Cooktop Cove: This winter vegetable quiche is the perfect comfort food
By Emily Monaco
Quiche might sound fancy, but in reality, this savory pie is one of the easiest dishes to have in your recipe arsenal. The recipe below combines two classic winter vegetables – rich sweet potato and earthy kale – in a warm, comforting vegetarian main dish. Pre-roasting both vegetables ensures that they won't release water into the rich, eggy custard. It also caramelizes them for even more flavor. A touch of warming turmeric and nutmeg and a sprinkling of tangy feta offer tasty finishing touches.
Quiche can be enjoyed either warm or cold, so consider making this quiche in advance. That way, you can enjoy it on an evening when you just don't have time to get dinner on the table. You can also toy with the flavors to come up with your own combinations, as long as you keep the ratios of vegetables, filling and cheese the same.
Vegetarian winter quiche with kale and sweet potato
8
20 minutes
1 hour 20 minutes
1 hour 40 minutes
2 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes
2 shallots, cut into thin rings
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, divided
1 cup kale, ripped into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 store-bought, unbaked pie crust
4 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the sweet potatoes, shallots and about 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil in a bowl. Drizzle the remaining coconut oil over the kale, massage well, and set aside.
Sprinkle the turmeric, nutmeg, salt and pepper into the bowl with the sweet potatoes, and toss well to combine. Arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Toss the sweet potatoes to ensure even browning, and arrange the kale on a rack set over a baking sheet. Bake both the sweet potatoes and kale 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with parchment paper, and place the unbaked pie crust inside. Prick all over with a fork and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and cream. Toss the cooled vegetables together with half of the feta. Fill the pie crust with the vegetable mixture, then top with the egg mixture. Finish with the remaining feta.
Bake the quiche for 45 to 55 minutes, until just set in the middle Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before sprinkling with chives, slicing, and serving.