Yesterday, I happened upon a package of puff pastry dough in my freezer and decided that it was about time that I use it. The other items in my fridge and pantry inspired me to come up with this vegan quiche, which was really yummy and which I’ll definitely make again.
I used a lot of turmeric in this recipe, because just like my Tofu Scramble, it adds a nice bright yellow color to any recipe that would traditionally call for eggs. Turmeric is super high in anti-oxidants so I try to use it as much as possible, but it doesn’t impart a lot of flavor so feel free to leave it out it you don’t have any on hand.
This quiche can be very versatile. I made a spinach filling, and then topped the quiche with sliced tomatoes, but the following combinations would also be really yummy:
- spinach & mushroom
- sundried tomato & basil (& black olive)
- wild mushroom with truffle oil & thyme (you may want to exclude the paprika & tumeric for this one)
The filling is pretty basic, so you can really customize it with whatever you feel like (or whatever you have sitting in the fridge or counter) and fresh herbs like basil, coriander or thyme would be great in this too.
I don’t own a pie plate here in Sydney, so I just used a 23x14cm oven-safe dish.
UPDATE – 8/18/2011 – Lexi over at After Apple Picking has successfully made this without the crust! It’s an even healthier/lighter option that I will be trying very soon. Thanks Lexi!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ bag fresh spinach (or ½ package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
- ½ cup cashews, soaked in water for an hour and drained
- ½ block firm tofu
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 4 tbsp soy milk
- ½ tsp tumeric
- salt & pepper
- 1 sheet defrosted puff pastry dough, or 1 vegan pie crust
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 1-2 tomatoes, sliced (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat, and saute onions and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grind the cashews in food processor until very fine. Add tofu, nutritional yeast, soymilk and tumeric. Blend until you have a creamy, even consistency (add more soymilk if needed).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the onion mixture with the tofu mixture. Season with salt & pepper.
- If using puff pastry dough, lay it in a pie plate or other oven-safe dish, creating a border around the edges. Pour the tofu mixture into the dish and spread it evenly. Sprinkle with paprika and top with tomato slices.
- Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until mixture is set and crust has browned.
I love the brightness of turmeric
this looks delicious, I so love the fact that there is a vegan puff pastry :)
Thanks Kristina – Yes, me too… I love using it in recipes and it’s way less work than making pie crust from scratch! ;)
The quiche looks very delicious! I’m having guests for couple of weeks and I’m still working on healthy vegan recipes they might like, this one looks perfect for that! :)
Hi Nadia, thanks for your comment! Let me know if you make it and what everyone thinks. I am thinking of making mini-quiches next time in a muffin pan ;)
This would be perfect for Easter! I just happen to have some phyllo dough in my freezer, too. :-)
Thanks for your comment, Maryea! Let me know how it turns out and what combinations you choose ;)
I also have a phyllo pastry sheet in the freezer and my husband loves quiche! I’m going to give this a try this weekend! Thanks!
Cool – let me know how it turns out for you! Pretty easy if you’ve always got phyllo in the freezer and tofu in the fridge, as you can then just toss whatever veggies you have on hand ;)
I made this quiche this morning. It’s AMAZING!! LOVE IT!! Thanks for the recipe. I posted my results: http://epicureanvegan.com/2011/04/23/angelas-vegan-quiche/
This is great for Easter, too! :)
THANKS so much for your post and comments. I’m so happy that you loved this recipe. It’s so versatile, isn’t it? I’ll definitely be trying other variations, including using a muffin tin next time to make mini quiches and are (hopefully) freezable. Anyway, thanks again for the support!
Hi, Angela. I just found your website (looking for a vegan quiche for Easter), and I told my husband that I stuck gold! Poking around, I found too many recipes to copy and paste, so I’ve just added you to my list of Favorites. I can already tell that I’ll be visiting often. You’ve inspired me just in the ten minutes I’ve been playing. I guarantee you’ll be appreciated tomorrow (Easter) and for many special meals in our future. Happy Today! —K*
Hi Kim – Thanks so much for your comment. Let me know if you make this and how it turns out for you. Looking forward to hearing from you – Happy Easter! :)
Oh, my goodness! A huge success! I added your baked tomato risotto as a side, and Chocolate Truffle Torte for dessert. All, amazing! Great day in Washington state.
