Ideal for parties and picnics, for lunchboxes, or simply to eat at home for an al fresco lunch, my gluten-free vegan mushroom and leek quiche is so deliciously creamy, you’ll have a hard time telling it apart from its egg-based counterpart! It's soy- and nut-free too!
Quiche is not something I have ever craved, not least because I just haven’t ever been a fan of eggs and eggy things. In fact, egginess is pretty much guaranteed to make me heave. I put this down to, as a small child, being force-fed a boiled egg by my mother (who also loathed eggs)... and my ensuing vomnami.
However, vegan quiche is one of the things my customers most request; in fact, I estimate that during the past year, I’ve made around 150 of these quiches, as well as probably 20 or so of my sun-dried tomato and asparagus quiche.
Why did I develop another vegan quiche recipe? Simply because several people requested a no-soy version, so I decided that rather than just replace the tofu element of my other quiche, I might as well make a completely different one
Gluten-Free Vegan Quiche
I have a handful of customers who are gluten-free, so the pastry crust for this vegan quiche is made with a gluten-free flour blend. I really like this wholegrain one from Vicki, over at The Gluten-Free Fairy. If you don’t want a gluten-free blend which doesn’t contain rice flour, then this is the one for you. If you’re not bothered, there are several commercial g-f flour blends on the market - Doves Farm make a range of good ones, for example.
Or you could use the gluten-free pastry crust from my other vegan quiche recipe!
Of course, if you’re fine with gluten, you can make the pastry however you like. I love robust flours, such as spelt and rye.
Vegan Quiche Fillings
Mushroom and leek is one of my all-time favourite flavour combinations; I love the rich umami taste of the mushrooms, coupled with the light oniony flavour of the leeks, as well as their creamy texture. I don’t use a whole lot of seasoning when sautéing the vegetables, just a bit of garlic to enhance the taste.
Another favourite combination is red pepper and aubergine. I use an onion instead of leeks, and sauté it together with some diced aubergine (eggplant) and Romano peppers, along with a small handful of torn fresh basil and a couple of sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The quiche is topped off with halved cherry tomatoes and slices of pepper, or asparagus spears.
Replacing the egg in a vegan quiche
As you’ll know from my sun dried tomato and asparagus quiche recipe.... what do you mean you haven’t looked at it? Go and read it now - it has a cute pic of Newt Scamander too! Go on, I can wait.
OK, so as you WILL NOW KNOW ? from reading my other quiche recipe, you can use tofu to replace the egg in a quiche; however, for those who are soy-free, chickpea flour is a great alternative. In fact, no, it’s a fantastic ingredient in its own right, and is used around the world in many diverse dishes, such as farinata in Italy (socca in France), bhaji in India, and to make tofu in Myanmar (Burma). To name but a few.
In fact, Shan tofu salad is one of my all-time favourite foods, and the best I’ve ever eaten was at the Burmese noodle cart outside the immigration office in Chiang Mai. Whenever we had to go and extend our visas (waiting for hours to be seen), afterward, we’d reward ourselves with a big bowl of tofu salad. It was always heavenly!
Using chickpea flour in vegan quiche
Since I’m used to making Burmese tofu with chickpea flour (AKA garbanzo bean flour), it wasn’t a huge leap to use a similar method to make vegan quiche. I just added a few seasonings, and voilà, perfect vegan quiche filling!
The first few times I made this quiche, I mixed the veggies with the chickpea batter, tipped the whole lot into my pastry case (which I’d baked blind for 15 minutes), and then cooked it. It was utterly delicious but it wasn’t the most attractive quiche I’d ever seen, and the the toppings got lost, so now I layer it. On the bottom is the veg and chickpea batter, and on top of that is a plain, seasoned batter, followed by the toppings. So much more visually appealing!
BTW, you may be wondering why, when I don’t care for the flavour of eggs, I use kala namak.. does it not impart an eggy taste? Well, no, not really. Yes, it has that sulphurous aroma that you sometimes get with eggs but it doesn’t actually taste of eggs. It’s basically salt with a hint of sulphur. So why do I use it? Because it does enhance the flavour of the quiche, in a way that plain sea salt doesn’t. If you don’t want to use kala namak though, add an extra half a teaspoon of vegetable bouillon or Vegeta.
