Okay friends, let’s be real. A quiche is basically just a breakfast pizza. With a flakey crust topped with a layer of creamy tofu and seasoned veggies, you’re about to be in for a meal that’s delicious at any time of day, regardless of whether you want to call it a quiche, a pizza, or a pie.
Inspiration
Fun fact: I’ve never actually had a traditional quiche before. You know, like the ones filled with eggs? Never once, but I like the idea of them. I figured, if tofu makes such a great egg substitute, why not slap it inside some flakey crust with deliciously seasoned veggies and call it a quiche? Here we have it: a pizza for any time of day.
How to make a Vegan Veggie Quiche
This recipe is:
Savory
Flavorful
Comforting
& Rich
Make the crust
The first step to preparing this quiche is to make the crust, which consists of flour, vegan butter, salt, and veggie broth. Begin by sifting your flour and whisking it together with the salt in a large bowl. After that, scoop the chilled butter into the bowl a tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter has been added, used your hands to smash the butter with the flour and salt until it is evenly distributed. Finish the dough by adding chilled veggie broth and continue mixing with your hands until a dough forms.
The veggie broth is present to create a little extra kick of flavor, however, if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to swap it for water, as this will work just as well!
Flakey dough: When combining the dough, try to work quickly, as the goal is to keep the ingredients as cold as possible! You want to butter to stay somewhat intact, that way it can release moisture while baking. The moisture released in the dough creates layers within the crust, and cold ingredients will help you achieve this, so make sure to combine the ingredients in a timely manner. Additionally, combine the dough until it just comes together without overworking it. Overworking it will make it chewier and tough, as it diminishes the butter layers and strengthens the gluten network.
Once the dough has been combined, transfer it to a floured surface and shape it into a disk. This will make rolling it out easier once it has been chilled. Cover the dough disk in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for a least a half-hour.
Make the veggie filling
The filling is a flavorful and exciting combination of rosemary, oregano, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and a splash of neutral oil. Start by heating the oil in a skillet and once it’s hot, add the rosemary and oregano, cooking until fragrant. Sauteeing the herbs first will help to amplify their flavors, making them more pronounced throughout the dish. Once they’re fragrant, add the shallots and cook until they have softened and become transparent. Mix often to prevent them from burning, and then add the garlic to the mix to cook for another minute.
Next comes the mushrooms. Add them to the sauté pan to cook for about 10 minutes until they have released most of their moisture. If you’re a pro-multitasker, start on the tofu layer at this time while the mushroom are cooking. If not, however, let them finish cooking, and after the ten minutes is up, add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another minute so the flavor can integrate with the other ingredients.
Finish off the veggie layer by adding cherry tomatoes to the mix. Cook for 7 minutes, until they have softened and shrunk. Once they have done so, mix in the spinach, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside to allow the spinach to wilt.
Make the tofu layer
The veggie layer is quite involved when it comes to cooking, whereas the tofu layer is the exact opposite! This layer consists of tofu, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, onion powder, dijon mustard, and a splash of unsweetened almond milk to aid the blending process. Add all of these ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. That’s it! Set it aside until the quiche is ready to be assembled.
Since this layer only takes a couple of minutes to make, it can be squeezed into another part of the cooking process, such as while the mushrooms or tomatoes are cooking. If you chose to take this route, just make sure to keep an eye on the sauté pan, and give it a good mix every now and again to prevent burning.
If you cannot get your hands on chickpea flour, feel free to use all-purpose flour or cornstarch to help thicken the mixture.
Prepare the crust
Once the layers have been cooked, preheat the oven to 360°F, and remove the dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap the dough, place it on a floured surface, and then sprinkle the top of the dough with a small amount of flour, as well. Using your rolling pin, roll it out until it is about 1/4-1/8th of an inch thick, and then carefully transfer the dough to a tart pan (preferably one with a removable bottom). Firmly press the dough into the pan, ensuring you apply enough pressure to the corners of the pan, as well as the walls of the pan. This will ensure that your dough takes the shape and mold of the pan, which looks so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, especially if your tart pan has ribbed walls! Cut off any dough overhang with scissors and prick it with a fork a couple of times.
Assemble & bake the quiche
Once the dough is ready to rock, pour in the tofu layer and even it out with a spoon or spatula. Next, pour in the veggie saute layer, so it evenly covers the tofu layer. Place the quiche in the oven to cook for 40 minutes, then remove, cover will foil, and bake again for another 20 minutes. After the full hour of baking, remove the quiche from the oven, remove the foil on top, and allow the quiche to cool for at least ten minutes before digging in!
Serving
Slice into this bad boy like you would a pizza and serve alongside a salad or your favorite veggies!
Storing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container or zip lock bag for up to a week. Reheat in an oven or air-fryer at 360 until warm. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to three months or until you’re ready to eat it. If freezing, reheat the same way but cook for additional time to ensure it heats thoroughly.
If you tried this recipe, please share your experience!
And please let us know whether you’re calling it a quiche, pizza, pie, tart, or whatever else you come up with!
❤️ M
Vegan Veggie Quiche
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup vegan butter, chilled
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp veggie broth, chilled
Tofu Layer
- 1 package firm tofu
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 4 tbsp nooch
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- unsweetened almond milk as needed
Veggie Sauté Layer
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 2 handfuls spinach
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt and butter with your hands until well incorporated. Slowly add veggie broth and gently knead until a dough forms. Shape into a disk, cover and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least a half hour.
- Add oil to a pan over medium heat and once it’s hot, add dried oregano and rosemary and cook until fragrant.
- Add shallots to the pan and sauté until they’re transparent
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute
- Add mushrooms and sauté for about ten minutes, or until they have shrunk and released most of their moisture.
- In the meantime, add all the tofu layer ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add unsweetened almond milk to make blending easier if need be!
- Add balsamic to the mushrooms and cook for one more minute
- Add the tomatoes, cover and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, then mix in two handfuls of spinach, remove the pan from the heat and cover.
- Preheat the oven to 360°F.
- Remove dough from refrigerator, roll it out and place it in a tart/quiche pan. Make sure to puncture the dough with a fork a couple times!
- Pour tofu layer into the dough, followed by the veggie sauté layer.
- Bake for 1 hour, covering with foil after the 40 minute mark.
- Cool for at least ten minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Chickpea flour: all-purpose flour or corn starch