Happy Easter to you. (Happy Everything, for that matter.)
K*
WOW, are you serious? I would be honored if you chose to make just ONE of my recipes for your Easter meal… but 3?! That’s so awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know, you just totally made my day!
PS – Isn’t the risotto so easy? I love recipes like that! :)
This sounds soooo delicious! I am on the hunt for good savory breakfast ideas!! thanks!
Hi Jessica – thanks for your comment, let me know if you make it & what you think!
A,
try a mashed potato crust for a different taste. fill pie pan with 1/4″ layer of mashed potatoes. Brush with olive oil, bake 400 for 20 minutes, fill with your filling and bake till done. enjoy.
Hi JD – Thanks for that tip – I’ve never heard of a mashed potato crust before but it sounds yummy. Adding it to my “to try” list. Thanks!
Wow – I found this last night, and made it tonight. I used butter beans instead of cashews, and I also threw in some mushrooms – SO delicious!
Thank you for sharing!
Caitlyn
Hi Caitlyn – Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I love the idea of using beans instead of cashews and I’ll definitely try that! :)
Hi Angela,
Just a quick query about the amount of tofu you used. It says half a block so would it would it be safe to assume you used half a 500-550 gr block?
Thanks,
Cait
Hi Cait – I believe it’s about a 450g block, so 225/250g should be perfect. Let me know how it goes!
Hi Anglea – I’ve just found your blog through a friend and have been having a great time trawling through your posts this morning. I’m not vegan, but I love all kinds of food and cooking, so it’s been really interesting. Thanks! This quiche looks delicious. I was wondering if you think the filling would stand up to being baked like a frittata – without the pastry, I mean. I make a recipe of my grandmother’s called ‘impossible quiche’ that is just quiche filling and I’d love to be able to replicate it with tofu. What do you think?
P.S. I just typo-ed your name in my last post. So sorry!
Hi Lexi! Thanks for your comments. Yes, I think this quiche would work without the filling, although you’d probably want to oil your dish, so that the filling doesn’t stick. Let me know if you try it that way & what you think of the quiche :)
Oh, and that’s ok about the typo – no worries! :)
I made this last week! I’m new at trying to be a vegan but I haven’t eaten beef or pork or other red meats for 30+ years. I really love your site! It is a challenge for me to find food that doesn’t have eggs or dairy. But I am getting there and it is getting easier. Thanks for this one! I made a mistake and pureed everything into one green paste and used Old Bay Seasoning because I didn’t have paprika. It tasted great but looked “interesting.” My kids wouldn’t touch it. Ah-Well. Thanks again for your amazing recipes.
Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for your comments and congratulations on trying to eat vegan. I’m glad that my website can be of service. That’as funny about your “green quiche” but I bet it tastes great. Keep in touch and let me know if you make anything else on the site. All the best!
I made your quiche for Christmas Eve and it was a ‘hit’. Everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing.
That’s fantastic – glad to hear it!!
Wow this looks great, I’m excited about this recipe and cant wait to try it. Have tried making few different Vegan quiche recipes without much luck but this look like it’ll work and taste amazing!
Hi Lee – Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you try my recipe and what you think!
I made this for the first time tonight after having it on my to do list for a very lomg time. WOW! is all i can say going straight on the staples list!
Hi, this looks great. I live in a house with 9 other people and I’m wondering how many people this serves…?
Sorry for the late reply… The recipe says 6-8. Thanks!
It’s probably a given, but do you drain/press your tofu first? I’ve made this a couple times and it’s delicious, but I think my texture is a little off. Either I’m not supposed to press the tofu as much as I do, or I should maybe add more milk. Thanks!
Unless indicated, I don’t normally press tofu in these recipes. Try not pressing the tofu next time, it should work out better for you…
Thank you SO much for posting this! I’m eating it right now and it’s amaing!! I also did it without crust :) I am newly vegan and stumbled upon your blog and tried quite a few of your recipes now and they’re all delcious!!!!
Fantastic! Thanks for the kind words about my blog. I really need to make this without the crust – a much healthier option ;)
I made this today ( spinach/mushroom & pre-made crust ) , and it was excellent ! It was especially good cooled in the fridge. A great find for a new vegan / inexperienced cook. Thanks for the recipe…
That’s great, I’m so glad that it worked out for you – thanks for taking the time to comment :)