This easy Quiche Florentine is a fresh spinach quiche baked in a homemade pie crust to serve for brunch or breakfast for dinner. Baked in a 9 inch tart pan.


Quiche Florentine On Cutting Board

In 2016 I started a second Instagram account called City Life Adventures because I wanted to share my city photography.

It’s definitely been bringing joy back to my photography since I take a lot of photos that aren’t food-related and can’t share on @homemadeinthekitchen.

Now that it’s spring, I’ve been taking a lot more photos during my evening walks.

Luckily it’s during the golden hour, which is roughly one hour before sunset where the lighting is ideal for outdoor photography.

While on my walks, I brainstorm recipes. And since it’s springtime, I think about warmer weather recipes, including brunch.

You have Easter and Mother’s Day, which are big on brunch. Or maybe you just want an excuse to eat a late breakfast because you’re not a morning person (ahem).

What better way to enjoy brunch than with Quiche Florentine? It’s a fresh spinach quiche filled with eggs, spinach leaves, and Parmesan cheese baked in a homemade pie crust.

Personally I enjoy eating my Quiche Florentine recipe as a breakfast for dinner (aka brinner – see my fried egg burger).

And since I’m only cooking for myself, I eat the leftovers for breakfast. Win win.

Homemade quiche is such a versatile recipe; once you understand the fundamentals of how to make a quiche, you can play with the flavors.

I took the filling from my Ham and Cheese Quiche, Caramelized Onion Quiche, and Artichoke Quiche then added fresh spinach and Parmesan cheese.

Complete with a homemade pie crust, this Quiche Florentine with fresh spinach is sure to be a show stopper on your brunch menu.



Close up slice of Quiche Florentine

What makes quiche a quiche?

A quiche is a savory egg custard made with milk, cream, and eggs then baked in a pie crust. It’s such a versatile recipe, you often fill it with different mix-ins such as cheese, herbs, vegetables, and meat.

What is Quiche Florentine?

Quiche Florentine refers to the addition of spinach.

Why is it called Florentine? Way back when, the Queen of France brought her own cooks from Florence, Italy where she grew up. These cooks introduced spinach to France. Therefore, spinach became associated with Florence.

What is the difference between Quiche Lorraine and Quiche Florentine?

Quiche Florentine is spinach and cheese while Quiche Lorraine is bacon and cheese.


Slice of Quiche Florentine

What pan do you use to make quiche?

For this Quiche Florentine recipe, I used a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom (affiliate link) to give it some wow factor for presentation by pressing the pie dough into the ridges.

Being able to remove the pan side means it won’t break apart when you take it out of the pan.

You can also use quiche pans without a removable bottom or even a regular pie plate and ruffle the edges freehand.


Slice of Spinach Quiche

Ingredients For Quiche Florentine

Making this recipe for Quiche Florentine is easy! Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Pie Crust: My homemade pie crust recipe will fit in your 9 inch tart pan. However, to save time you can use store-bought then trim to fit.
  • Oil: You’ll need some fat to sauté your onion, garlic, and spinach. I used olive oil for additional flavor, but you can also use vegetable oil.
  • Onion and Garlic: These aromatics build flavor into the base of your quiche filling.
  • Spinach: It isn’t Quiche Florentine without spinach! Fresh spinach leaves really elevate your quiche. However, you can substitute frozen in a pinch. Follow the directions on your box to cook then squeeze out the excess liquid with a potato ricer (affiliate link).
  • Eggs: The ratio of eggs to milk in quiche is 2:1, hence 2 eggs for 1 cup of dairy in this recipe. Use standard large eggs that were brought to room temperature.
  • Whole Milk: You want to use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream to achieve the proper amount of fat. Using all milk means not enough fat while using all heavy cream makes it too rich. Please use whole milk, not low fat and most definitely not skim. Fat is your friend in quiche!
  • Heavy Cream: Make sure you’re using heavy cream so you have the proper amount of fat in the filling. You can also substitute half and half for both the milk and cream.
  • Salt: Salt makes sure the filling isn’t bland.
  • Cheese: I used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, but almost any shredded cheese will do – Gruyere, Swiss, even Cheddar.


Slice of Spinach Quiche

How To Make Quiche Florentine

There are two parts to making homemade spinach quiche:

  1. Homemade pie crust
  2. Spinach Parmesan filling

First, make the pie crust. It’s very easy to make, especially if you have 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 worries! You can still make your pie crust by hand using a pastry blender.

Once the dough is formed and chilled, line your tart pan with the dough. You do need to prebake your pie crust for quiche prior to filling it. Otherwise, you’d end up with a soggy crust.

Prick your dough 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 container to use again for future quiche making.

If you don’t have time to make pie crust from scratch, use store-bought then trim to fit the pan.

How To Make Spinach Quiche Filling

While the crust is baking, make the spinach Parmesan filling:

  1. Sauté onion, garlic, and spinach in hot olive oil.
  2. Whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, and salt.
  3. Sprinkle cheese over the pre-baked crust, add your spinach mixture on top, then pour the egg mixture over top.
  4. Bake at 375F for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown, slightly puffed, doesn’t jiggle when moved, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Is Quiche Florentine vegetarian?

Due to how Parmesan cheese is made, this spinach quiche is not a vegetarian quiche as written.

However, if you swap out the cheese for another, such as mozzarella or Gruyere, you can easily make it vegetarian friendly for your brunch or Easter dinner for two.

How long should quiche rest before cutting?

Because homemade quiche is a savory egg custard, it needs to rest about 15 minutes before cutting.

If you were to cut it right away, it would fall apart from being too warm. Plus there’s carryover cooking, which means the quiche will continue cooking from retained heat as it rests.

How long will Quiche Florentine keep in the refrigerator?

Whether you’re making your Florentine 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.

How To Freeze Quiche Florentine

To freeze quiche after it’s done baking, let it cool completely, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap or aluminum 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?

There are two reasons your spinach quiche may appear watery.

First, you may have overcooked your quiche. When eggs are overcooked, they over-coagulate, which forces out liquid from the eggs.

Second, if you used frozen spinach, you need to make sure all excess liquid is squeezed out before adding.

What To Serve With Quiche Florentine

Here are some recipes to serve with your quiche recipe:

Quiche Florentine

Quiche Florentine

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

This easy Quiche Florentine is a fresh spinach quiche baked in a homemade pie crust to serve for brunch or breakfast for dinner.

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) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 8 tablespoons
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold and cut into 3 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup cold water

Filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow or white onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 6 cups fresh spinach leaves (see Note about using frozen)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature (do not use low fat or skim)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (preferably kosher)
  • 1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or substitute another cheese for vegetarian friendly)

Instructions

  1. Make the pie crust: In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and cold shortening then pulse until butter and shortening are cut into the flour, looking like large pebbles.
  2. 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.
  3. Preheat oven to 375F. Place a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom onto a baking sheet.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Make the filling: While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Once hot, add the onion and a big pinch of salt then cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  7. Add the spinach and another big pinch of salt. Stir until all of the leaves are coated in the onion mixture. Cook until wilted and bright green, about 5 minutes.
  8. In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and salt.
  9. Once the crust has finished baking, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the crust. Top with the spinach mixture then pour the egg mixture over top.
  10. 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 use frozen spinach, cook according to package directions then squeeze out excess liquid with a potato ricer.
  • You can substitute half and half for both the milk and heavy cream.
  • 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 Vegetarian Quiche.

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Originally published April 25, 2016