Sweet roasted winter squash & caramelized leeks, wobbly egg custard, melty cheddar cheese, and a perfectly flaky pastry crust combine forces in this gorgeous Vegetarian Breakfast Quiche. Whether you’re aiming to impress holiday guests with a fancy brunch at home or want to treat yourself to heat-and-eat breakfasts all week long, this is the vegetarian quiche recipe for you.
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About This Recipe
This delightful fall-inspired vegetable quiche is perfect for all the lazy weekends, blustery mornings, and family breakfasts that are fast approaching. If you’re going home for the holidays, you should definitely bookmark it for the future!
Since it’s vegetarian, this leek and squash quiche is suitable for sharing with a wide audience (though you’re welcome to bulk it up with your choice of breakfast meats if you wish). Serve a slice alongside a simple green salad for a perfectly balanced meal. It’s also a lovely pair for any of your other breakfast favorites like home fries, hashbrowns, fruit salad, or grits.
Aside from being absolutely crave-worthy and easier to make than you might think, this vegetarian quiche is also:
- Made Entirely From Scratch (With Only 10 Ingredients!) - The only thing more impressive than a completely homemade show-stopping veggie quiche (including a homemade quiche crust) is how short the ingredient list is.
- Wholesome & Nutritious - While this homemade quiche is undoubtedly rich thanks to a buttery pastry crust and a generous sprinkling of melty cheddar cheese, you’re also getting a hefty dose of vegetables and eggs in every bite. Plus, every ingredient is natural and easy to pronounce, without a preservative or artificial flavor in sight.
- Customizable - Use whatever varieties of squash you like or have on hand, swap in different herbs & spices, or go dairy-free. Think of this as your go-to basic quiche recipe and then riff as needed.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This 100% homemade quiche recipe calls for just 10 basic ingredients. Here’s what to grab:
Quiche Dough
- All-Purpose Flour - Plain white flour is all you need.
- Granulated Sugar - Sugar in a savory dough, you ask? There’s just a smidge, enough to balance out the flavors and coax out some beautiful browning in the oven.
- Unsalted Butter - You can use salted butter, but be sure to adjust how much salt you add to the dough. Feel free to trade in plant-based butter if dairy is a no-no in your family.
- Ice Water - Make sure it’s very cold in order to make your quiche crust perfectly light and flaky.
Quiche Filling
- Salt & Pepper - For seasoning.
- Sauteed Leek - Leeks are the gentler cousins of onions. Feel free to swap in shallots if you like.
- Roasted Squash - This time of year, there are so many to choose from! Butternut, acorn, delicata, honeynut, hubbard, kabocha, and carnival (to name a few). Feel free to mix and match to your heart’s content. You’re also always welcome to sneak in some roasted sweet potatoes if you like.
- Large Eggs - If possible, reach for Certified Humane & cage-free eggs. The chickens from these producers live a better (read: more natural) life with a more varied diet. Not only does that difference feel a bit more karmically positive, but also results in bright yellow-orange yolks that are richer in nutrients and more flavorful than their factory-farmed counterparts.
- Milk - Calvin and I typically keep whole milk on hand, but feel free to swap in whatever dairy or unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk you prefer.
- Herbs - I infused the milk with thyme, ginger, and sage for added autumnal goodness. You’re welcome to experiment with other spice and herb combinations if you like.
- Sharp White Cheddar Cheese - The tang of sharp cheddar is a lovely counterpoint to the sweetness of the roasted squash and caramelized leeks. I prefer using white cheese so you can see the distinct colors of the egg custard, squash, and leeks more clearly, but yellow or orange cheddar will also work just fine.
Equipment
In case you weren’t aware, making this veggie quiche recipe is very similar to the process of making a pie. Here are the tools you’ll need to make it happen:
- Pastry Cutter - When it comes to making short pastry dough like pâté sucrée or pâté brisée, I like to go old school and use a pastry cutter. This inexpensive device has a handle attached to several semi-circular metal strips or wires and is used for manually cutting butter into flour. While you’re welcome to use a food processor to shorten the process, I find that it’s far easier to overwork the dough if you do.
- Rolling Pin - I love my French rolling pin, which is just a long, tapered piece of smooth wood. You can also find models with handles — choose what feels right to you! In a pinch, you can totally swap in a wine bottle.
- Pie Plate or Pan - If you don’t yet have one, consider getting one with a built-in fluted edge so all your bakes look beautiful. You can also use a deep cake tin, a springform pan, pie tin, or even Texas-sized muffin tins to make individually portioned mini quiches.
- Sheet Pan - For roasting your veggies. Line it with parchment paper to keep cleanup to a minimum. If you’re worried about breaking the crust off the pie pan, you can also bake the quiche directly on top of the sheet pan for easier removal from the oven.
How To Make Vegetarian Squash & Leek Quiche
This roasted squash and leek quiche recipe is actually pretty simple to make. Remember that the quiche dough can easily be made up to a month ahead and frozen and the vegetables can be roasted/sautéed up to 3 days in advance so you don’t have to make everything all in one go.
Part I: Homemade Quiche Dough
While you can certainly take a shortcut and use frozen store-bought pie crust, this quiche homemade crust recipe is quick and easy to make from scratch. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Whisk Dry Ingredients to combine.
Step 2: Cut In Butter. Add cold cubed butter into the bowl, and gently coat the cubes in flour. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it appears as pea-size clumps.
