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.
My daughter made this last night. The filling was too dry so the quiche all fell apart when we tried to cut and serve it. Any suggestions as to what we did wrong??
Hey Laura, I’m sorry to hear you had troubles with the quiche! My guess is that the tofu in the filling may have needed to be processed for a little longer in order to reach its smoothest and creamiest consistency. That really helps bind the filling together as it bakes. Sometimes, I find I need to add a splash or two of almond milk to help it along. It may also be possible the quiche got a bit overcooked, especially if your oven tends to run on the hot side. If you try the recipe again, I hope it works out better for you!
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
Hi Cindy, I personally haven’t tried freezing it – it never seems to last that long! But another reader recently gave it a try, and said it worked out rather well. Please me know if you try it yourself! I’d love to hear back.
Every single time I make this, people cant get enough. This recipe is fail proof and so very delicious. Thank you so much!
(I use another pie crust though)
Hi Angela,
I’m trying so many of you recipes this week! :)
This one is a absolute delicious winner. It even pleased the non-vegans!
Thanks for sharing you passion and joy with us.
Smiles,
Jivan
So glad to hear it was enjoyed by all!
Delicious. Keeper recipe. Only addition/change was adding a half teaspoon of organic red pepper flakes when sautéing the ingredients. I am thinking of making a southwestern version next time incorporating Hatch Green Chili; a Poblano Pepper; Jalapeño or two; corn; tomato slices; and treat a combination of Avocados and Pinto Beans (not canned) the same as the Tofu in your recipe. Crust spicing will include Cumin, Oregano, Organic Ground Pepper, and Himalayan Salt.
That sounds delish! I’d love to hear back on how it turns out. :)
I just made this today and OH MY GAWD. This is heaven. I also love the veggies by themselves before mixing them in with the tofu—I’m obsessed with this recipe. Is this just an online recipe or is it in any of your cookbooks? Well done!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the quiche! Thanks for the glowing comment, it really brightened my day. :) To your question, yep—this is a blog recipe only.
I may have accidentally posted this comment to your stew at first, but I haven’t tried that one yet. First, this quiche was truly impressive. We adjusted the flavors to fit our family but I was taken aback how how great it was. The crust was tasty and held together nicely. We are only three months in to our vegan eating and this hit the spot. It was perfect for a holiday breakfast. I’m also excited to use this crust base in some sweeter dishes. I have visions of a fruit pizza with a sweet and crunchy. Thank you!!
P.S. We have been making a double batch of your banana bread almost every week. A staple for snacks in this 4 generation vegan home!
Hi Bekah, I’m so pleased to hear the quiche was a hit with your family! (And the banana bread, too!!) Enjoy experimenting with the crust in other dishes – I’d love to hear what you come up with. Happy cooking!
Just eating this wonder for dinner! Made it with what I had (broccoli, spinach, onions and sun-dried tomatoes) and a leftover crust. So good I’m going to bring lunch tomorrow for my coworkers ;)
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Oh, I’m glad you enjoyed it Marie-Eve! Hope everyone’s loving the leftovers today.
Excellent recipe! Everyone in my family enjoyed it. This is definitely a keeper – thank you!!
I ran out of oats to make oat flour and substituted it with garbanzo/chickpea flour (1 cup). Still tasted great and crusty! Absolutely delicious and so filling, thank you! <3
Oh, it’s so great to know that swap worked out well for you, Michelle! Thanks for sharing.
Will this reheat okay in the microwave as well? (If just reheating one serving)
Thanks!
Hi Everyone. I would like to make this recipe for someone else. Does anyone know if it reheats ok?
Hi Robyn, Yes, this reheats wonderfully!
Do you have a suggestion on what to substitute for the nutritional yeast? We have a yeast allergy in our family. Thanks
Hey Katie, The nutritional yeast is there to help add a bit of a “cheesy” flavour, but I think you should be okay to simply omit it. If you want to maintain the egg-like colour, you could add a bit of turmeric to the mixture – just be sure not to add too much, because it can impact the flavour. I hope this helps, and please let me know how the quiche turns out if you try modifying it!
I made this recipe and though skeptical, I’m pleasantly surprised. It was delicious! Coming from someone who has had dairy-based quiche, the texture and taste were spot on! Thank you for a great vegan alternative.
So great to hear this recipe was a winner, Barbara! Thanks for taking the time to let me know — it’s always wonderful to hear such glowing feedback. :)
My hubby and I made this tonight – it was seriously one of the tastiest, healthiest and most enjoyable dishes we have ever cooked! Thanks for a 5-dtar recipe. We are huge fans!
The filling turned out nice and creamy, and surprisingly good for vegan, but the crust tasted like sand and fell apart. Will definitely make again with a different crust.
This turned out absolutely delish! I followed the recipe to a T, aside from substituting walnuts for almonds. The only thing I don’t understand is how you got yours to turn out so yellow? Mine was kind of a gross light red/browny color. Maybe turmeric would help to make it more yellow in the future?
Hey Savannah, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the recipe! Though I’m not sure what could have caused that colouring…maybe some bleed from the sun-dried tomatoes or red pepper flakes that didn’t happen in mine (maybe due to a brand thing?)? Or it could be due to the walnuts being darker in colour. I agree, you could try adding a bit of turmeric to achieve a more vibrant yellow colour. Just bear in mind that too much of it could impact the flavour, so watch out for that. :) I hope this helps!
I just took my first bite of this quiche. Quiche is my most missed food since turning vegan and I am in such heaven, I just had to share it with you! Angela, you have changed my life. I wake up every morning instead of feeling depressed and without a purpose in life, I begin cooking your recipes and providing for my family in a way I never thought I could–food! I’m one of those people who enjoys cooking more than eating, but I am even more weird because the only recipes I would ever cook are YOURS! I get recommendations from friends, I may try them, but the experience is never like your recipes. Thank you for work. If you could update this recipe and stick it in your app, I would be so grateful!! But why fix something if it’s not broken?:) Love, Irina
Hi Irina, I can’t thank you enough for this lovely comment! It truly made my day. I’m so happy you love the recipes and feel that they’ve improved your life so much. I will definitely keep this quiche in mind for the app too! Thanks so much.
This is a fantastic recipe! It was easy to make and tasted delicious. Even better was that the leftovers reheated without drying out the filling. And even better yet, the portion that I froze as an experiment reheated (after fully thawing), and tasted more flavourful than the earlier servings. I’ll be making this often. It’s perfect for lunch with a salad, and would impress any guest, I’m sure.
so tasty!