Asparagus, Mushroom and Leek Quiche, a delicious vegetarian Spring dish that uses fresh seasonal produce. It's a great Easter recipe that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Easy to make, and a big winner with little ones too, this quiche is a great finger food for picnics or light dinners too.
You might think that making a quiche is complicated, but it's actually so easy, even a complete beginner in the kitchen can nail it. There are countless quiche fillings to choose from, and you can use as many or as little ingredients you like.
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What is a quiche?
Quiche is a French baked savoury tart consisting in a pastry crust with an egg and milk and/or cream filling. The filling can be either vegetarian, using pretty much any kind of veggies, or you can have it with either chicken, bacon, seafood, ham, you name it. Quiche can be served either hot or cold, and it makes the perfect appetizer for every occasion.
It's also a great packed lunch idea; so if you are looking for a work lunch, or even a healthy bite for your little one's school lunch box, this is the recipe you need.
Whether you make a quiche or any sort of pie, the filling MUST ALWAYS BE COOL, to make sure the steam coming from it does not make the crust soggy. So, start with the filling, in this way you can get the crust done while the filling is cooling down.
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How to make the quiche filling
- sautee the chopped mushrooms and leek until tender, and the liquid released is completely evaporated
It might look at first that there's too much leek and mushrooms for one quiche, but keep in mind that once they are cooked, you are left with perhaps quarter on the amount that went into the pan. Mushrooms and leeks have a high amount of water, once it's released, you'll have just enough for your filling.
- season well with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and leave to cool
How to keep a quiche crust from getting soggy
A good quiche starts with a good crust. No need to buy ready-made crusts that have hundreds of dodgy ingredients, a quiche crust only needs two ingredients:
- flour
- butter
And one-two tablespoons of cold water, in case the dough does not come together. Now, once the dough is ready, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before you roll it out.
The answer is simple: BLIND BAKING. That means that we pre-bake the crust without the filling. This is particularly important when the filling is wet, and the crust does not have enough time to cook properly, resulting in a soggy bottom.
Since the crust is made of butter, it can shrink considerably in the oven, so we need to cover it with kitchen foil and fill it with either pulses or ceramic balls.
In this way the crust will be baked to perfection every single time. This process can be used with any kind of pie, savoury or sweet. Bake it for 10-15 minutes, then remove the foil and pulses, and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Once the crust is cooked, add the mushroom and leek filling, the egg and cream mixture, and arrange the asparagus on top. No need to cook the asparagus, it can be raw, since it is going to cook in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until the filling is set and the top is golden. And that's it!
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Asparagus, Mushroom and Leek Quiche
Ingredients
For the crust
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g butter
- 2 tablespoon cold water
For the filling
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms
- 1 leek, trimmed
- 1 bunch asparagus (125 g)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup double cream
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Instructions
- Start by making the filling.
- Heat up the oil in a pan, chop the leek and mushrooms, and sautee until tender and all the liquid is released, that should take about 10-15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- To make the crust, cut the cold butter into cubes, add it to the flour, and use your fingers to rub the butter with the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the cold water, and bring together into a dough.
- Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the work surface, and use a rolling pin to roll in into about ¼ cm thickness.
- Spread it over a quiche/tart dish, making sure the edges of the dish are covered by dough too, not just the bottom.
- Cover the crust with kitchen foil, then fill it with any pulses you have around: lentils, rice, etc If you have baking ceramic balls, even better.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (360 Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and pulses, and bake for a further 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, add the milk and cream and whisk well to combine.
- Arrange the mushroom and leek filling, pour over the egg mixture, and top with the asparagus tips.
- Bake for a further 20 minutes or until the filling is set and golden.
Notes
- Click on the US Customary link (underneath the ingredient list) to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
- The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
- Since the crust is made of butter, it can shrink considerably in the oven, so we need to cover it with kitchen foil and fill it with either pulses or ceramic balls.Â
- In this way the crust will be baked to perfection every single time. This process can be used with any kind of pie, savoury or sweet. Bake it for 10-15 minutes, then remove the foil and pulses, and bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Once the crust is cooked, add the mushroom and leek filling, the egg and cream mixture, and arrange the asparagus on top. No need to cook the asparagus, it can be raw, since it is going to cook in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until the filling is set and the top is golden. And that's it!
Madeline says
Can’t wait to try this recipe but What size dish do you use for this?