Step 3: Bring Dough Together. Pour in the ice-cold water, and, using your hands, start kneading the dough together in the bowl. Once the dough starts to come together, pour out the dough onto your work surface and continue to gently knead until the dough becomes cohesive.
Step 4: Chill & Roll. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1.5 hours before rolling it out on a floured surface to ¼ of an inch thickness and form to your pie/quiche plate. Place the formed quiche shell in the fridge while you work on your filling for this Vegetarian Breakfast Quiche.
Part II: Veggie & Custard Prep
Step 1: Roast Squash by tossing with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you desire, then spread out on a sheet pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes at 400F until fork tender and golden.
Step 2: Sauté Leeks in a skillet with a touch of oil, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and caramelized.
Step 3: Infuse Milk. Warm milk in a saucepot until just simmering. Remove from heat, then add the herbs and spices of your choice. Let steep for 30 minutes before straining.
Part III: Quiche Assembly
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400F.
Step 2: Whisk together the eggs, infused milk, salt & pepper and set the egg mixture aside.
Step 3: Fill Quiche Shell. Place the sauteed leek, squash, cheese and into the quiche shell, no more than ¾ full.
Step 4: Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling has set. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then slice, plate your traditional quiche, and enjoy!
Optional Variations
While I’m currently obsessed with this recipe for leek quiche with roasted squash, there’s always plenty of opportunities to customize just about any recipe to your liking. Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning:
Make An Easy Swap:
- Cheese - Instead of sharp cheddar, try a piquant blue cheese or smoked gouda in this Vegetarian Breakfast Quiche.
- Veggies - Roasted asparagus, spring onions, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, or yams are all great places to start.
Accommodate dietary restrictions by making it:
- Dairy-Free - Use your favorite plant-based milk, cheese, and butter substitutes.
- Gluten-Free - Use your favorite gluten-free pie dough recipe, or buy one from the store.
Expert Tips
- Make the quiche dough up to a month in advance and pop it in the freezer. The night before you plan on baking it, place it in the refrigerator to defrost.
- Cook the squash and leeks and infuse the milk up to 3 days in advance.
- Cut down on prep time by opting for thin-skinned squash varieties (e.g. delicata or acorn) or frozen squash cubes.
- Soak your leeks after you slice them. I’m not sure why, but they are silt-magnets. Soak, drain, and rinse several times to prevent a sandy-tasting bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally speaking, yes. Most vegetables have quite a bit of water that is expelled as they cook. If you add the veggies directly to the quiche without cooking them first, that added moisture can lead to a broken custard and/or soggy crust.
I haven’t tried them, but store-bought egg alternatives like JUST Eggs or Trader Joe’s Simply Eggless Plant-Based Eggs *should* work as an egg substitute for your slice of quiche.
More Savory Recipes
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try this Fall-Inspired Roasted Vegetarian Breakfast Quiche recipe, please share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Vegetarian Breakfast Quiche with Caramelized Leeks & Roasted Squash
Equipment
- Pastry Cutter
- Pie Plate
Ingredients
Quiche Dough
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 2 ⅔ cup Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 1.5 cups Ice Water
- Egg Wash, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon water, whisked until combined
Leek and Squash Filling
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 2 sprigs of Fresh Thyme, ½ teaspoon fresh Ginger and 2 leaves of Sage
- 1 Sautéed Leek
- 1 ½ cups Roasted Acorn Squash, cut into 1 inch pieces and roasted at 400°F for about 30 minutes (variety of squash types, up to you to choose!)
- 4 Eggs, large
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- Sharp white cheddar cheese
Instructions
Quiche Dough
- Add dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk to combine.4 cups All Purpose Flour, 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar, 1.5 teaspoons Sea Salt
- Add cold cubed butter into the bowl, and gently mix them with your hands covering them in flour.2 ⅔ cup Unsalted Butter
- Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until combined - the butter should appear as pea-size clumps of butter before you know it’s time to move on to the next step!
- Pour in the ice-cold water and using your hands, start kneading the dough together into the bowl. Once the dough starts to come together, pour out the dough onto your work surface and continue to gently knead until the dough becomes cohesive.1.5 cups Ice Water
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1.5 hours before rolling out to an ¼ of an inch thickness and form to your pie/quiche plate. Place the formed quiche shell into the fridge while you work on your filling.
Herb and Ginger Infused Milk
- Place ingredients into a saucepan and heat until the milk has come to a simmer. Place a lid of the milk and remove from heat. Allow the ingredients to infuse for 30-60 minutes before moving on to the next steps.2 cups Whole Milk, 2 sprigs of Fresh Thyme, ½ teaspoon fresh Ginger and 2 leaves of Sage
Leek and Squash Filling
- Preheat your oven to 400°F
- Whisk together the eggs, infused milk, salt & pepper together in a large bowl. Add the sauteed leek, roasted squash and cheese into the bowl and gently mix to combine.1 Sautéed Leek, 1 ½ cups Roasted Acorn Squash, 4 Eggs, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper, Sharp white cheddar cheese
- Pour mixture into the quiche shell, no more than ¾ full. Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash before baking.Egg Wash
- Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the filling has set.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Make the quiche dough up to a month in advance and pop it in the freezer. The night before you plan on baking it, place it in the refrigerator to defrost.
- Cook the squash and leeks and infuse the milk up to 3 days in advance.
- Cut down on prep time by opting for thin-skinned squash varieties (e.g. delicata or acorn) or frozen squash cubes.
- Soak your leeks after you slice them. I’m not sure why, but they are silt-magnets. Soak, drain, and rinse several times to prevent a sandy-tasting bite.
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