14 Best Vegetables To Stuff Into Savory Galettes
There's just something about a flakey, crumbly pie crust, fresh out of the oven and stuffed to the hilt with sticky tart fruits and brushed lightly with egg white. But for those who rarely stray from apple or mixed berry pie, you may be pleased to hear that pie doesn't need to be confined to dessert.
Galettes are single-crust pies filled with herbs, cheeses, meats, and vegetables. They look like a hand-formed pie baked on a flat pan with its outer crust edges folded, leaving a crust-less center. The folded edges help to keep all of the goods from oozing out. Think of it as a cross between a pizza and a calzone.
Galettes, although typically cooked in a flakey pie crust, can sometimes resemble buckwheat crepes with a thinner, more flexible crust folded around the edges in a similar fashion. When it comes to choosing fillings, there are endless options to pick from, but it's essential to choose ingredients that complement each other. You don't always need meat to make an entree shine. There are incredible vegetarian and vegan galette options out there, and with these vegetable suggestions, you can make your own.
Red peppers
Red peppers are an easy pick when deciding which vegetables to stuff into savory galettes. Not only are they incredibly aesthetic, but roasted red peppers contain an abundance of natural sugars that carry a sweet and pleasing mouthfeel. While peppers have quite a crunch to them raw, once cooked they soften and become tender and delicate, so they incorporate flawlessly into a medley of vegetables, cheeses, and herbs. They are water-dense enough to give your palate a break from the buttery crust and oily cheese, but not so much as to flood the galette.
This vibrant vegetable complements most flavors and cuisines but often pairs well with salty vegetables to balance the sweetness. Consider building your roasted red pepper galette with goat cheese, spinach, and kalamata olives to complement red peppers' soft and sweet flavors. The goat cheese and spinach won't overpower the red pepper, and the olives will provide bursts of intense, salty punches. Don't forget to pre-roast your peppers, and feel free to use yellow or orange peppers for a slightly less sweet flavor.
Tomatoes
When it comes to anything resembling a calzone or pizza, tomatoes are obligated to appear, and we are here for it. There are several routes you can take when selecting tomatoes to add to your galette, but we recommend if it's the featured vegetable using sliced plumb or heirloom tomatoes for their size, water density, and flavor. Cherry tomatoes are very sweet and punchy and are a great complementary ingredient. Roasted tomatoes can reduce to be incredibly sweet and tangy, but when putting together your galette, consider adding them to the dough raw so that they only cook as long as the crust. This lightly baked technique works beautifully with other fresh ingredients.
Pair with your heirloom tomato ingredients like garlic, burrata, shallots, and fresh basil. These additions are delicate enough not to overpower each other, and of course, as we know from the world of pizza, they taste incredible together. Feature your heirloom tomatoes by cutting them into thick slices and layering them to cover the entire interior. Because they are the featured ingredient, consider buying the freshest heirloom tomatoes possible. Purchase local and in-season and smell around for that unforgettable fresh tomato scent.
Swiss chard
When sneaking more leafy greens into your diet, galettes are the way to go. While kale and spinach have stolen the spotlight, most Americans overlook an incredibly flavorful and colorful dark green that holds up beautifully when cooked. Swiss chard looks like a cross between curly kale and collard greens but has a unique flavor. The leaves are rather mild and earthy, but the stalks come in various colors and have a sweetness to them that slightly resembles the flavor of beets.
Simply chop or rip your Swiss chard into bite-sized pieces or strips. Consider caramelizing some sweet onions to pair with the leafy green and adding a primary layer of cashew cream. This vegan galette option can also be made vegetarian using a sweet, mild cheese or crème fraîche. If you enjoy meat, sear a little pancetta to add to the mix for a salty pop of flavor.
Red onion
Just because we love savory galettes and sweet fruit pies doesn't mean we have to choose between the two. You may have experienced the savory-sweet combination of honey-drizzled chicken and waffles, maple pepper bacon, or even pineapple pork fried rice. Red onions are one of those vegetables that tend to complement fruits, like strawberries in a salad or with a citrus fruit dish topped with white balsamic. Red onions are punchy, bitey, sweet when raw, and become sweeter and sweeter as they cook, making them the perfect addition to any galette.
Consider pairing red onion with figs and brie cheese when stuffed into a vegetarian savory galette. If the figs and red onion aren't delivering enough sweetness for you, drizzle with honey (or hot honey for those who like a little extra kick). For a basic mixed vegetable galette or one featuring a sweet, mild cheese, consider topping with pickled red onions for a beautiful and punchy pop of flavor.
