Spring Vegetable Quiche

This quiche is filled with bright green seasonal spring vegetables and cheese. After a long cold winter, by the time spring rolls sound, I can’t get enough of the seasonal vibrant produce. A quiche is great for serving a small group since it can be made ahead of time and is a flexible recipe – add cooked bacon if you want to add some meat to the mix. Serve on its own or accompanied by a light butter lettuce salad.

Spring Vegetable Quiche

About Blind Baking

Blind baking the crust of the quiche, the term for pre-baking the crust before the filling is added ensures the crust doesn’t get soggy. This crust is partially blind baked until it’s a pale golden brown so it’s not over cooked once it is cooked the second time around after the filling is added. Pie weights or rice or beans are added to the crust so it doesn’t bubble up as it cooks. 

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Pastry dough – While this quiche is made using homemade pastry dough, you can substitute a frozen pastry dough, thawed and rolled out, or you can even use a pre-made pie crust in a pinch. 
• Asparagus – This spring vegetable has a strong, slightly bitter taste. I like using thin stalks of asparagus rather than thick steakhouse varieties. I find it to have a better texture.
• Peas – I typically buy a bag of pre-shelled peas rather than taking the time to shell them myself. While I prefer fresh peas, frozen peas can also be used in this recipe. Just thaw and drain the peas before using.
• Pea shoots – Pea shoots are the leaves and tendrils of pea plant vines. They are easy to find at farmer’s markets in spring and pair well with crisp asparagus and English peas. If you can’t find them then omit or substitute with arugula.

How to Make Spring Vegetable Quiche

1. Make the dough. To make the dough, place the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to combine.
2. Add butter. Add the butter and ¼ cup ice water to the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture forms a rough dough.
3. Shape the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough, so the butter is just distributed. Form into a square, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough. Heat oven to 350ºF. On a lightly floured, clean work surface, roll ½ the dough out into a ½” thick 9” quiche or pie pan. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, rice or dried beans.
5. Par bake the crust. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the weights and parchment paper and continue to bake until the crust is lightly golden brown.
6. Heat oven for quiche. Heat oven to 375ºF.
7. Sauté vegetables. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add the olive oil and heat through. Add the shallots, asparagus and peas and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are slightly caramelized and the asparagus is tender.
8. Cook the spinach. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
9. Mix the eggs. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and the heavy cream until combined.
10. Pour in the filling. Add the filling to the crust, spreading it out evenly. Top with the egg mixture then sprinkle the goat cheese over the top.
11. Bake the quiche. Arrange the pieces of butter around the goat cheese then bake until, until the top is puffed and golden brown and the center is set (it doesn’t jiggle when moved), about 35 minutes.
12. Serve. Let cool then serve topped with pea shoots.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Butternut Squash, Chard and Bacon Quiche
• Veggie Frittata
• Sautéed Pea Salad with Burrata
• Kale and Ricotta Tarts with Walnuts

Spring Vegetable Quiche

Print Pin

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Serves 6

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out the dough
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• ½ cup shelled english peas
• 1 cup chopped asparagus, I like to use thinner stalks
• 2 packed cups baby spinach
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• 3 large eggs
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces
• 1 ounce pea shoots

Instructions:

For the crust:

• To make the dough, place the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to combine.
• Add the butter and ¼ cup ice water to the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture forms a rough dough.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough, so the butter is just distributed. Form into a square, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
• On a lightly floured, clean work surface, roll ½ the dough out into a ½” thick 9” quiche or pie pan. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, rice or dried beans.
• Bake for 15 minutes then remove the weights and parchment paper and continue to bake until the crust is lightly golden brown, about an additional 5 minutes.

For the filling:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add the olive oil and heat through. Add the shallots, asparagus and peas and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are slightly caramelized and the asparagus is tender, about 6 minutes.
• Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and the heavy cream until combined.
• