A few weeks ago, I had a special guest over for dinner: my American pen friend Amy, whose family hosted me in their Michigan home the summer I turned fifteen.
This was a life-defining trip for me: it was my first time in the US, a.k.a. the coolest country in the world in the eyes of this French teen, and Amy’s parents made it count in a way I’ll forever be grateful for, taking us on roadtrips in their minivan (with a television and VCR inside!) to Canada and to New York City (New York City!), and generally making sure I had a grand time.
Everything was a source of gleeful amazement to me, from the size of the backyard to the whole-house air-conditioning, from the gigantic malls to the extra frilly decorations in every girl’s room I visited, from the frozen waffles I was allowed to have every morning (every morning!) with bottled chocolate syrup to my first PB&J (which I did not “get” at the time), from the powerful smell of popcorn in movie theaters to the different kinds of fast food (burgers! tacos! pizzas!) Amy’s father picked up on his way home from work most nights.
Nobody would mistake it for the classic egg-and-cream quiche filling, but it hit all the right notes: creamy but pleasantly set, richly flavorful on its own but subtle enough to let the other ingredients shine.
Amy and I got along famously, but we lost touch as teenagers will — and probably did even more easily in that pre-Internet era. In recent years I searched for her on Facebook every once in a while, but turned up empty. Eventually it is she who wrote in, letting me know she’d soon be traveling through Europe and stopping for a few days in Paris. Would I be up for a little reunion?
The least I could do was invite her to dinner and she said yes, noting that she was now a vegan. I wanted to make her something homey and French, something I would serve to any of my old girlfriends, and decided on a quiche filled with greens, in the style of this greens and walnut quiche.
Obviously the egg-milk-and-cream filling would not do, so I looked for a vegan alternative and was intrigued by this idea of a filling based on chickpea flour, thickened to a custardy consistency on the stove, and flavored with spices and nutritional yeast, the go-to vegan ingredient when a cheesy note is needed.
The filling was very easy to prepare — I made it and my olive oil tart crust the day before — and it garnished the quiche in the most satisfying way. Nobody would mistake it for the classic egg-and-cream custard of course, but it hit all the right notes: creamy but pleasantly set, richly flavorful on its own but subtle enough to let the other ingredients shine.
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Have you kept in touch with your foreign exchange friends, and what would you serve if you had them over for dinner now? Have you ever made a vegan quiche, and what type of filling did you use?
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Vegan Quiche Filling Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
For one 30-cm (12-inch) quiche.
Ingredients
- 100 grams (1 cup) chickpea flour (available from natural foods stores and Indian markets, also labeled as gram flour or besan)
- 15 grams (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast (available from natural foods stores)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, salt, nutmeg, and turmeric. Add the mustard and whisk in 240 ml (1 cup) fresh water.
- Pour 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) fresh water in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the chickpea mixture and bring back to a simmer.
- Cook over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- The quiche filling is now ready to use, but you can also pour it into a container and refrigerate until the next day. It will thicken and separate, but that's okay: simply whisk it back into shape.
- To use, combine it with the other quiche ingredients and pour into a blind-baked quiche shell, such as my olive oil tart crust, parbaked for 10 minutes at 180°C (360°F).
- Bake at 180°C (360°F) for 25 minutes, then brush the top with olive oil (this gives a nice sheen to the otherwise matte finish of the filling) and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Serve hot or just slightly warm.
Notes
https://cnz.to/recipes/vegetables-grains/vegan-quiche-filling-recipe/
Unless otherwise noted, all recipes are copyright Clotilde Dusoulier.
FAQs
While it is not as traditional for quiches such as quiche Lorraine, you can use milk instead of heavy cream for quiche.
Why does my quiche fall apart? ›
A quiche is a type of custard and can crack if the ratio of egg yolk to cream is not right (try about 2 whites, four yolks and a little less than 400 ml cream). If you are using light cream then that is also a mistake. A quiche can also crack if you cook it too quickly or in too hot an oven.
What makes a quiche curdle? ›
Quiche should not be cooked at too high of a temperature to avoid curdling the eggs. Many recipes call for baking quiche at temperatures between 325° F and 375° F. If you are baking at a high altitude, the temperature and bake times will need to be adjusted.
