Why is it called unbelievable vegan quiche?
Quiche was always a best seller at my bakeries and restaurant, and everyone raved about my recipe, which was loaded with eggs, heavy cream and cheese. It was silky, decadent and packed with flavor. Naturally, when I set out to create an egg free, dairy free version, I doubted that I would be able to come close to the original. I was wrong!
This recipe is one of my great achievements as a chef and recipe developer. Not only did I nail it on the first try (that does not always happen!), but it is so good that when I fed it to my family, who have no allergies and all eat gluten, dairy and eggs, they had no idea it was an imposter.
The keys to this recipe are my vegan cream cheese pie crust, a fairly new product called JUST Egg — which is a liquid egg replacer — and full fat cashew milk (I like Elmhurst brand). You can use whatever vegan cheese you like. For my first try, I used Daiya, which I actually do not think is the greatest, and the recipe still came out amazing.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
Unbelievable Vegan Quiche
Flakey, tender crust with a delicious silky filling that has endless flavor variations.
Equipment
- Rolling pin
- pie tin
- bowl
- scale or measuring cups
- dried beans, popcorn kernels or pie weights
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust (regular or gluten free)
- 230 grams Just Egg egg replacer (1 cup)
- 230 milliliters full fat cashew milk (4 ounces or one cup) (1 cup)
- ¼ teaspoon salt*
- 120 grams cheese, shredded or crumbled (4oz) (1 cup)
- 1-2 cups add-ins**
- 1 teaspoon garlic, granulated
- ½ teaspoon thyme, dried (optional)
- flour for rolling out dough
Instructions
Crust
- Make the pie dough ahead of time/the night before, because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out and blind baking (the ext step).
- Roll out the chilled dough on a floured work surface. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls, until you have a circle 12-13 inches in diameter. Roll and wrap dough around a rolling pin, then transfer to a 9 to 9½-inch, deep-dish pie pan.
- Unroll dough into pan, then shape into pan. Trim uneven edges while leaving about 1-inch overhang, and tuck overhang underneath. Decorate edges as desired.
- Freeze dough for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 30 min. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Partially blind bake your crust. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper, heavy duty plastic wrap or foil. Fill with pie weights, unpopped popcorn or dried beans. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. If using plastic wrap, make sure to pull the excess into the middle, covering the beans and making sure it doesn't touch the pan, or it will melt.
- Bake about 13-15 minutes, until the edges of the crust are barely starting to brown. Remove pie from the oven, and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick all around the bottom crust with a fork. Return the pie crust to the oven. Bake about 7-8 additional minutes, until the bottom crust is just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven, and set aside. (Crust can still be warm when you pour in the filling. You can partially prebake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time.) Cover cooled crust tightly, and refrigerate until ready to fill.
Filling
- In a large bowl with a whisk or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the Just egg, cashew milk, salt and any herbs or spices together until completely combined, about a minute.
- Starting with your cheese, add the mix-ins, alternating between cheese and whatever else you are using. Slowly pour the liquid mixture over the top, and let it settle evenly.
- Bake the quiche 45-55 minutes, until the center is just about set. Don’t over-bake. Use a pie crust shield or foil to prevent the pie crust edges from over-browning. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. You can also cool the quiche completely before serving. It’s delicious at room temperature. (My personal favorite way to enjoy it!)
Notes
Orignial Recipe (pictured): ½ cup of sautéed onion, 1½ cups cooked spinach (squeeze out extra water), 1 cup dairy-free cheddar, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, ½ teaspoon green salt and ½ teaspoon dried thyme.
Variations:
- Cheese: Really anything you like -- cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, gruyere, smoked gouda, goat cheese and feta cheese.
- Cashew Milk: Use a milk with at least 8 grams of fat per cup (I like Elmhurst, which is 11 grams/cup). If you can't find full-fat cashew milk, you can use a mix of equal parts cashew cream and almond milk or low-fat cashew milk.
- Veggies: Corn, mushrooms, grape tomatoes (or sun-dried), bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, olives, kale, spinach, radicchio, arugula, peas, potatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, caramelized onion or shallot. Note that the vegetables should be cooked beforehand by sautéing, steaming or roasting, and any excess water should be drained or dried off.
- Herbs & Spices: Basil, parsley, chives, tarragon, dill, thyme, marjoram, chervil, oregano, herbs de Provence, red pepper flakes, paprika, a tiny bit of nutmeg, hot sauce...whatever you love.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 18gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 559mgPotassium: 240mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 356IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I made this for a friend. She loved it. Even her husband lived it and he is not a fan of quiche.
Just love this recipe and so delicious
For a non vegan quiche, my filling usually consists of 6 eggs and cream cheese as a base, then I add my flavors. this is all home based and personal consumption, but I recently started working at a bakery, and everyone is excited to try my quiche. I’ve met a regular who’s a vegan, but loves a good quiche, so I am looking for substitutes. I have egg replacer and crust options, but my biggest hiccup thus far is finding a substitute for cheese. Obviously seasoning and Nutritional Yeast help, and Philly Cream Cheese makes a substitute, but apart from Diyah I’m still unsure regarding a shreaded cheese substitute in filling/ topping. All I’m saying is give quiche a chance, and in vegan cuisine, doubly so. Any tips or pointers are graciously accepted and gratuitously re-distributed, with proper shoutouts. 1 love, fam.
taste like egg quiche without the allergies!
Lovely breakfast !