11.10.09 Eggless Spinach Quiche
Without getting too preachy, I will admit I have had a personal struggle with eating eggs the past few years. On one hand, they are a wonderful cooking staple which are hard to replace, but on the other hand, my ethics are tugging. One of the problems with swapping eggs, especially in egg-based dishes like quiche, is the binding issue. However, I have made this eggless variety numerous times over the past months, tweaking the recipe each time, and have come up with a result definitely worth sharing.
By pressing the excess moisture from the tofu and packing the quiche full of vegetables into an 11” tart pan (versus a smaller width pie pan), binding is no longer an issue. Although this is eggless, it is not vegan. Though, I think a similar result can be achieved by omitting the cheese and upping the vegi content. If you try this, please share! I really believe that delicious food is accessible, without sacrificing your beliefs.
Eggless Spinach Quiche
crust adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini . serves 4-6
crust
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 t dried rosemary*
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c, plus 2 t cold water
filling
2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
5 oz chopped packed fresh spinach (about 2 1/2 c)
2 c grated cheese (I used Cheddar & Colby Jack)
14 oz extra-firm tofu, pressed for 20 min to remove excess moisture
1/2 c soy milk (or skim milk)
3 t white (cooking) wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and rosemary. Add oil, and mix well with a fork. Add 1/2 c water, and mix well with a fork. Lightly knead, until dough comes together into a ball, adding 1-2 t additional water if needed. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, sprinkling a bit of flour on top. Roll into a circle, large enough to fit an 11” tart pan, turning 45 degrees each time you roll the pin and back, sprinkling dough with more flour if it becomes too sticky. Transfer to a non-stick 11” tart pan, pressing dough into sides. Trim excess dough, and prick bottom 3-4 times with a fork. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F. In a small pan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and sauté 5-7 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Transfer to a large bowl. Add spinach and cheese. In a blender, combine tofu, milk, white wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl with spinach, and mix well. Spoon filling into the refrigerated crust, pressing evenly to all sides. Transfer to oven, and bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit 8-10 minutes before cutting, so filling may set.
*If you decide to forgo this crust and use your own favorite recipe, I would recommend adding rosemary or another herb to the filling, as it really adds something special to the end result.
Reader Comments (24)
Hi, I came accross your site while searching for vegetarian food blogs. This quiche looks delicious and all the pictures are very beautiful:)) Bye Sabrina
it's so pretty!!! i love making quiches, but i've yet to do one with tofu.
Beautiful pictures as always, this quiche looks wonderful and I think it's really cool how it's eggless. Thanks for sharing :)
What a great idea! Sometimes I am grossed out by eggs in quiche form - I think I just don't like them baked. This is a great and super healthy solution.
I love quiche and your photos make this cook oh so appealing.
This looks really pretty and yummie! I have to try this one as well simply coz spinach is one of my favorite! Thanks so much for such wonderful dish! Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!
That looks absolutely beautiful! It also sounds so healthy and yummy, Mmmmm!!! I love it:)
Beautiful quiche...at first glance one would not know it's eggless--you've created a wonderful, tasty, harmlesss result--love that! Thanks for sharing... Happy Day :o)
looks delicious and I can do without eggs many times but occasionally need them for binding as you mention - my mum is planning to get her own hens and I hope I might get some of her eggs
it's so pretty!!! i love making quiches, but i've yet to do one with tofu.......
i love eggs, love them. but i understand where youre going with this and think it looks so fabulous! I'd love to try it!
Can't wait to try this on my non-egg eating brother!!!
oooh...how interesting! i'm definitely going to have to give this a go one day.
That looks awesome!! I am going to have to try that! I eat tofu scrambles most mornings....but that I could make up ahead of time! Perfect~
I made this quiche a couple of days ago and got rave reviews- yummy yummy yummy!! just love your take on food and gorgeous pics!! thanks
This looks so very delicious! I really want to make it but my tart pan is 8 or 9 inches. Definitely saving the recipe though.
eatme_delicious I have made it in a 8" pie dish before and although I prefer how it holds together in an 11", you can still get great results with a smaller width pan. Give it a try!
Hi! Will you please talk a little about your egg ethics? From my perspective, there are lots of good places to get conscious eggs from (e.g., organic, free-range), like farmers' markets and backyard hens. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Sara- No problem! I guess at this point my hesitation with eggs doesn't lie so much in the source of the eggs, but in the egg itself. It feels like an "almost life" to me, and to be honest I am a bit grossed out by cracking an egg over a bowl. That being said, I find eggs pretty hard to avoid and actually enjoy the taste (and magic qualities in creating beauties like quiche!), so I am wavering. I have a few dishes on the site that use eggs, so you can see, my mind is not made up on this one. I invite any thoughts you (or anyone else) have on the subject!
It's interesting to see this discussion about egg-ethics. I am a vegetarian (have always been), but lately I have started eating cakes n other goodies made with eggs (though I still can't bring myself to cook with them). In India, eggs are considered non-vegetarian, but I'm confused about them after reading online and hearing from many people that the eggs we get in the market can never hatch. Do they really have a "life" in them?
Hi VeggieWiz- Thanks for joining in on the discussion! Yes, the eggs we eat are unfertilized (with no rooster involved) so they would never grow into a chick. Still, the idea is a bit unsettling for me. As Sara suggested, it would be best to buy directly from the source so you could be sure they are organic and that the animals are treated fair, etc.
This looks pretty much perfect for my taste. Thank you for the recipe. I hadn't visited you here in a while, I'm so glad to be back. Everything looks great, and there are again so many inspiring recipes. Happy beginning of December!
I just found this... My daughter is allergic to eggs. I'm anxious to try it and see what she thinks!
Oh wow!!! now that is a dream!.