Why is my quiche like scrambled egg? ›
Bake it Slow: Again, super important to making a quiche that tastes like quiche and not scrambled eggs! The longer baking time is necessary for achieving that tasty custard texture. You run the risk of scrambling your eggs if you cook it on too high of a heat.
What is a good substitute for cream in quiche? ›
To replace 1 cup (237 mL) of heavy cream in your recipe, add 2 tablespoons (19 grams) of cornstarch to 1 cup (237 mL) of milk and stir, allowing the mixture to thicken. You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe.
What can I use if I don't have heavy cream or milk? ›
The Best Heavy Cream Substitutes
- Half-and-Half and Butter. A combination of half-and-half and butter makes the best all-around heavy cream substitute. ...
- Milk and Butter. ...
- Evaporated Milk. ...
- Coconut Cream. ...
- Cream Cheese. ...
- Greek Yogurt and Milk. ...
- Soy Milk and Olive Oil.
Cook the Veggies First
"Vegetables will take longer to cook than your egg custard, so always sauté onions, steam broccoli, etc. before you add them to your egg mixture to ensure every bite of quiche will be perfectly cooked," says Kristin Beringson, executive chef at Henley in Nashville.
Can you put too many eggs in a quiche? ›
Using too many eggs in the custard results in a quiche that rubbery and too firm when baked, while not using enough will prevent the custard from setting. Follow This Tip: Remember this ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy.
Why is my zucchini quiche watery? ›
Runny quiche is caused by filling the pie with ingredients containing too much liquid. Avoid adding any liquid to the quiche filling, and prepare vegetables by sautéing them before adding to the filling. Raw vegetables will release too much liquid into the filling, causing a runny quiche.
Why does my quiche sink when it comes out of the oven? ›
Quiche pastry can shrink due to a few reasons, such as overworking the dough, not chilling it long enough, or not using enough weight to keep it in place during baking. To prevent shrinkage, you can try the following:
BEAT eggs, milk, thyme and salt in medium bowl until blended. Carefully POUR over filling in pie shell. BAKE in center of 375°F oven until center is almost set but jiggles slightly when dish is gently shaken and knife inserted near center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
Should crust be prebaked for quiche? ›
And yes, as you'll see, you should always prebake quiche crust to avoid a gummy pastry. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roll out your homemade or purchased refrigerated dough into a 12-inch circle.
Why is the middle of my quiche so watery? ›
According to Real Simple, this typically occurs when adding too-wet ingredients to the quiche filling, layering the egg custard with, for example, large slices of raw tomato or raw zucchini. These vegetables, while tasty, have a high water content when raw, which will weep into the quiche as it bakes.
Why is Flavour bland in quiche? ›
We've all had a slightly bland quiche before, and there's nothing worse. To avoid this classic trap, take a little of your egg mixture and fry it in a pan until cooked through. Taste it for seasoning, and this will give you a good indicator of whether you've nailed that seasoning or if it needs another pinch of salt.
Can you use milk instead of heavy cream for eggs? ›
Use 1 tablespoon of cream, milk or water for each egg that will be scrambled. Using milk, half & half or even whipping cream creates a deliciously creamy texture.
How do I substitute dry milk for heavy cream? ›
If you find yourself short on heavy cream but you happen to have powdered milk in your pantry, try using it to give your dishes some added thickness and creaminess. One or 2 tablespoons of powdered milk can help to thicken sauces and soups that have a liquid base of something other than cream.
How do you use milk instead of heavy cream for pasta? ›
Yes, you can use milk instead of heavy cream in some recipes. Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter as a substitute in sauces, baked goods, pasta, and frosting. Milk won't whip like cream. It works in mashed potatoes or for thinning small amounts of frosting.
Can you use milk instead of heavy cream for ice cream? ›
Don't worry too much if you don't have whole milk or heavy cream. Nearly any milk will work, and you can substitute half-and-half for the cream. Ideally you want ingredients with a high fat content because these will create a creamy texture when cooled.
