Being vegan does not mean missing out on quiche! There are many ways to make a vegan quiche by substituting tofu for eggs; but what to do if you are looking for a soy-free version?
This particular recipe uses an adapted
Burmese tofu, made from chickpea flour and tumeric. The video below shows how Mary Lin of Mary's Test Kitchen prepares it with her favorite vegetable filling -- watch the video to see how she does it, and for Mary's tips on a successful quiche.
Vegan quichePreparation Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: A 9-inch (23-centimeter) pie pan
IngredientsWhole Wheat Crust1-1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (115 grams) vegan butter or shortening (1 stick)
2-4 tablespoons (30-60 milliliters) ice water
Vegetable Filling1 cup (80 grams) mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup (35 grams) red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon (9 grams) shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Sprinkle of sea salt
Large pinch of poultry seasoning
Optional: pinch of cayenne pepper
Chickpea Filling1 cup (120 grams) chickpea flour (chana/besan/garbanzo flour)
1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 cup (235 milliliters) room temperature water
2 cups (470 milliliters) water + 1 cube bouillon OR 2 cups broth
Optional topping: Sliced tomatoes, basil chiffonade, sliced scallions, black salt (kala namak).
Directions1. Measure flour, sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl. Put pastry cutter in bowl and chill in freezer with vegan butter for 10 minutes.
2. Cut chilled butter into chilled flour mixture with chilled pastry cutter. Cut until butter pieces are about the size of a pea.
3. When mixture is crumbly, add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing between each spoonful. Add only enough water for a soft dough to form when squeezed in the hand. Humidity in the air will affect the amount needed.
4. Handle the dough as little as possible to prevent melting the fat. Transfer the dough to a clean working surface and create a dough ball. The dough will be crumbly and slightly dry. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
5. Put a large skillet on high heat with a little bit of water. When the water bubbles, add the mushrooms, bell pepper, shallots, and garlic.
6. Sprinkle with salt and turn heat down to medium. Stir frequently and cook out all moisture from the vegetables. Add poultry seasoning, stir, then remove from heat and set aside.
7. After resting the dough for at least 30 minutes, flour your work surface and roll dough to the size you need. Transfer to the pie pan, patching any holes and pinching the top into a crust.
8. Cover the pie pan with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator to chill. If the veggies are room temperature, they can be added to the crust and chilled as well.
9. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220 degrees Celsius.
10. Combine chickpea flour, tumeric, and room temperature water; whisk until smooth.
11. Bring water and bouillon (or broth) to boil in large saucepan. When at a rolling boil, slowly add chickpea flour mixture while whisking.
12. Turn heat to low and whisk for 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken significantly, but it's important to cook for the entire time to eliminate bitterness.
13. Pour chickpea filling into crust (put vegetables in first if they aren't already there) and smooth out with spoon. Add optional sliced tomatoes.
14. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is browned and center of quiche will still wiggle when pan is moved. The center will set as quiche cools. Add optional basil, scallions and black salt.
The quiche should be allowed to cool completely to set. Serve chilled or reheated.
Lin encourages using any favorite vegetable in the filling; she suggests spinach or broccoli with chopped vegan sausage or smoked tofu, but really, the sky's the limit -- make the quiche more than once to discover your favorite flavor combination!
