Easy Vegetable Quiche with Shortcrust Pastry
I love finding ways to sneak more veggies into my everyday meals, which is why this easy vegetable quiche makes for the perfect start to the day. Or lunch. Or dinner. Honestly, anytime is quiche time.
This recipe began (from the origins of my Aunt Jean’s cheese quiche recipe) as a way for me to load up on vegetables while simultaneously getting rid of produce that needed to be used, all in one go.
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EASY VEGETABLE QUICHE
This recipe acts as the perfect base for your veggie quiche dreams. Mix and match your herbs, cheeses, and vegetables based on what you have on hand for the perfect nutrient-packed quiche.
I often make this as a part of my meal prep or when I have some veggies that need to be used up. Some of my go-tos are spinach/kale, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
What is shortcrust pastry? Shortcrust pastry is a type of pie crust that’s tender, crumbly, and lightly crisp because the butter is rubbed into the flour and the dough is handled minimally.
INGREDIENTS
- Flour: forms the base of the shortcrust pastry for a tender, crisp crust.
- Butter: adds richness and flakiness to the pastry.
- Salt: enhances flavor in both the crust and filling.
- Egg (for crust): binds the dough together and adds structure.
- Cold water: helps bring the dough together without warming the butter.
- Eggs (for filling): provide structure and create a creamy, custardy texture.
- Greek yogurt: adds creaminess and a slight tang to the filling.
- Milk: thins the filling slightly for smooth, soft custard.
- Black pepper: adds mild heat and balances flavors.
- Dried herbs: infuse the quiche with aromatic flavor.
- Fresh herbs: provide bright, fresh notes in the filling.
- Cheese: adds richness, flavor, and a gooey, melty texture.
- Vegetables: give color, texture, and fresh flavor to the quiche.
Why cook the vegetables before adding them to your quiche? Vegetables like zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms hold water, so cooking them down prevents too much liquid from being inside your quiche, turning it watery.
HOW TO MAKE AN EASY VEGETABLE QUICHE
Making the Crust
In a bowl, rub together the flour, butter, and salt until it forms a crumbly mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and pour it into the flour mixture, combining with your hands until a slightly pasty dough forms, adding a bit of cold water if needed.
Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap airtight, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F while the dough chills to prepare for blind baking.
Roll the dough into a 1/8″ thick circle between two sheets of parchment paper. Peel off the top sheet, flip the dough, and remove the second sheet before transferring it to your pie dish.
Press the dough gently into the bottom and sides of the dish, folding under any excess and crimping the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, line it with crumbled parchment, and fill with baking weights.
Blind bake for 11 minutes, then carefully lift out the parchment and weights. Return the crust to the oven for another 6–10 minutes until dry and no longer wet-looking, then remove and allow it to cool completely.
Preparing the Filling & Assembly
Dice and cook your preferred vegetables, then let them cool for a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F to prepare for baking the quiche.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, dried and fresh herbs, yogurt, and milk until fully combined. Stir in your cheese with a spatula to evenly distribute it throughout the custard.
Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the cooled pie crust. Gently fold in the cooked vegetables, spreading them evenly without scraping the crust.
Bake the quiche for 40 minutes, until the edges are set and slightly browned and the center barely wobbles. Allow it to cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing into six portions.
3 reasons you’ll love this easy vegetable quiche
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- For cheese, I often do a mixture of mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan, but I also love subbing in feta or goat cheese. Whether shredding or crumbling, make it smaller so you can evenly distribute the cheese throughout your quiche.
- If using goat cheese, I prefer to add that once the filling is in the crust. Sprinkling crumbles over the top of the uncooked quiche before baking.
- For vegetables, I like to mix-and-match mushrooms, onions, kale, zucchini, and tomatoes. Dice smaller so they’ll disperse evenly throughout the quiche mixture. The only exception is tomatoes, which I love to slice and lay on top, before putting into the oven.
- If you are using fresh tomatoes, make sure to dehydrate them a little bit. Slice them and sprinkle over a little salt, before placing a paper towel on top. Gently press down and let them sit to absorb some of that excess liquid. This helps to prevent a watery quiche!
- I love interchanging basil, oregano, and thyme in my quiche. Dried works fine, but fresh is best.
- For a crustless quiche, simply omit the shortcrust pastry recipe and bake the filling as instructed.
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
Your baked quiche will keep wrapped in the fridge for up to four days or stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If freezing, you can wrap the quiche whole or in individual slices to take out as you need. Thaw pieces in the microwave or place your whole quiche in the fridge overnight to thaw, then reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES
- Classic French Quiche Lorraine
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- Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Pull-Apart Bread
- Blueberry Chai Muffins
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment
- 9" Pie Dish
- Mixing Bowls
- Frying Pan
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper
- Baking weights
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup flour (200g)
- 7 tbsp cold butter cubed (100g)
- ½ tsp table salt
- 1 whole egg
- water cold (if needed)
- 8 eggs
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried herbs 1-2 tbsp fresh
- 1 cup cheese shredded or crumbled*
- 1 cup vegetables cooked and diced*
Instructions
CRUST
- In a bowl, rub together flour, butter and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then pour it into the flour mixture
- Combine with hands. The mixture should be slightly pasty – if it doesn’t feel like it’s coming together early on, add a little bit of water before you mix the egg in too much
- Flatten dough into a disk, wrap it or place it in an airtight tub, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Roll the dough into a 1/8" thick circle between two sheets of parchment paper. Peel off the top layer of parchment, place it back on, flip the dough over, and peel off the new top layer.
- Transfer the dough to your pie dish, dough side down, peeling off the remaining parchment. Shift it until it's flat against the bottom and sides. Fold under the excess to make your crust, and crimp by pulling the pointer finger of your left hand through a peace sign made with your right.
- Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, then line the inside of your crust with a piece of crumbled parchment paper. Fill with baking weights.
- Blind bake with your weights for 11 minutes, then gently lift out the parchment paper with the baking weights. Return your pie crust to the oven for another 6-10 minutes, until the crust is dry and no longer wet-looking.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding quiche filling
FILLING & ASSEMBLY
- Dice and cook your preferred veggies. Then allow them a few minutes to cool.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- In a bowl, add your eggs, salt, pepper, herbs*, yogurt, and milk. Whisk together until the eggs are fully combined.
- Add your cheese to the egg mixture and stir with a spatula to combine.
- Pour your mixture into your cooled pie crust.
- Gently add cooled, cooked vegetables to your pie dish and, using a spatula, stir around to incorporate evenly. Avoid scraping your pie crust.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until the edges are set and slightly browned and the center of the quiche barely gives a wobble.
- Cool 10-15 minutes and then cut into six slices
- Cover and refrigerate for up to four days or freeze individual slices for two to three months.
