Recipe: Plant-Based Quiche by Jennah Jensen
I love a good quiche and it’s delightfully surprising the ingredients you can use to create a vegan version that emulates the traditional recipes! One of those secret ingredients is kala namak, or “black salt” as it’s called. Kala namak is a type of salt that is actually usually pink in color. It’s not quite as salty as regular salt but it has a unique sulfury smell and flavor that is absolutely wonderful for mimicking egg dishes! You’ll see what I mean! Now, it’s not completely necessary for this recipe however I highly recommend it as it will truly take your quiche to the next level. I purchased mine on Amazon for a very affordable price and it will last me quite a long time! The second secret ingredient is tofu because it truly gives the quiche that light and bouncy texture that we all know and love (and it’s high protein too). As for the crust, you can most definitely make your own but in effort to save time I usually prefer to use a store bought crust or even no crust at all! Finally, one of my favorite things about quiche is that you can personalize the filling and be really creative! For this recipe I kept it simple by using spinach and mushrooms but the possibilities are endless! Other filling suggestions that I think would be delicious are; asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, and plant-based cheeses or meats. The most important thing is that you have fun and that it’s made with love! I hope you enjoy this recipe!
For The Quiche Filling:
2 packed cups fresh spinach
2 heaping cups mushrooms, sliced
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 14oz blocks of extra firm tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon kala namak aka black salt (optional but highly recommended!)
1/2 teaspoon regular salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Method:
If you’re making a homemade crust start with that first as it will take more time, see crust options below.
For the quiche filling start by sautéing the spinach, mushrooms and garlic on medium heat. Sauté until all of the moisture is cooked out, this is extremely important for preventing a soggy quiche! Once all of the moisture has been fully cooked out, remove from heat and set aside.
Next, remove the tofu from its package. Holding the tofu over the sink, gently but firmly use your hands to press out the excess water from each block. You won’t be able to get every last drop out but do try to remove as much as possible. Again, this will prevent a soggy quiche. The more moisture that is in the mixture, the longer it will take to bake.
Crumble both blocks of tofu into a food processor along with the nutritional yeast, kala namak (black salt), regular salt and black pepper. Process until a thick, whipped consistency is achieved, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.
Now it’s time to combine the tofu mixture with the sautéd veggies. To save additional dishes, I simply just add the tofu mixture straight into the cooled sauté pan and stir to combine.
Finally, scrape the mixture into a pie crust or alternatively you can go crustless (my favorite choice). For crustless simply scrape the mixture into a greased pie dish. For both crust variations, bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. or about 180 C. Bake for 30 minutes then cover the entire quiche with a piece of tin foil and resume baking for another 15-20 minutes or even longer if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times will vary depending on the appliance and moisture content. There are many quiche recipes out there that bake at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time however, I find that this browns the top much too quickly and doesn’t give the end result as nice of a texture. Slow and steady is the way to go! When fully cooked the center of the mixture should be firm but have a slight bit of bouncy give to it, (not jiggly) and you should be able to insert a toothpick into the center and have it come out perfectly clean.
Once the quiche is finished baking, remove from heat and allow it to cool down for about 30-60 minutes before digging in. This allows for it to set and finish any residual internal cooking.
Crust Options:
As I mentioned earlier you don’t even need to use a crust at all! If you want to save time or the fuss, you can simply put your quiche mixture straight into a greased pie dish. You can also keep things easy by using a store bought crust. If you have your own crust recipe you can certainly use that as well! Written below is the recipe and method I use when I’m feeling motivated and have all the time in the world!
For Homemade Crust:
1.5 cups all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1
1/2 cup vegan stick butter (about 1 stick or 113g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-5 tablespoons ice water
You Will Also Need:
Fork or pastry cutter
Pie weights or dried beans
Parchment paper
Foil
Rolling pin
Method:
Okay, so you’ve decided to make your own crust! The very first step is to cube up the butter, then freeze the butter, water, mixing bowl and utensils for about 15 minutes. This will make for easier mixing and better crust texture.
Next add the flour, salt and chilled butter to a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, mash the butter into the flour until mostly incorporated.
Now, start to add the ice water in 1 tablespoon increments until a dough consistency is formed. This usually takes me about 4.5 to 5 tablespoons.
Once dough is achieved, roll it into an even ball, wrap it in parchment paper and then place it in the fridge to let it rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes remove from fridge and roll the dough out onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Then place the rolled dough into a pie dish and using a fork, poke holes all over the bottom.
Place parchment paper on top of the dough then place pie weights or dried beans on top of the parchment paper to help it maintain its shape and to prevent the dough from lifting up. Cover with foil and bake at 425 F. or about 220 C. for about 15 minutes. Pre baking or “blind baking” the crust will help prevent a soggy quiche. Once pre baked, remove from heat and set aside until the quiche mixture is ready.
Jennah Jensen is a vegan, blogger and recipe extraordinaire! You can follow along her adventures, find her recipes and be inspired by her musings here and follow along on Instagram @jennahjensen