Gluten free pissaladière: awesome vegetable rich Provençal tart

There is something about a big, colorful tart in the middle of the table that makes a starter feel like an occasion. This gluten free pissaladière is my take on a Provençal classic, and it leans on a cousin of the dish you may not know: pichade, a tomato-topped specialty from Menton on the French Riviera, where a long-simmered tomato sauce joins the traditional onions, garlic, black olives and anchovies on a dough base.

I kept that soul, tomato, onion, olive, anchovy, but rebuilt the base as a gluten free almond and sorghum crust, and piled on three colors of roasted bell pepper so the whole dish becomes genuinely vegetable-rich rather than bread-forward. It looks like it took far more effort than it did. Slice this gluten free pissaladière into wedges for a starter, or set the whole tart down and let everyone help themselves.

Why this gluten free pissaladière works

Early autumn is when bell peppers and tomatoes are still at their best, right before the kitchen turns toward heavier, cold-weather cooking. This recipe makes the most of that last stretch:

• Naturally gluten free: the almond and sorghum crust needs no wheat flour and no egg, so it holds together on its own.
• Vegetable-forward: a full layer of roasted peppers sits on top of the classic onion-tomato base, which most traditional versions do not include.
• Make-ahead friendly: it is just as good served at room temperature, so it fits a dinner party starter, a mezze-style spread, or a make-ahead lunch.
• Naturally vegan-adaptable: leave out the anchovies and this gluten free pissaladière is fully plant-based, since the crust itself uses no eggs or dairy.

Is this really a pissaladière?

It’s a fair question. Classic pissaladière, from Nice, is built almost entirely on slow-cooked onions with no tomato at all. What most people picture when they hear “pissaladière” with a tomato sauce underneath is actually closer to pichade, the Mentonnaise version where tomato became the defining topping alongside the onions, garlic, olives and anchovies. This recipe borrows from both: the tomato-onion base of pichade, the familiar pissaladière name most people search for, and our own addition of roasted peppers on top.

Ingredient benefits

Bell peppers are a strong source of vitamin C and carotenoid antioxidants, and using red, orange and yellow together brings a wider mix of plant compounds to the plate (Cleveland Clinic).

Red onions contribute fibre and quercetin, a plant antioxidant that has been studied for its general anti-inflammatory activity (Cleveland Clinic).

Garlic adds allicin, the compound responsible for garlic’s pungency and its most-studied health properties (Cleveland Clinic).

Tomatoes bring vitamin C, potassium and lycopene, an antioxidant that becomes more available to the body once tomatoes are cooked with a little fat, exactly what happens in this slow-simmered filling (Cornell Chronicle).

Sorghum flour and ground almonds form the base of the crust in this gluten free pissaladière. Sorghum is a whole grain that is naturally free of gluten, and almonds add protein, fibre and healthy fats.

Ground flaxseed contributes fibre and plant-based omega-3 fat, and does double duty here as a natural binder for the dough.

Extra-virgin olive oil is the main fat throughout the recipe. It is rich in monounsaturated fat and polyphenols, both linked to the general benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet (Harvard Health).

Black olives and anchovies are the traditional, salty finishing touch. Anchovies also add a little protein and omega-3 fat, but both ingredients are naturally high in sodium, worth keeping in mind if you are watching your salt intake.

Gluten free pissaladière recipe

A gluten free and vegetable-rich version of the classic Provençal tart, made with caramelized red onions, a herbed tomato paste, roasted bell peppers, black olives and anchovies.

• Yield: 8 portions, as a starter
• Preparation time: 35 minutes
• Cooking time: 45 minutes
• Total time: about 1 hour 20 minutes, plus a few minutes of cooling
• Equipment: 22cm ceramic pastry dish, baking tray, saucepan, mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the topping

• 3 bell peppers (red, orange and yellow)
• 1 small jar anchovies, drained (if using)
• 15 to 20 black olives

For the filling

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil
• 3 red onions (medium), finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped (or a 400g can of chopped tomatoes)
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano (fresh or dried), plus extra for garnish
• 1 tsp thyme leaves (fresh or dried), plus extra for garnish
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small handful basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
• Pinch of hot chili pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the gluten free crust

• 100g sorghum flour, ideally sprouted
• 100g ground almonds
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, heaped
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder, heaped
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp unrefined salt
• 75g cold-pressed olive oil
• 75g water for binding (start with 60g, adjust up to 75g)
• Optional: baking beans, for blind baking

Instructions

Roast the peppers

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Place the peppers on a lined baking tray and roast on the top shelf. The skins will blister and char slightly. Turn every 5 minutes so the skins blister all over.
3. Remove from the oven, cover the tray with a non-plastic lid and let the peppers sweat so the skin peels off easily. Rinse under running water to remove any black skin and the seeds, then slice into long strips.

