Vegetable quiche: a quick and healthy dinner

Vegetable soups, salads, baked fish, grilled chicken... Trying to put together quick and healthy dinners can end up being rather repetitive. A quiche, on the other hand, is an easy and different option that has the advantage that you can prepare it in advance and enjoy it at any time of the day.  

This is a traditional French dish; a savoury tart made with shortcrust pastry and a filling based on eggs and cream. The best-known variant is the classic Quiche Lorraine, originally from the Lorraine region, whose main ingredients are bacon and Gruyère cheese. There are many variations on this recipe, with a range of different ingredients, such as vegetables, meat or fish.  

Here we will share a recipe for a vegetable quiche that is suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarian diets, as it does not contain meat or fish. Its ingredients provide plenty of high-biological-value protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and micronutrients such as calcium, iron, some vitamins from the B group and vitamin C. Ultimately, it is a balanced dish with excellent nutritional value. It is a great option for dinner, as well as to take to work  for a tasty lunch (it can be enjoyed either hot or cold).

Vegetable quiche recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 shortcrust pastry
• 1 courgette
• 1 medium onion
• 200 g fresh spinach
• 3 whole eggs
• 200 ml double cream
• 100 g grated Emmental cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Nutmeg

This recipe can also work with many other fillings. Some examples of different combinations are: 

• Leeks and salmon
• Different types of mushrooms (portobello, shiitake, boletus, etc.)
• Ham and cheese
• Asparagus and goat's cheese
• Chicken with spinach
• Broccoli and prawns
• Eggplant and tomato

How to make a homemade quiche crust. 

A quiche crust is just a simple shortcrust pastry, made with just a few basic ingredients: flour, butter, water and salt. So, if you prefer, you can also prepare it at home, following these steps: 
 

1. In a bowl, mix 125 grams of cold butter cut into small cubes and 250 grams of flour with a pinch of salt; mix with your hands until you obtain a rough, sandy, texture.  
2. Add 100 ml of cold water, one bit at a time, mixing until the ingredients start to merge. Form a compact ball and set aside for at least half an hour in the fridge.  
3. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface and then place it in the mould.  
4. Prick the base with a fork and cover with baking paper. 
5. Add dried chickpeas as weights, to prevent bubbles from forming in the dough. 
6. Bake the crust for 15 minutes at 200 ºC.  
7. Remove the chickpeas and the baking paper and add the desired filling; bake again according to the recipe instructions.

Comments and observations

Here are some issues you should keep in mind when adapting the vegetable quiche recipe to suit individual preferences and to get the most out of it. 

• Vegetable quiches can be kept in the fridge for up to four days, making it a perfect dish for batch cooking to save time during the week. 
• It can be served with salads or vegetable soups. 
• For cheese lovers, sprinkle a bit of extra cheese over the top before baking.