but certainly not dark and totally soft like a heap of caramelized onions. Mostly limp and sweet is a better description.
Thanks, maybe I just should have taken them out earlier, then — they were soft, I just figured caramelized meant some browning.
Has anyone tried making this without cheese? Any substitutions you might suggest?
Thanks Deb for this great recipe. I love it – great taste and it came together easily with your particular instructions. I think making individual galettes is dead easy. Was a hut fresh from the oven for dinner and again for lunch a day later. Cheers!
It was a HIT from the oven!
I made this for a dinner party this weekend and it was a big hit. I made it exactly as written except that I add the wet ingredients to the dough gradually to make sure it was not too wer as some people indicated. It turned out perfectly. I chilled the dough for about 3 hours before rolling it out.
This was a great early February dish. The bright lemon and leek flavors almost make you forget spring is still months and months away in Chicago…
I made this as described, with just a touch less water in the crust based on the feedback of other commenters. It turned out pretty well but not amazing. The crust turned was good, but the filling was missing….. something. I’m not quite sure what. More spices or more sweetness or some kind of creaminess or something else? Or maybe I’m just not a leek person? Hmmmm. I’m going to try out the leftovers this afternoon with some roasted small tomatoes and see if that helps it out.
I added some roasted cherry tomatoes to the bean/leek mix and it really elevated the dish into something pretty tasty. Maybe the acidity of the tomatoes just brightened everything up? Not sure. Anyway thought I’d share my results.
Would it work if I assembled these in the morning (up until the egg wash) and then put them in the fridge for the day, egg washing them and baking them in the evening?
Probably will be okay.
thank you!!
I have made these several times and EVERYONE LOVES THEM!!
I made these and they were wonderful. I’m wondering, is there a way to make these small enough to be individual bite size appetizers?
You could cut the dough with a round cookie cutter and put the cut rounds in a mini muffin tin. Fill with filling, bake, and voila! Mini pies. I used to own a pie shop and this is what we did.
I’ve made this many times, each time one large galette. Perfect for holiday pot lucks. Delicious!
Hi there – I just made the pastry – I tripled the measurement since I am cooking for 10 – the pastry was very wet – is that right? I added an additional cup of flour…appreciate any counsel – don’t want a fail on Christmas Eve :-)
This dough can seem damper than a tart or pie dough but once cool, will be fine and rolls out like a dream. It’s tender and flaky.
Any way you would mind providing the best vegan substitutions? This recipe looks delicious and I would love to try it!
Have you ever made you dough with gluten free flour?
The person in the first comment gave terrific advice for using gluten free flour! Look for “grrrace47”
How many lbs of leek is that? I tend to find only big ones in my grocery store.
Do you drop the temp when you put the galettes in the oven, or keep it at 400?
It didn’t say in the recipe. We kept it 400 to bake the filled gallettes
Can I make and freeze, then cook from frozen?
Oh goodness! I saw this recipe and wanted it for Thanksgiving to surprise my vegetarian daughter. Made it the night before and it just filled the house with the aroma of freshly baked yumminess! Made 4 and got to Thanksgiving w 3 lol. We had to taste test. Simply popped those back in oven on day of. Still fabulous! Non vegetarians sampled and immediately wanted the recipe. My son made them again a few nights later for a Friendsgiving; making smaller rounds of 12 more two bite size. He said they were a hit because of the tender leeks mixed with beans; of course the flaky warm crust wins every time. What we both liked was the ease of the crust; we did have to add a tad more flour. We’re both looking forward to trying it with a fruit filling. Thanks again for all the wonderful recipe content as it was insightful and kept us on track as to what to expect. We love these!
Made this tonight! Thought the flavors were good. My only issue was with chopping the leeks after roasting–they were extremely hard to chop while soft, and disintegrated into strings when I tried to cut them! Not a problem for the end result, but took a while. Maybe my leeks were overcooked? Next time I’d cut them up while raw.
Made these for NYE dinner and they were so light and delicious. They take a bit of time to construct, but was able to make the dough and filling the night before and then assemble on NYE which made the process more manageable. I’ve never made the dough by hand before (always get scared and go the store-bought route). Never again! This dough was super easy and noticeably tastier than anything I could’ve bought in the store. A winner for sure!
Can you use puff pastry for this recipe?
I think so, but I haven’t tried it.
Amazing!
What is the approximate weight of a “small-to-medium leek” or what is the weight or volume of the trimmed leeks?
When I try to print the recipe using your print button, it does not put a photo of the galette, but it does put photos of “related recipes”. Can you make it include a photo from the actual recipe being printed?
Could make the pastry with gluten free flour?
What about adding some pine nuts for some crunch, or some extra protein. Or adding an egg, hmmmm tasty!
Thanks Smitten Kitchen
I just made this for the first time! I assembled them yesterday and refrigerated them to bake for a quick dinner tonight. HIGHLY recommend. So delicious and my vegetarian son was over the moon.
Ok…this looks amazing and delicious, and even better, easy to make.
Deb, this was a delicious recipe. This is the second time I’ve made your galette dough recipe and it is easy to work with. Thank you for your butternut squash and Caramelized onion galette recipe too, also delish. I am enjoying both of your books and working my way through your recipes. You are also a joy to watch on Instagram!
Amazing. I wanted to make something special for one of our COVID 19 quarantine dinners and this hit the spot! The sourness in the dough is spot on. I used pecorino and pinto beans because well, going to the store isn’t an option! And they were delicious. Thanks Deb!
