This is the perfect base recipe for an incredible vegan quiche baked up in a flaky and delicious vegan pie crust. The filling is super creamy, rich and cheesy and you can customize it with all of your favourite quiche add-ins!
½ cup (120mls)non-dairy milk , it MUST be unsweetened & unflavoured
½teaspoonprepared mustard, yellow or dijon
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspoondried thyme
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
Add-ins
up to 2cupsof prepared add-ins, about enough to half fill the pie crust ( i.e broccoli, spinach, vegan ham or bacon, caramelized onions, tomato - more ideas in post above).
Instructions
For the pie crust
If your pie crust isn't already blind-baked (partially baked) do that now. Here's how:Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C) with a large metal baking tray in there as it preheats. Prick the bottom of the pie crust all over with a fork then line with parchment paper. Fill with baking beans, dried beans or dried rice and put on the preheated tray in the oven. Bake for about 17 minutes or until the edges of the crust are just beginning to turn a very gentle golden brown. Remove from the oven and gently lift out the parchment paper along with the baking beans/rice. Then return to the oven and bake for around 7 to 8 minutes more, or until the bottom of the crust is just beginning to turn a gentle golden brown. Remove from the oven. It's ok if the crust is warm when you add the filling. If using a store bought pie crust follow the directions on the box.
For the quiche
Once the pie crust is ready, preheat oven to 350°F (175 °C) with a metal baking tray on the bottom shelf of the oven.
OPTIONAL STEP - If you aren't opposed to using a bit of oil, a quick brush of any neutral liquid oil all over the blind-baked crust before adding the filling, will create a seal and keep the bottom even crisper.
To a blender add all of the custard filling ingredients. Blend until smooth. Don't be alarmed by the strong chickpea flour smell/taste. Once cooked you won't notice it.
Place your chosen add-ins into the pie crust, reserving a few bits and pieces to decorate the top, spreading them out evenly and filling it no more than half way up.
Pour the custard filling over the add-ins in the pie crust until the top of the custard is almost at the top of the crust but not quite.
Decorate with the reserved add-ins then carefully lift and place on the lowest shelf of the oven, on the baking tray that you preheated in there. Being near the bottom of the oven and on a hot metal tray will keep the bottom crisper.
Bake the quiche for 40 minutes, or until the center is just set. Don't overbake it. If you poke it in the centre gently with your finger it should be just set, soft and yielding with a very slight wobble.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before attempting to cut. It's delicious warm or cold.
You might have some excess custard filling depending on how many add-ins went in and how dense they are. Pour leftovers (along with a few random add-ins), into greased ramekins or a muffin pan and bake them with the quiche, or after, for 10 to 15 minutes or until set with a slight wobble.
Video
Notes
Add-insUse no more than 2 cups of add-ins and place them in the blind-baked pie crust before pouring over the custard filling. Some will need to be cooked first and blotted to remove excess moisture, for example, squash, zucchini, spinach. Lots of add-in and flavour combination ideas are given in the post above.Success TipsFor the best results when making this recipe, take note of these tips:
Blind-baking is essential for a great quiche. If you don't blind-bake it won't be perfectly crispy and flaky and you could even end up with a soggy bottom. No one wants a soggy bottom!
A quick brush of any neutral liquid oil all over the blind-baked crust before adding the filling, will create a seal and keep the bottom even crisper with even less chance of becoming soggy. An optional step but something I always do.
I recommend blending the vegan cheese into the custard as per the instructions and not just adding the grated cheese into the pie crust as you would with a non-vegan quiche. This avoids the chances of it not melting well. In tests, I tried many different vegan cheese varieties and when they weren't blended, some melted well, but others didn't, leaving a visible layer of cheese all the way through because it didn't melt into the filling. It ruined the look of the slices, so to avoid the chance of that happening, blending is an easy solution.
Don't be alarmed by the chickpea flour smell/taste when you blend the filling up. It is quite strong but once it's baked it mellows right out.
Be sure that all added ingredients are chopped up into bite-size pieces. This is important because they need to be evenly distributed throughout the quiche and it also makes slicing much easier.
Bake the quiche on a metal baking tray in the oven. This helps keep the base of the pie crust crisp.
Don't overbake. It should feel just set but soft with a little wobble. It should jiggle a little when you cut into it and not be solid.
Making in advance and freezingVegan quiche is great for making ahead. It can be served warm or cold and it reheats well.
TOMAKE AHEAD: Bake the quiche and allow to cool completely. Cover tightly and store for 3 - 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 180C/350F.
TO FREEZE: Wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20 to 25 minutes.