As someone who works from home, I often need a nudge to be pulled away from my work; there aren’t as many opportunities for social connections (at least, in person) and that’s something I’ve missed since working for myself. I’m also a self-professed workaholic, always with fear in the back of my mind that if I’m not working all the time everything will somehow go to shit. Combine this mindset with loving what you do and it’s a recipe for not giving yourself much free time. I’m trying to work on this and create a better balance with it all, especially now that the majority of my book is complete. A change of pace is in order! Eric asked me the other night what my professional goals were for the next year and I’m still thinking about it, even toying with ideas like teaching vegan cooking classes, going back to school, and who knows what else. Or maybe I’ll just be content to keep things as is, but with more wiggle room to try new things. Half the fun is figuring it out, I guess.
Several months ago, one of my girlfriends organized a monthly meet-up inviting a group of friends who are all fellow entrepreneurs/business owners. I couldn’t say “count me in” fast enough, knowing it would be a great way to connect with other women who are balancing their businesses (with motherhood, for some), while facing many of the same questions and doubts that I’ve faced myself. In our group we have a photographer, an interior designer, a mortgage broker, an esthetician, a real estate agent, and me, the blogger/future cookbook author. They are all such amazing women and it’s a fun, random mix of experiences and talents. It’s been refreshing to share our struggles and victories together and I’ve even surprised myself at how much I needed this support system. Self-reliance has always been my strength (to a fault, perhaps), but there is no weakness in asking for help, support, or friendship. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Sun-dried Tomato, Mushroom, and Spinach Tofu Quiche
Yield
8
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This was my first time making a tofu quiche and it really surprised us with how amazing it turned out! Even Eric went crazy for this quiche, often enjoying leftovers twice a day until it was finished. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. I've made this a few different ways simply by changing up the vegetables used. One version used asparagus (1 cup diced) and broccoli (1.5 cups diced), which was also very nice. The only thing I would advise against is using a high-water vegetable, like fresh tomatoes as it might result in a water-logged quiche. Best of all, it reheats well. Simply place leftover quiche on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350F. Inspired by the Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water, mixed together
- 1 cup whole almonds, ground into flour
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats or buckwheat groats, ground into flour
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
- 1-2.5 tbsp water, as needed
For the quiche:
- 1 block (14-oz) firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 leek or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups (8-oz) sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4-1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a round 10-inch tart pan. Alternatively, you can use a 9-inch glass pie dish if desired.
- Wrap rinsed tofu in a few tea towels. Place a few books on top of it to lightly press out the water while you prepare the crust.
- For the crust: Whisk together flax and water mixture in a small bowl and set aside so it can gel up.
- In a large bowl, stir together the almond meal, oat flour (or buckwheat flour), parsley, oregano, and salt.
- Add in the flax mixture and oil. Stir until mostly combined, adding the remaining water until the dough is sticky (about the consistency of cookie dough). The dough should stick together when you press it between your fingers.
- Crumble the dough evenly over the base of the tart pan (or pie dish). Starting from the centre of the pan, press the mixture evenly into the pan, working your way outward and up the sides of the pan. Poke a few fork holes in the dough so air can escape.
- Bake the crust at 350F for 13-16 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm to touch. Set aside to cool while you finish preparing the filling. Increase oven temperature to 375F.
- For the filling: Break apart the tofu block into 4 pieces and add into food processor. Process the tofu until smooth and creamy. If it doesn't get creamy, add a tiny splash of almond milk to help it along.
- In a skillet, add oil and saute the leek (or onion) and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, season with salt, and cook on medium-high heat until most of the water cooks off the mushrooms, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, nutritional yeast, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until combined. Cook until the spinach is wilted.
- Finally, remove from heat and stir in the processed tofu until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasoning to taste if desired. Spoon mixture into baked crust and smooth out with a spoon until even.
- Bake quiche, uncovered, at 375F for 33-37 minutes, until the quiche is firm to the touch. For best results, cool the quiche for 15-20 minutes on a cooling rack before attempting to slice. The crust may crumble slightly when sliced warm, but not to worry.
- Wrap up leftovers and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Leftover quiche can be reheated in the oven on a baking sheet for about 15-20 minutes at 350F.
I tried this last night. My husband, who loves mushrooms, enjoyed the quiche while my oldest daughter and I (who think mushrooms are just ok) hated it. HATED it. I almost never throw food away, but I couldn’t swallow it. Tofu isn’t my favorite either…though I have no trouble eating it in smoothies and soup. Perhaps since tofu is a bit of a blank canvas, one should mix it would foods they love.
This is sooo good. I try not to eat a lot of breads, hence me never getting pizza. This is my new pizza. In my opinion, it tastes indulgent. Love it and will make it over and over again. Thank you for this!!!
For anyone wondering, I worked out an approximate calorie value for this:
2074 calories roughly for the entire tart.
260cal roughly per slice when cut into 8ths.
I made it tonight. The filling was very tasty. I just omitted the mushroom as I cant eat them. it is a keeper. I will make again!
I have almond flour and buckwheat flour. I’d rather just use those then buy the stuff to grind my own. How much of each do I really need?
Just made this yesterday using a frozen vegan pie crust because I’m lazy. It was very, very good! I am new to vegan eating and this is definitely making it into my rotation of recipes. I’m going to make another one on Sunday to bring to our Easter celebration along with your shredded kale salad. Thank you for all the great recipes!
Glad the recipe was a hit, Kim! I hope you have a great Easter get-together. :)
I have almond flour and buckwheat flour. I’d rather just use those then buy the stuff to grind my own. How much of each do I really need?