Wild mushrooms
Vegetarian cooking has tipped its hat to mushrooms many a time. Their chewy texture, often dark coloring, and umami undertones come just about as close to meat as you can get in the plant-based world. Although mushrooms are fungi and not vegetables, we believe they deserve a spot in the best vegetables to stuff into savory galettes. Choose from a more mild mushroom-like white button or portobello, or a gamier, chewier mushroom, such as shiitake or hen of the woods.
Mushrooms add a savory, meaty flair to almost any vegetable or cheese combination but pair particularly well with gruyere, buttery onions, and parsley. Cook your mushrooms in a little tamari and red wine to help the natural flavors shine. Just like meat, mushrooms sear against a hot pan and can become quite crispy on the exterior and juicy on the inside. Use aromatics like garlic and onion to make your pastry shine. A rustic mushroom tart is just what you need for any season.
As an alternative, pair mushrooms with soft buttery vegetables like asparagus, zucchini, and whole roasted shallots, alongside spreadable goat cheese. Don't forget to load on the fresh herbs as a garnish, like chopped flat parsley.
Spinach
A handful of spinach can enhance any meal, from a blueberry banana smoothie to a bowl of mac and cheese. Not only does it add an element of flavor and moisture, but it can add nutrient density. As you may know from your spinach cooking excursions, once cooked, spinach shrinks down incredibly. Ever steam a full container of pre-washed spinach just to end up with less than a handful of the good stuff? If you plan on using spinach in your galette, pre-cook it slightly to be sure that you don't end up with minimal amounts of the finished product and a lot of added moisture. Take additional precautions and mix your chopped spinach with melted or soft cheese to help preserve its color and structure.
While spinach has a mild flavor and can complement most vegetables, consider pairing it in your galette with feta, pesto, and sliced grape tomatoes. Pre-chop it and mix it with melted feta, garlic, and chopped sweet onion before adding it to the unbaked dough.
Butternut squash
When it comes to squash, there are endless varieties to choose from, with varying flavors, colors, and textures. Butternut squash is one of the sweetest varieties and has a bright orange coloring that's hard to miss. Don't be intimidated by its hard exterior and difficulty to cut because once it's processed and roasted, it has a creamy pulpy texture that's to die for.
Because of its subtle sweet flavors, butternut squash pairs well with salty, strong ingredients like blue cheese. It's soft in texture, so the addition of pumpkin seeds or walnuts can help to add an element of crunch. Use sautéed leeks to balance the squash, blue cheese, and walnuts in your crispy, flakey galette. If you can't get your hands on the large squash, try swapping with delicata squash which is smaller and easier to cut. Be sure to leave the skins on for a beautiful aesthetic and varied texture.
Corn
Corn, although typically enjoyed on the cob, is an ingredient that can completely transform any dish. Those little juicy kernels are sweet, flavorful, tender, and just structured enough to add little pops of crunch to each bite. When it comes to filling galettes with savory vegetables, consider featuring in-season corn-off-the-cob. Corn couples well with indigenous Northern American ingredients like squash, root vegetables, and other starches.
Consider stuffing your sweet roasted corn galette with kale, summer squash, and crème fraîche. Top with fresh green onion after your galette has baked. Corn and cream go together delightfully, so choosing a light soft cheese or crème fraîche can be a great way to highlight the vegetable's delicate sweetness. For additional flavor, consider grilling corn right on the cob before cutting the kernels off. Not only will you end up with some aesthetically pleasing grill lines, but you can enjoy the smokey infusion that grilling offers.
Asparagus
Americans have a love-hate relationship with asparagus, the stalky green vegetable that grows straight out of the ground like it was placed there as a prank. Some can't get enough of the fibrous, flavorful veggie, while others find it to be stringy and hate the way it makes ... certain things smell. If you find it chewy and fibrous, you may not be preparing or cooking it right. Asparagus should have sweet undertones, a grassy, nutty flavor, and be tender in texture once cooked.
If you're chewing on fibrous bits for what seems like an eternity, then while the vegetable is still raw, try snapping the very bottoms off to remove any tough ends. Asparagus makes a great addition to galettes because they have enough water density to create a moist, buttery softness. Pair your bite-sized pieces of asparagus with roasted mushrooms and top with a thin layer of grated parmesan cheese. Parm is the cheesy addition for a super crispy galette, so spring for a high-quality one if possible.
Shallots
Ahh, onions sweeter cousin shallots had to make an appearance when it comes to the best vegetables to stuff into savory galettes. They are tender and with less bite than onions or garlic but carry the same aromatic notes. Thinly sliced and caramelized shallots can add a layer of pure sweetness with fragrant undertones to any galette, and we suggest adding them to almost any vegetable, cheese, or meat combination.
