Pesto Vegetable Quiche

In our opinion, the best part of any quiche or pie is the crust . . . and this crust has it all—it’s flaky, crumbly, golden, and nutty. We’ve made this quiche for clients who needed an alternative to white flour crusts, and everyone always loves it—you will too. You can make this quiche in advance and store it in the fridge to eat for several days. Just reheat it in the oven or toaster oven, and serve it with a small salad or soup, or have it on its own on those days when you can’t eat heavier meals. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Makes 4 Servings
Freeze: 2 –3 Months
Prep Time: 35 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 – 45 Minutes

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup chickpea flour
½ cup rolled oats
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ cup water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pesto:
1 cup packed basil leaves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup raw pine nuts or raw sunflower seeds
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove
¼ tsp sea salt

Filling:
4 eggs
½ cup dairy-free milk
½ cup diced shallots or
yellow onion
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped spinach
½ cup red pepper, diced
¼ tsp sea salt

Extra Boosts:
1/3 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Small handful of sprouts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. For the crust, in a large bowl mix the chickpea flour, rolled oats, sesame seeds, and salt together. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the water and olive oil. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. If it’s too dry and won’t make a ball, gradually add a few spoonfuls of water until the dough sticks together.
3. Oil a 9-inch pie dish. Place the ball of dough in the middle, and, with your hands, spread it out on the bottom and sides of the dish. Prick a few holes in the dough with a fork to allow steam to escape when baking. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven.
4. While the crust is baking, make the pesto. Rinse the basil leaves and dry them well, then put all the pesto ingredients in the food processor and pulse until smooth.
5. For the filling, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and set aside.
6. Over medium heat, sauté the shallots in the olive oil for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Then add the spinach, peppers, and sea salt for 1 minute.
7. Let the vegetables cool down slightly, then fold them into the egg mixture with ¼ cup of the pesto.
8. Pour the egg mixture into the pie dish. Bake for 35–45 minutes or until the quiche is firm and the middle is spongy to the touch.
9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2–3 months.
10. When you’re ready to eat, garnish with cherry tomatoes and sprouts if you like.

Simplify this recipe by using store-bought pesto and skipping the step of sautéeing the veggies. Just add them into the egg mixture raw. If you aren’t eating chickpeas or other legumes, you can make this into a frittata instead—omit the crust and cook up the filling.

Excerpted from “The Living Kitchen” by Tamara Green & Sarah Grossman. Copyright © 2019 Tamara Green & Sarah Grossman. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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