Vegan mushroom and leek quiche
Is...
- Creamy
- Comforting
- Filling
- Frugal
- Packed with protein
- Nutritious
- Gluten-free
- Soy-free
- Nut-free
- Easy to make
- Mind-blowingly delicious!
I usually serve this quiche with a selection of salads but I have to tell you that it goes very well with baked wedges too, especially of the sweet potato variety!
Bon apétit!
Do you enjoy vegan quiche? What would put in yours?
Vegan Mushroom and Leek Quiche
Ingredients
Pastry case
- 300 g plain (all-purpose) gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 150 g cold vegan margarine
- 80 ml cold water
Vegetables
- 3 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 500 g leeks trimmed, and sliced into rounds
- 600 g chestnut mushrooms cleaned and sliced, reserve a few slices for the top
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
Vegan egg mix
- 900 ml water
- 175 g chickpea flour (c.8 tbsp)
- 1 clove garlic
- 6 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon powder
- 1 tsp kala namak (black salt)
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Topping
- reserved mushroom slices
- 8 baby leeks sliced in half lengthways
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
You will also need a 32cm (12") quiche or pie dish. If you have a smaller dish, adjust the portion slider at the top of this recipe card to suit.
Instructions
Make the pastry
- Pre-heat your oven to 225°C (437°F/gas mark 7½).
- Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, and add the margarine.
- Rub the margarine into the flour until you have something that resembles breadcrumbs. Don't worry if there are any larger lumps, it will all even out in the baking.
- Add the water, and use your hands to mix together to form a dough.
- Tear off two sheets of parchment, large enough to fit the quiche dish with a bit of overlap. Form the dough into a ball, flatten, and place onto one sheet of parchment. Cover the dough with the other sheet.
- Roll out the dough until it will fit the quiche dish, then slide the whole lot - parchment and dough - into the dish. Keeping the top piece of parchment intact, gently smooth the dough over the bottom of the dish, and into the flutes (the wibbly wobbly side of the dish!). Roll the pin across the top of the dish, then carefully peel back the parchment, and remove the excess pastry. Replace the parchment, and trim away any flappy bits around the edge.
- Bake the pastry case toward the top of the oven for 15 minutes. It doesn't need to be fully cooked - just enough to stop the bottom going soggy. Once it's baked, remove from the oven, discard the top piece of parchment, and set aside to cool slightly. (Leave the oven on, as you'll need it again very soon.)
Cook the veggies
- While the pastry case is baking, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok, and sauté the leeks over a medium-high heat for 5 mins, until they begin to turn translucent.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and garlic, and continue to sauté for another 15 mins, until lightly browned and starting to caramelise. Set aside some of the mushrooms to use on top of the quiche.
Steam the leeks
- While the veggies are sautéing, steam the baby leeks for 5 mins over a pan of boiling water. As soon as they have softened, remove from the steamer, and set aside.
Make the vegan egg
- Blitz all of the 'egg' ingredients in a blender for 15 seconds or so, until you have a smooth batter. (I use my VAC2 on its highest setting for this.)
- Reduce the heat under the veggies, and pour in roughly a third of the batter. Set the rest aside for now.
- Stirring continually, cook the veggie and batter mix for a few minutes until the filling is thick.
- Pour the rest of the batter into a saucepan over a medium low heat. Whisk occasionally to prevent any lumps forming. After a few minutes, the mixture will start to thicken - keep whisking until the whisk leaves thick trails on top. Remove from the heat, and set aside for a couple of minutes.
Put the quiche together
- Tip the filling into the pastry case, and smooth so it's level.
- Pour the rest of the batter over the top, again, smoothing to create a level surface. Decorate with the slices of fried mushrooms and the steamed baby leeks.
- Sprinkle the olive oil over the top, then bake on the same shelf as before for 25 mins, until the top has started to turn golden.
Storing
- Store wrapped or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
If you like this vegan mushroom and leek quiche recipe, you're sure to love these other summery yums!
I'm linking up my Vegan Mushroom and Leek Quiche recipe with...
Sisley White
I think being adult has made me love quiche a lot more than I used to! Leeks are also a flavour I love. I will have to make this for a family treat.
