There's no doubt that cooking and baking without eggs is a huge challenge, so finding a vegan spinach quiche recipe might seem out of the question. However, vegans have some skilled fellow cooks to thank for figuring out that crumbled or blended tofu makes an excellent egg substitute and stands in so well in quiche recipes that it might even fool some hardcore carnivores.
Eggless Spinach Quiche Recipe
The recipe below is inspired by a spinach-mushroom quiche tutorial at 101 Cookbooks (which was reprinted from Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen), and it will make enough filling to prepare quiche for a standard, 9-inch pie pan. It's suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and people who do not eat dairy products.
Vegan Crust Options
If you'd like to make a vegan crust as well, you have several options. King Arthur Flour's oil pie crust, made with water or soy milk instead of regular milk, is one reliable and tasty choice; try it with olive oil if you'd like your crust to have a rich, savory flavor. You can also make a traditional pie crust recipe and substitute a vegan butter spread for the regular butter. If you prefer a looser crust, a great way to get whole grains is to press cooked brown rice, quinoa, millet, or whole-wheat couscous into the pie pan before adding the filling.
Filling Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. + 1 T. olive oil or canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 T. water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 2 T. fresh basil
- 1 lb. firm tofu
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 1 T. soy sauce or tamari
- 2 lb. fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and with stems removed
- 1 medium tomato, sliced into rounds
Procedure
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Warm 1 T. of the olive or canola oil in a large pan on the stovetop. Add the chopped onion when the oil is hot, and saute the onion for 10 minutes or until the pieces are browned and softened. Pour the 2 T. water and the salt into the pan, and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
- Pat the tofu dry, and put it in a food processor along with the remaining 1/4 c. oil, paprika, basil, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Process the mixture until it's smooth, and then scoop it into the pan with the onions.
- Blanche the spinach leaves until they begin to wilt; then drain the leaves and pat them as dry as you can get them. Chop the cooked leaves, and mix them into the tofu and onion filling.
- Pour the filling into your prepared crust, smoothing it out on top with a spatula. Arrange tomato slices on top of the quiche.
- Bake for about 50 minutes or until the quiche is cooked throughout and the crust is lightly browned. Let cool for several minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
A vegan quiche makes a tasty breakfast, lunch, or light dinner. Serve it with any of the following:
- Fresh salad greens
- Fruit salad
- Lightly seasoned brown rice
- Steamed vegetables
- Toast and jam
- Salsa
- Chutney
Make This Recipe Your Own
You can also tweak the above vegan spinach quiche recipe to accommodate your preferences. Try subbing in asparagus or zucchini for spinach, adding mushrooms to the filling, changing the seasonings, or baking mini tarts instead of one large quiche.
