Vegan Quiche with Garden Vegetables | Chickpea Tofu Quiche Recipe (2024)

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Easter is coming up and I thought it was about time to finally photograph and share my vegan quiche recipe. I’ve been really pleasantly surprised with how much non-vegans seem to enjoy this tofu quiche. Made with a combination of tofu and also chickpea flour, and full of vegetables and savory flavor, this is a crowd-pleaser that I hope you’ll really enjoy.

There seem to be two camps with vegan quiches. The tofu camp, and the no tofu camp. Making a vegan quiche without tofu seems to involve a mixture made with pure chickpea flour. And my delicate sensibilities just cannot handle that onslaught of chickpea flour flavor. I love the ingredient here and there, but if it’s even slightly undercooked, or dominant in a dish, it kinda makes my stomach churn.

Chickpea flour does do wonders for creating a cohesive texture, which is something that’s often lacking in basic tofu quiches, I’ve found. So my chickpea tofu vegan quiche is the best of both worlds! I base the batter on extra-firm tofu, but I also add a tasteful amount of chickpea flour to help firm it up. The result is an eggless quiche that’s super slice-able, creamy, and delicious.

Talking about crust for a moment,I went with Wholly Wholesome brand spelt crust for the pictured version of my vegan quiche. (Consequently this is also the one I used to calculate the nutrition facts). Hence the darker brown color compared to traditional pie crust. I LOVE this brand though, and used to purchase it quite frequently prior to having a gluten-free boyfriend.

I have tested a crustless version of this and it’s great too, and obviously a lot lighter. I went to three stores trying to track down a vegan, gluten-free pie crust for the bf, but sadly my search was not successful. Thankfully, this can be turned into more of a frittata type of dish by omitting the crust. I recommend baking it in a springform pan if you have one. If not, a regular casserole dish also works!

I have heard murmurs of aquafaba and cashew-based quiches if you’re of the soy-free persuasion and, like me, don’t care for intense chickpea flour applications. The one in Zsu Dever’s Aquafaba cookbook looks like a good start. However, I have not tried it. If you do, please let me know- I am very curious!

I added a verdant spring-appropriate assortment of vegetables and herbs to my vegan quiche this time around: fresh asparagus, spinach, spring onions and chives. In previous versions I’ve done all sorts of mixes of veggies. Chopped broccoli is a great addition, as is diced zucchini. I’ve also gone the puttanesca route before and added olives, capers, and sundried tomatoes. Super yummy. Just be sure to properly sweat any veggies, including leafy greens, in your saute mixture so that they don’t make the batter runny.

Fair warning: I don’t remember what non-vegan quiche tastes like anymore. I wasn’t a huge fan of eggs back in the day. So I’m not prepared to make any claims about how much this vegan quiche resembles its counterpart. However, I can tell you that I’ve served variations on my tofu quiche to omnivores, including my parents on Christmas morning this past holiday (!), and it was VERY well-received.

Vegan Quiche with Vegetables

Hearty vegan quiche, made by baking up a creamy tofu chickpea filling with seasoned mixed vegetables in a flaky vegan pie crust.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword eggless quiche, vegan frittata, vegan quiche

Ingredients

For the tofu-chickpea quiche base:

1 lb firm tofu (16 oz.)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp chickpea flour

For the vegetable mixture:

1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch scallions or green onions white and light green parts, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
2 tbsp dry white wine (optional)
10 oz asparagus woody ends removed, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 oz fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
salt to taste

For assembling the vegan quiche:

1 pie crust of choice
6-8 asparagus spears (optional, for bedazzling the quiche)
1/4 cup thinly-sliced cherry tomatoes (optional)

Instructions

Par-bake your pie crust in a pie dish, according to the recipe or package instructions. Afterward, set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Open the tofu, drain any excess liquid, and either press it in a tofu press, or wrap it in a clean towel and stack something heavy on top of it.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetable mixture. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and softened, about 2-4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes to the pan, as well as the white wine, if using. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have somewhat thickened and lost their excess liquid. Add the asparagus to the pan, and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 more minutes.
Stir in the spinach and cook until fully wilted. Season to taste with salt, and stir in the chopped chives. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a food processor, combine all of the filling ingredients (including the pressed tofu) EXCEPT for the chickpea flour, blending until smooth. Season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper. Add the chickpea flour and blend to combine.
Add the tofu mixture to a mixing bowl, and gently stir in the vegetable mixture. Transfer the mixture into the to par-baked pie crust, and smooth it out evenly. If desired, top with asparagus spears and sliced tomatoes.
Bake uncovered for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface, slightly puffed up, and firm. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving warm.

Notes

GLUTEN-FREE: Use a gluten-free crust, or make a crustless version. Generously grease a baking dish and cook the filling in it directly. Bake for the same amount of time.

GRAIN-FREE: Make the crustless version described above; use tapioca starch rather than cornstarch.

SOY-FREE: Sorry, I do not have a reliable way of making this dish soy-free. Chickpea tofu will NOT work.

VARIATIONS: Mix and match vegetables. Tested vegetable variations include (added when the asparagus is added) zucchini, broccoli, and kale. Other tested add-ins (stirred in after cooking the vegetable mixture) include chopped artichoke hearts, sliced olives, sliced sundried tomatoes, and drained capers.

Nutrition

Recipe adapted from One Dish Vegan and America’s Test Kitchen.