Make the onion-tomato filling 4. In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the red onions in the olive oil. After 5 minutes, reduce the heat and cook until soft for another 5 minutes. 5. Add the tomato and garlic and continue cooking on low heat for a further 10 minutes. 6. Add the herbs, hot chili and seasoning to taste. Continue cooking for about 5 more minutes, until the sauce is thick, sweet and well seasoned, and most of the tomato juices have cooked out. If it is too runny, the crust will turn soggy.

Make the gluten free crust 7. Turn the oven down to 170°C. Grease a 22cm ceramic pastry dish with ghee, or line it with parchment paper. 8. Mix the dry ingredients, then add the olive oil and water. Mix to combine, adding a little more water if needed to bring the dough together into a ball. Set aside for 5 minutes, the flaxseed will absorb some of the water and form a gel that helps bind the dough. 9. Press the dough into the pastry dish with your hands. Add baking beans if using, and blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, take out the beans, rotate the dish and bake until golden, about 10 more minutes.

Assemble 10. Leave the crust to cool, then fill with the onion-tomato paste. Arrange the pepper slices and anchovies (if using) on top, followed by the olives, and finish with the herbs. Drizzle with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil if you like, and serve straight away with a green salad.

Storage

Best eaten fresh, this gluten free pissaladière keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Bring it back to room temperature, or warm it gently, before serving again.

Estimated nutrition per portion

• Calories: approximately 340 kcal
• Protein: approximately 7g (with anchovies), or 6g without
• Carbohydrates: approximately 25g
• Fat: approximately 25g
• Fibre: approximately 5.5g

6 ways to serve this gluten free pissaladière

This gluten free pissaladière moves easily from a formal starter to a casual weeknight plate. Here are 6 ways to serve it:

1. As a starter: slice into thin wedges and serve with a simple green salad, exactly as suggested in the recipe.
2. As part of a mezze spread: cut into small squares and set it alongside hummus, olives and other small plates for a shared table.
3. As dinner-party finger food: cut into bite-sized pieces guests can pick up with drinks before the main course.
4. Packed for a picnic or lunch: it holds together well at room temperature, so a wedge travels easily.
5. With a bowl of soup: pair a slice with a light vegetable soup for an easy weeknight dinner.
6. Topped with a poached egg: for a more substantial brunch version, add a poached egg on top of a warm slice.

Tips and variations

• Sorghum flour swap: brown rice flour or oat flour works if sorghum is not available.
• Arrowroot swap: tapioca powder or potato starch works if arrowroot is not available. Tapioca has a notably higher glycemic index than arrowroot, but since only a tablespoon is used here, it should not meaningfully affect most people, unless there is significant insulin resistance to consider.
• Make it vegan: skip the anchovies for a fully plant-based version of this gluten free pissaladière, the crust already has no egg or dairy.
• Anchovy placement: garnish with whole fillets as described, or chop them into the tomato-onion paste for a more diffuse, savory flavor throughout.
• Lower sodium: if you have high blood pressure, rinse the anchovies before using, since they can be quite salty on their own.
• Ripening help: if your tomatoes are not fully ripe, a chopped soft date, 1/4 tsp of unrefined sugar, or a couple of stevia drops will help bring out the natural sweetness.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the reduction step: if the tomato-onion filling is still runny when it goes on the crust, the base will turn soggy. Keep cooking until the juices have visibly reduced.
• Rushing the pepper peel: letting the roasted peppers steam under cover for a few minutes makes the skins slide off easily. Skip this step and you will be picking off charred bits by hand.
• Overfilling before blind baking: press the crust in an even layer, a patch that’s too thick in the middle will stay underbaked while the edges turn golden.
• Forgetting the nut allergy note: this gluten free pissaladière contains nuts (almonds) and, if you use anchovies, fish. Worth calling out clearly if you are serving guests.

Liked this recipe? Our free 10-Day Sugar Free Coaching Program starts September 21.

If a recipe like this one is the kind of eating you want more of, this is a good place to start. Ten days of nutrition, yoga, fitness and mindset, guided live by our coaches, with a support community to help it stick.

Join the free 10-Day Sugar Free Coaching Program

Frequently asked questions

Let’s continue learning & growing together!

We hope this recipe brings ease and nourishment to your summer table. To continue your wellness journey, we invite you to:

• Explore our blog for naturopathic recipes and wellness advice.

• Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive health content straight to your inbox.

• Share your thoughts and comments on social media and tag us with #myauthentikspoon

About the author