Galettes are one of my favorite things. Essentially a tart, they can be made savory or sweet. With Autumn just around the corner, it was time to develop a savory pumpkin galette recipe. The pumpkin is made savory with freshly grated Parmesan and browned sage butter. Pan-fried halloumi cheese adds a salty contrast to the inherently sweet pumpkin and caramelized onion components. This vegetarian galette is hearty enough to pair with bold red wine like Merlot.
What is a galette?
A galette is essentially a tart – or, a flat pie. The crust is flaky like that of a pie. It can be made with your go-to store-bought dough, or you can luxuriate in the process of making the crust from scratch using your favorite recipe. Whether you slave away for hours or quickly toss store-bought ingredients together, your dinner guests will swoon over a beautiful galette.
They can be savory or sweet, so the options are limitless. It’s a great way to impress because they look beautiful, taste amazing, and bring something a little new to the table. There are so many vegetarian (and vegan!) options when it comes to making galettes, so they are incredibly flexible dishes when it comes to diet restrictions.
This savory pumpkin & halloumi galette in particular is a great seasonal recipe to keep in your back pocket for Fall. Halloumi is a very salty Greek cheese known for its high melting point. The high melting point means you can pan fry a slice and it won’t melt all over the place – instead, it fries almost like a piece of tofu! The texture is chewy, and the flavor is so unique and delicious. It adds some heft to a vegetarian dish. The salty halloumi and inherently sweet pumpkin balance each other out in a beautiful way.
This recipe encompasses all of the flavors of Fall. The pumpkin is seasoned with nutmeg, Parmesan, and browned sage butter. Nests of caramelized onions, sautéed with rosemary and deglazed with just a few splashes of balsamic, complement that rustic, sweet/savory profile.
Pair This Galette With Merlot
I love a meatless dish that stands up to a fuller-bodied red wine. Especially when temperatures begin to drop, I’m going to be shifting away from my chilled whites and rosés, and instead of reaching for a bottle of red.
Classic Merlots have red and black fruit flavors like raspberry, black cherry, and plum. You’re also likely to catch notes of chocolate and cedar. Depending on the vineyard, you can sometimes get notes of sage and anise which I love in combination with the flavor profile of this galette. Soft tannin and low acid give Merlot a smooth mouthfeel.
I grabbed a bottle of Benziger’s 2017 Merlot from Sonoma in California. They are a certified sustainable label. This bottle lists on it’s label recommended wine pairings such as beef, lamb, and veal – but at Wholesomm, the recommendation is to pair it with this meat-free, savory pumpkin galette! This Merlot is an excellent pair for strong-flavored vegetarian foods like halloumi and onion as well as powerful herbs like rosemary and sage.
Savory Pumpkin and Halloumi Galette
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 galettes 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Americana, French, Seasonal
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Savory pumpkin galette with browned sage butter, halloumi cheese, and rosemary caramelized onions. Topped with freshly grated Parmesan.
Ingredients
Crust
- Your favorite go-to crust. I prefer Trader Joe’s pie crust or Whole Foods’ Wholly Wholesome brand.
- Want to make it from scratch? My go-to recipe is actually from Half-Baked Harvest.
Filling & Toppings
- 1 package of halloumi cheese
- 1 can pumpkin purée (make sure there is no added sugar!)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2.5 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (roughly) freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tbsp (roughly) balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Olive oil
- Sage
- Rosemary
Instructions
Crust
- Follow Half-Baked Harvest’s recipe for making crust from scratch.
- Follow instructions on store-bought dough for thawing.
Filling & Toppings
- Heat ~1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Slice onions. Add to pan with 1-2 sprigs of rosemary. Season with salt and garlic to taste. Allow onions to caramelize, stirring only occasionally to allow the onions to brown. Stirring too much won’t allow them to caramelize and they’ll remain translucent.
- Once caramelized, deglaze the pan with a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar. Coat the onions, then transfer them to a bowl and set aside.
- Brown 4 tbsp of butter in a pan at medium heat with 3-4 sage leaves. Keep an eye on the butter – it will sizzle a little bit and turn light brown in color. Remove it from heat once it is browned to avoid burning. Remove the sage and set butter aside.
- Pour can of pumpkin puree into a mixing bowl. Add salt, browned sage butter, and grated Parmesan to the puree. Taste along the way and add more salt, pepper, or nutmeg as needed per your tastes.
Construction
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Prepare your dough in a flat circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spoon pumpkin puree onto the dough, and spread evenly to coat the dough while leaving about 1/2″ of space between the puree and the rim of the circle.
- Distribute the caramelized onions into piles (or in one even layer, whichever you prefer).
- Fold the rim of the dough over, wrapping up the edges of the crust around the filling. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Galettes are beautiful because of their organic, handmade look. Do this in small sections to avoid breaking the dough.
- Add a few sage leaves, if desired, before baking the galette in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
- With about 10 minutes left before the galette is done, lightly coat a pan in oil and heat over medium.
- Slice halloumi about 1/8″ thick. Place the slices on the pan without overlapping. After about 1 minute, check if the cheese has developed that perfect browning you want. If not, wait a little longer, and repeat on the other side.
- Remove galette from the oven and evenly distribute slices of pan fried halloumi.
- Pour a glass of Merlot and serve!
Sydney is a 29-year old American living between France and Italy. She has a WSET Level 2 certification in wine, along with a degree in environmental engineering and an MBA. She loves exploring local farmer’s markets, haunting her favorite wine bar, and discovering new restaurants.
Okay…this galette is DELICIOUS. This was such a fall favorite! I love a sweet / savory combo and this recipe perfectly satisfies this craving. It’s SO satiating – the halloumi really does the trick for me!
Author
Totally agree, Catherine!! So happy you enjoy it 🙂