Nico
I used to dislike the texture of leeks when I was much younger, and then a friend introduced me to her baked cheesy leeks - it was a revelation. I've never looked back! xx
Jo Allison
You have just blown my mind with that quiche filling Nico! I do love chickpea flour and use it mainly when making falafels, veggie fritters, bhajis and similar and it would have never occurred to me that you can make quiche filling with it! So super clever! I love the flavours of the veggie filling with leeks and mushrooms and the way you've layered the whole thing ... It looks fantastic!! Thank you for sharing this delicacy with #BakingCrumbs 🙂
Nico
Thanks so much, Jo - I hope you try it for yourself soon! xx
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Ooooh very clever. I've always been intrigued about how one would go about making a vegan quiche - well now I know! And I'm pretty sure, reading through the list of ingredients, your version would taste just as good, if not better, than its egg and dairy cousin. Eb x
Nico
Indeed you do, Eb - why not make it for yourself one day?! 😉 xx
Mayuri Patel
Though I use a lot of chickpea or besan flour as we call it in my cooking, I would never have thought of making a vegan quiche from it. What a wonderful recipe you have shared of the vegan mushrooms and leek quiche. And ye kala namak is an acquired taste but it is so good for the digestion.
Nico
I generally call it besan too (or gram flour), Mayuri (I used to live in India) but when I say that to non-Indians, or people unfamiliar with Indian food, they tend to have no idea what I'm talking about, so it's much easier to just say chickpea flour! xx
Donna
Husband makes the quiche in our house, I love them, but I'm so boring I always ask for salmon and broccoli. Mushroom and leek sounds like a wonderful change!
Nico
Ooh, good for Mr D, how wonderful! K really doesn't enjoy cooking at all - he sees it as something that needs to happen in order to not die of starvation, and therefore needs to be completed as quickly and conveniently as possible! He would never make a quiche! I've never had a salmon and broccoli quiche before but I imagine it's a good combination. You should definitely try mushroom and leek! xx
Sylvie
My vegan friends would be ALL OVER that quiche! I love the idea of using tofu of chickpea flour to replace eggs - I have never tried it but definitely need to give it a go now!
Nico
Oh you do, Sylvie - your friends will love you forever! xx
Jenny Walters
What a fantastic recipe packed full of information. I am a HUGE lover of quiche I confess. A warm wedge of cheesy quiche is in my top five faves ever.So I'm loving your recipe albeit a different version from my usual!. Thank you so much for sharing this with #BakingCrumbs
Nico
Thanks so much, Jen - hope you make it at some point! xx
Chef Mireille
As eggs don't bother me, I never before thought of making a Vegan quiche but yours looks awesome and I love the mushroom and leek combination. Definitely makes a great meal with a bright seasonal salad!
Nico
Mushroom and leek is one of my favourite things, Mireille - the filling for this quiche, minus the batter, is really good on toasted sourdough too! xx
Choclette
Ooh yes please. This looks so delicious and I love mushroom and leeks together too. Was guessing you'd used chickpea flour. It's such a fabulous ingredient. But I have to confess, it never occurred to me that it might have been tofu. Now I've read this, it seems so obvious. Even so, I reckon I prefer this version.
Nico
When I wanted to make a vegan quiche years ago, tofu was the first thing I thought of, probably because I tend to use it a fair bit anyway but having used chickpea flour for so many other things, it wasn't a huge stretch to use it for this (well, not exactly this - this one is the result of many other experimentations and incarnations over the years!). You're absolutely right, it is such a versatile ingredient, and it's great that people over here are now waking up to its brilliance. I remember a time when it was quite difficult to get hold of in Britain, unless you went to an Indian store - now it's in most supermarkets! xx
CAMILLA HAWKINS
What a genius idea, I don't think I've ever seen a vegan quiche, let alone tasted one! I must put that right now as this looks scrummy:-)
Nico
Honestly, do try it, Camilla - it's gorgeous! xx
Jacqui Bellefontaine
what a fabulously helpful and informative post. The quiche looks delicious. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Nico
Thank you, Jacqui! xx
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
This quiche is just beautiful—and it's perfect timing. I'm hosting a brunch, and at least one of the guests is vegan. I'm very sure that this will be a win with ALL my guests!
Nico
Fantastic - do let me know how you get on with it, Michelle! xx