If you're an experimental eater (or a Vermonter familiar with the long-standing apple pie with cheddar cheese debate), then it may not seem too far-fetched for us to suggest a galette stuffed with sharp cheddar, caramelized shallots, and baked cinnamon apples. In fact, the salty-sweet combination is quite scrumptious, and the juicy apples and oily cheese complement each other beautifully. Consider stuffing the two, along with sweet scallions, into your next galette, and enjoy the savory-sweet combination that can be enjoyed for dinner or dessert.
Fennel
Many Americans know fennel as an ingredient in their sausage or that bizarre-looking vegetable with a bulbous root and feathery leaves that go untouched at the grocery store. Others understand its versatility and brilliance when it comes to adding flavor to soups and stir fry. Although it looks a bit like chunky white celery root, fennel has a distinctive flavor that can be described as licorice or anise-like. It becomes sweeter when cooked and holds a similar texture to celery. It's bold enough to make a statement and should be considered as a vegetable to stuff into savory galettes.
To enhance but not overpower its flavor, combine with onion, chèvre, and lemon. Simply cook your sliced onions and fennel in a little butter or oil until soft but not mushy, and add sea salt, black pepper, and enough lemon juice to flavor. Use a thin base of chèvre in your galette, top with the vegetables, and then add a light shaving of lemon peel before loading up with black pepper and baking.
Kale
Kale is so trendy at this point that people buy it just so it can sit in the back of their refrigerators and wilt. But, for those who actually use it in their cooking, the health benefits and versatility are apparent. There are many different types of kale, including popular varieties like curly, lacinato, and dinosaur kale. Any of these could be used chopped, sautéed, and added to a galette, paired with just about any other vegetable out there. Kale is tougher, more earthy, and grassier than spinach but is loaded with nutrients, holds up well under heat, and emits less moisture during cooking.
Consider stuffing your savory galette with kale, delicata squash, corn, sweet onions, and ricotta cheese. These North American vegetables are not out shadowed by the mild ricotta, which adds a creamy, refreshing texture and flavor to the galette. Aromatics like garlic and onions love kale and therefore make incredible additions to any recipe with the dark leafy green.
Potatoes
If you've ever experienced the joy of a freshly harvested potato, then you know just how incredibly creamy it can be when cooked properly. Although potatoes may not be the first vegetable to come to mind when thinking about selecting ingredients to stuff into a galette, their mild flavor and starchy texture just seem to work perfectly. Choose a flavorful, silky, water-dense variety like Yukon golds. Cut them into thin slices and layer them like you would scalloped potatoes.
Consider layering your flakey potato galette with caramelized leeks, roasted garlic, butter, and sea salt and pepper. A little thyme and a small hint of nutmeg can add depth and intrigue. Potatoes can be so creamy that you won't need to add any cheese, but if you feel so inclined, choose a melty soft French cheese with mellow flavors. To make it plant-based, opt for vegan butter of cashew cream with a hint of lemon. Potato galettes make for a fantastic breakfast dish and can be topped with a runny egg in the center or bits of freshly fried bacon or pancetta. Serve at your next brunch alongside mimosas and fresh citrus fruit.
As an alternative, pair your potato galette with sharp cheddar cheese, roasted chopped broccoli, and caramelized onions. Because potatoes are subtle in flavor, they pair beautifully with almost any vegetable but taste particularly brilliant with crunchy or textured flavorful ingredients.
Beet
When it comes to beets, people either love the sweet, bright root vegetable or think they taste like dirt. For those that can't get enough of the sugary veggie, consider adding it to your galettes. It's important to pre-roast beets, as they are rather tough in nature and will need more time to cook than the flakey outer crust. Do this by encasing the beets in aluminum foil and roasting them at 375 Fahrenheit for an hour and 15 minutes. Ensure you can easily slice the beets before removing them from the oven. When buying fresh beets, look for dark red flesh with bright, crisp, fresh stems. Wilted stems or wrinkled skin indicate beets that have been long since harvested. The fresher, the tastier.
Beets have a strong sweetness to them, so pair them with tart and salty ingredients. Consider blue cheese to balance the sugars, and then top the baked galette with fresh arugula and balsamic reduction. Add toasted walnuts or pecans if you desire a little more texture. As an alternative arrangement, pair beets with onions and other root vegetables like roasted carrots and turnips, goat cheese, and balsamic reduction. Use herbs like fresh thyme along with garlic, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to finish.