I left a couple of comments asking about using already ground buckwheat and oats, but didn’t get any feedback, so I was hesitant to try the crust blindly. I also saw a lot of comments about the crust not holding up, or not coming out of the pan easily. Without time for a trial run, I decided to use a different crust. I shredded 3 medium sweet potatoes and mixed in a little melted Earth Balance. I prebaked that for about 20 minutes. It was perfect!! The filling recipe was amazing. My dad’s girl friend has dairy and egg allergies, and is a big time foodie. She’s missed quiche for years, and really never tried a substitute. Her dad, a big-time meat eater, raved about it. I thought it was divine, and way better than all of the other quiche recipes I’ve tried. Thanks, Angela!
Hi Kristen, so sorry I wasn’t able to get back to you in time! Thank you so much for sharing your alternate crust–that sounds delicious, and I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe. :) In case you want to try making it with the original crust in the future, generally 1 cup of whole blanched almonds produces about 1 cup of almond flour; the same 1:1 ratio applies to oats and oat flour as well. For buckwheat groats, though, 1 cup of groats usually makes about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Hope this conversion helps!
I have never really liked traditional quiche, but I loved this recipe! Thank-you so much for posting it!
I just have 2 questions: how long does it last in the fridge? And can it be frozen?
Hi Silvia, I’d say it keeps about 3-4 days in the fridge. I haven’t tried freezing it – it never seems to last that long! – so unfortunately I can’t be of help there. Let me know if you do try it out, though! I’d love to hear back.
Hi Angela, just thought I’d post to say that I did freeze it at the time I asked the question and it was equally delicious dethawed! I recommend this recipe to everyone. :)
Ack! I tried to give it a 5 out of 5 stars rating, but I see that it is showing only 4 stars! Can I fix that? I’m going to try to rate it again…
What are your thoughts on making this for a potluck? I have one at 9am tomorrow (short notice, I know!) – would making it the night before, refrigerating, and baking it in the morning work out? Or, how do you think it would turn out baked the night before and served at room temperature?
Good! nice recipe~ :)
You mention gluten free rolled oats for those who are g f..but you use nutritional yeast..Last time i looked for my friend who is g free, she cannot have anything with n yeast as its not to be eaten by those on a g f diet..am I right? not sure as I am not g f but i researched on line..
Just ate my first slice of the sundried tomatoes, mushroom and spinach quiche. Turned out great! Forgot to include yeast in quiche mixture so I just sprinkled it on top. Oh, I am glowing!
This was great! I missed quiche so much, but now it’s back on the menu. Will be making this all the time.
Thank you for bringing quiche back into my life!
I’m so glad you found this recipe, Eva! :) I hope you just love it when you get a chance to make it.
Hi Angela!
I made it yesterday. Will be making it again today. I’m in love with this quiche!
(did I mention I missed quiche? ;) )
Recommending this recipe to all my vegan and not (yet) vegan friends.
This afternoon I made the quiche – auditioning it for a family brunch get-together this weekend. We liked it, I do, however, see any food like this as what I call a turmeric opportunity. Since turmeric is SO healthy I sneak it into everything I can, even if just 1/4 teaspoon. You can’t really sneak in turmeric because it shouts its’ presence with its’ mustard yellow brightness. But it fits with a dish that would be pale yellow if it weren’t vegan, so next time I’ll add maybe 1/2-1 teaspoon of nature’s little medicine chest of a food.
I also added a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and I plan to add a bit more next time, for the zingy flavor.
It sliced perfectly – even that tricky first slice.
Thanks for a great brunch recipe.
Gotta love a good dash of turmeric, I totally agree! I’m so glad you enjoyed the quiche – I hope the brunch goes well, this weekend. :)
So delicious! I love the concept of tarts and quiches but I have to admit that I hate the taste of eggs; usually the main ingredient for the filling. I’ve made this quiche recently and I need to say that I’m amazed with it, as this tofu filling tastes so much better! Unfortunately making the quiche is a little messy because of the food processor part, but so worth it!
Making it again ASAP! :)
It’s so great to hear the quiche was a hit, Maja! Thanks for the lovely comment.
Hi Angela,
Just wanted to let you know that this is an awesome recipe. We have tried several of your other recipes, too, and they are great. I’m commenting here because we just posted about making quiche (starting with this recipe) and also about being confident enough with cooking to adapt recipes for what you have on hand. We linked to this page, rather than using your recipe (or claiming it was our own). :-)
I couldn’t find an email contact here so I figured a comment would do the trick. Our post is here: http://www.fullofbeans.us/vegan-gluten-free-quiche/
Thanks for being an inspiration!
Greg and Georgia
Hi Greg, Thanks for giving me such a warm shout-out on your blog! I’m so glad to hear you’re a fan of this recipe. :)
Hi Angela!
I have been meaning to do this recipe for over a year now!!! But only got to do it now (meaning today!). I got recently a grinder and a friend gave buckwheat groats, so I was really happy I could make everything from scratch.
Angela, this recipe is perfect. It turned out so well!!! And it tastes more than delicious! I can’t wait to make this for my friends and family. This quiche is only for me and my boyfriend.
You really can never fail with your recipes – I have tried a few already. :)
Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I can’t wait until your new book comes out! :D
ps- I didn’t use the black pepper or the flakes as I have an intolerance to them. Still, FULL of flavour. My boyfriend adds pepper to everything and didn’t feel like doing it this time! ^_^
Aw, thanks so much for this awesome comment, Joana! I’m so glad to hear the recipe was worth the wait.
Just made this – its so tasty thank you! Will use again! Xx
I have made this 3 times nowand it’s been delicious every time, thanks for the fantastic recipe! Boyfriend gave it 9.5/10 :)
Glad to hear it’s a hit, Lacey! :)
I made this for lunch today – absolutely yummy!
Glad it was a hit, Monica!