Another winner! I followed the recipe for the pastry and the leeks exactly as written, but otherwise used it as a launching pad to customize it for our tastes and dietary needs. Instead of beans and cow’s milk cheese, we subbed mushrooms and goat cheese. I placed the crumbled goat cheese directly on the dough and then added the vegetables on top. Since making one large galette took less hands on prepping than 4 smaller ones, I baked one for about 30-35 min. Delicious!
I made this exactly as written (well, maybe a titch more leek) because I’m working through all SM’s savoury galette recipes. Thank you Deb. I use your galette pastry recipe all the time—I love it; I’ve learned to be religious about chilling at every step, but I use the “rolling-butter-into-ribbons” technique that Jim Dodge showed Julia Child in his little-known Harvest Apple Pie demo (because I’m averse to all the other pastry blending strategies and this technique is SO much fun). I loved that this recipe encouraged me to split the (what turned out to be) 400g dough into four 100g rounds (chill, chill, chill). Totally worked and will do it again. One for me, one for you, one for the Cat’s Meow. As for the filling, I think it needs something tart to cut the beany-oily thing. Sorry Deb. Or mushrooms instead of beans (with lemon zest as one individual recommended). Though, having said that, I wish you had another tab for “I made this as written” (always frustrating for those of us who want to try “as written” after which, of course, we’ll fly on our own; oh wait! I used a different butter-flour blending technique: we are terrible people!). All that to say, the dough is a winner (!!), and the filling was good, good enough but I’m still on the hunt for sublime. So far, I think the Butternut Squash And Caramelized Onion continues to be Top Dog; will try Burst Tomatoes again at some point (a couple of oops moments), but probably won’t try this combo again. Meanwhile, lalala, of I go to try cabbage and mushroom next (because Deb does lovely things with cabbage for us children-of-emigrants from Old World cabbage countries).
I made these last night, but didn’t have any white beans so used chickpeas instead and they were delicious.
Did I do something wrong? I ended up with lots of extra filling… 😬
this was delicious. I swapped half of the all purpose flour with white whole wheat wheat, increased the water by about 1-2 tbsp and kept everything the same, rolling the crust out quite thin. It was super tasty.
Also used lots of baby leeks and grated parmesan right into the mixture since I didn’t have gruyere. I also made one big galette rather than four mini ones. Overall, delicious! would make again!
Made exactly as written except that I made two big galettes to feed my family. Delicious and perfect. Thanks, Deb!
With a late-night mania that parents of babies and toddlers may appreciate, I used making these as a reward for finishing several hours of reviewing applications to a U.S. medical residency program (I am a resident physician). Alterations included sautéeing the leeks in olive oil with Maldon salt and some herbes de Provence in my cast iron skillet. Also, no parsley. My husband opened the door after waking up at 11:30pm (he had fallen asleep while putting our three-year-old to bed — something parents will also understand) and wondered aloud if I was violating our vegetarian home by cooking meat. “No,” I said. “It’s tomorrow’s bean dinner.” He was pleased.
Just made these exactly as described. Amazing! Definitely adding them to our rotation. The dough is spectacular – crisp, light. Wow.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I didn’t change a thing and the results were delicious and beautiful. The pastry is amazing.
I’ve been using and admiring your recipes for years and thought it was time to comment.
Just made these for an Easter dinner and they are super delicious! The pastry was a dream to work with and the filling came together so quickly. I did double the garlic and the lemon zest and regret nothing. I know I know this is supposed to be a vegetarian dish but I can’t help but wonder what a little crumbled sausage might add to the dish… will report back ;)
Hi.. I’m going to make these but need them to be eggless. What I can replace the egg yolk with? Thanks!
It’s just for shine and color so you can skip it.
I made this for a vegan holiday lunch by subbing in plant-based yogurt, butter, and cheese (mix of vegan parmesan and nutritional yeast), all of which worked just fine. I could have used a weight measure for the leeks — I only found large ones at the store so used half as many, and still ended up with at least 2 cups of leftover filling that couldn’t possibly fit in the galettes, which makes me think I had too much leek.
They were pretty and special-feeling and everyone cleaned their plates so definitely a win there. Next time I would use maybe just 2 large leeks, and I’d season the filling more aggressively with garlic and a bit of red pepper flakes in addition to the black pepper.
Have made these several times and they are a hit every time. They even threatened to overshadow brisket recently, no joke. They are that good.
This time, I ended up with extra filling and so I used it to as the base for the carrot white bean burgers (https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/03/carrot-and-white-bean-burgers/), another favorite of mine, and wow so so good. If you have extra filling, I highly recommend.
This dough is the bomb! Used it to make 4 mini galettes filled with carmelized onions and parmesan cream. I made sure the butter cubes were cold — threw them in the freezer after dicing, and then had trouble mixing the dough up with my fingers. So into the food processor it went — flour, salt, butter — and a few pulses later, voila! Perfect pea-sized butter pieces. Dumped it into the large bowl, added the rest, and the dough came together great. After several hours in the frig, it rolled out nicely (generously floured my counter). And what a tasty crust! Flakey, lovely. This will be my go-to galette dough from here on. Thanks!
So delicious. Made one big galette. Thank you.
Made this for shabbat. Its a great recipe! I roasted the leeks with thyme and olive oil and prepared beans from dry beans in pressure cooker using NYT ‘pot of beans’ recipe
I prepared crust exactly as written using white spelt flour- cold butter, ice-cold water, using food processor, and came out perfect. Was not too watery. Thanks Deb!
I made these today, as a Thanksgiving veggie main for my vegetarian relatives. Taste tested one for lunch – absolutely delicious. And the pastry was soooooo good. Flaky and buttery. Couldn’t taste the sour cream. I did end up baking them for longer than the recipe calls for, but no soggy bottom!