Last year, I bought a quiche form on a whim. I’m really not sure why I did it because I haven’t made a quiche in years, and definitely not since I adopted a predominantly plant-based diet. The form has been sitting in our kitchen cupboard untouched, and I felt guilty for having something so large that I never use. For the longest time it didn’t occur to me that I could actually make a vegan quiche, until one day I got the idea and decided to look up how people do it. Because of course people do it, I don’t think there’s a single dish out there that hasn’t been veganized yet. I found a bunch of recipes online, and most of them seemed to be based on the same principle: instead of eggs and cream, you use blended tofu and plant milk for the filling.
I got myself a bunch of ingredients that always do well together, and got to work. The result? An absolutely delicious, moist, hearty vegan quiche full of amazing mediterranean flavours. Honestly guys, this is so good and so unexpected, I couldn’t keep it from you. So: here’s my recipe!
I used a rather large (26 cm) quiche form, so my quiche came out a bit flat. If you’re making this amount, a smaller form would probably work better. For a larger form, double the amount of filling and toppings. You’ll get more portions out of it then, of course.
Ingredients
Filling
1 (325g) block tofu
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp kala namak/Indian black salt
Toppings
1 medium/large onion
3 cloves garlic
Large handful cherry tomatoes
3 medium artichoke hearts (canned)
1/4 cup green olives (sliced)
1/4 cup jarred sundried tomatoes (chopped)
For the crust I use pre-made dough from the store. Store bought pie crusts are often unintentionally vegan, but make sure you check they don’t contain butter.
Serves three.
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Drain the tofu and press it by placing it between two sheets of paper towel and weighing it down with something heavy (I use a stack of plates).
Cut the onion into half rings and cook on a low heat in a little bit of olive oil for 10-15 minutes, until the onion caramelizes.
Finely chop the garlic and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add to the pan to cook with the onions for the last 5 minutes. Cut the olives, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes into small pieces and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the pressed tofu, soy milk, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, salt, turmeric, rosemary, black pepper and kala namak salt. The kala namak salt is optional, so don’t worry if you can’t get your hands on any. It has a slightly sulphury taste and adds a lovely egg-like flavour to the dish. The turmeric is just there to add a bit of colour, so feel free to skip that as well.
Process for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is completely smooth. The consistency might vary depending on how firmly you pressed the tofu; it should be reminiscent of a thick whipped cream. If you think it’s too thick, add a bit more soy milk.
Combine the tofu mixture with the onions, cherry tomatoes and garlic, as well as the artichoke hearts, olives and sundried tomatoes.
Line your quiche form with baking paper, or brush with olive oil and powder with flour. Put the pie crust dough in the quiche form and poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork. Add your filling on top, and spread out evenly.
Bake for 35/40 minutes.
I suggest serving the vegan quiche with a light mediterranean salad, or just as it is, of course. Enjoy! :)
