Bring Mediterranean flavors to the brunch table by serving Vegetarian Quiche with artichoke hearts, green pimento olives, and roasted red pepper baked in a homemade pie crust.
Raise your hand if you never know when Easter is.
It always creeps out of nowhere, and I can never keep track of when it is. April! March! Back to April! Back to March!
Can we please pick the same time each year like we do for Thanksgiving?
This week also marks the first day of spring, which is hard to believe because the weather has been alternating between spring and winter the past month or so.
With Easter, Mother’s Day, and springtime in general, I think of one word – brunch.
Brunch is that magical time of the day where non-morning people like me get to sleep in and still eat breakfast.
The trade off is I need all the help I can get for making dishes ahead of time since it takes me awhile to wake up. That’s where this Vegetarian Quiche with artichokes, olives, and red peppers comes in handy.
Artichokes aren’t new to quiche filling; after all, everyone has heard about spinach artichoke quiche.
However, I wanted to go in a more Mediterranean direction with green pimento olives and roasted red pepper.
Vegetarian Quiche is the perfect example for make ahead brunch food. You can fully bake it the day before then pop it in the oven to reheat the next day.
Or you can make the pie crust the day before then bake it with filling the morning of.
It also makes an excellent breakfast for dinner (aka brinner). I personally like to eat quiche for dinner then eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day.
What pan do you need to make quiche?
For this Vegetarian Quiche recipe, I used a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom (affiliate link). Being able to remove the pan side means it won’t break apart when you take it out of the pan.
The fancy white fluted quiche pans do make for a stunning presentation, but I find them harder to cut and serve without falling apart.
Don’t have a tart pan? You can also use a pie plate then ruffle the edges by hand.
Although a 9-inch quiche makes a little more than brunch for two, leftover quiche tastes even better the next day and makes an excellent breakfast.
What is a quiche?
A quiche is essentially an egg custard baked in a pie crust. Learning how to make a vegetarian quiche is easy once you understand its components:
- The crust
- The egg filling
- The mix-ins
How To Make A Quiche Crust From Scratch
Making homemade pie crust from scratch for vegetarian quiche is easy, especially if you own a food processor.
Add all of your ingredients then pulse until a dough forms. Easy peasy.
If you don’t have a food processor, no problem! You can still make your pie crust by hand using a pastry blender.
Should I prebake crust for quiche?
Yes, you need to prebake a pie crust for vegetarian quiche prior to filling it. Otherwise, you’d end up with a soggy crust.
After pressing your homemade pie dough into your pan, prick it with a fork to help release steam, cover it with foil so it doesn’t overbrown, and fill it with pie weights so the dough stays flat.
You don’t need to buy actual pie weights. I use dried lentils, but you can also use dried beans or rice. Keep them in a special jar to use over and over for future quiche making.
How much egg should I use for quiche?
It isn’t quiche without eggs!
The ratio of eggs to milk in quiche is 2:1. For example, use 2 eggs for every 1 cup dairy.
I use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream to balance the richness, but you can also substitute half and half since it’s naturally half cream, half milk.
Don’t forget the salt!
What veggies go with quiche?
This is where the fun and creativity begins!
Most recipes for vegetarian quiche use broccoli, spinach, or onion, like my Quiche Florentine and Caramelized Onion Quiche.
However, I went for a Mediterranean brunch recipe and used jarred artichoke hearts, green manzanilla olives, and roasted red peppers.
Using these ingredients straight from the jar means you don’t have to do any knife work; everything is either already cut for you or small enough to leave whole.
The artichoke hearts are marinated and ready to eat so you don’t have to worry about trimming a fresh artichoke. The green olives have a bold taste and firm texture, which helps keep them whole even with a long baking time. The roasted red peppers add a pop of color.
If you’re missing the meat component, check out my Ham and Cheese Quiche.
How To Make Vegetarian Quiche
First, make your homemade pie dough either in a food processor or by hand.
Once it’s chilled, roll it out into a circle slightly bigger than the pan then line the pan. Prick with a fork, cover with foil, fill with pie weights, then bake 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes or until the crust no longer looks wet. Don’t worry if it’s not fully done at this point. It’ll continue cooking once you add the filling.
While the crust is baking, make the artichoke quiche filling. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and salt.
Once the crust is done, layer it with cheese. This will act as a barrier between the dough and filling.
Next, scatter your artichokes, olives, and roasted red peppers on top.
Finally, pour the egg mixture over top until the whole pan fills up.
Bake at 375F for about 35-40 minutes or until the quiche is brown and slightly puffed.
How long should quiche rest before cutting?
Because homemade quiche is a savory egg custard, it does need to rest 15 minutes before serving.
Otherwise, it’d fall apart from being too warm. Plus the quiche will continue cooking from retained heat as it rests, often known as carryover cooking.
How long will Vegetarian Quiche keep in the refrigerator?
Whether you’re making your homemade quiche ahead of time or have leftovers, you can refrigerate quiche for up to 3-4 days.
Anything longer and you’d want to freeze it.
Can I freeze Vegetarian Quiche?
Yes, you can freeze artichoke quiche after it’s done baking. Wrap your completely cooled quiche in a double layer of plastic wrap or foil, place it in a freezer-safe plastic bag, then freeze for 3-4 months.
You can freeze it whole or you can freeze individual slices. The method to freeze is the same way.
To bake a frozen quiche, transfer it straight from the freezer to the oven (do not thaw it) then bake for 1 hour or until done.
Why did my quiche turn out watery?
If your vegetarian quiche is watery, it’s likely you overcooked it. When eggs are overcooked, they over-coagulate, which forces out liquid from the eggs.
You’ll also want to make sure your jarred vegetables are completely drained and dried before adding.
What To Serve With Vegetarian Quiche
Here are some recipes to serve with your quiche recipe:
Vegetarian Quiche
Bring Mediterranean flavors to brunch with Vegetarian Quiche filled with artichoke hearts, green pimento olives, and roasted red pepper.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (preferably kosher)
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 8 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold and cut into 3 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup cold water
Filling
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (preferably kosher)
- 1 cup shredded cheese, such as mozzarella, Swiss, cheddar, gruyere, or gouda
- 1 (6.5 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/4 cup manzanilla olives (whole or sliced)
- 1/4 cup roasted red pepper strips
Instructions
- Make the pie crust: In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and cold shortening and pulse until butter and shortening are cut into the flour, looking like large pebbles.
- Add the water and pulse until a dough forms. Gather the dough and pat into an evenly round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until cold.
Alternatively, you can do this by hand. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a large bowl then cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender. Stir in the water until a dough forms. - Preheat oven to 375F. Place a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom onto a baking sheet.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into a circle slightly bigger than the pan. Line the bottom and sides with the crust, patching it together if necessary.
- Line the pie crust with foil on top then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and weights then bake another 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and no longer looks uncooked.
- Make the filling: While the crust is baking, in a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, thyme, and salt.
- Once the crust has finished baking, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the crust. Top with the artichokes, olives, and red pepper. Pour the egg mixture over top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown, slightly puffed, doesn’t jiggle when moved, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- To freeze quiche, let it cool completely, wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap or foil, place in a freezer-safe plastic bag, then freeze for 3-4 months.
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out my recipes for Ham and Cheese Quiche, Caramelized Onion Quiche, and Quiche Florentine.
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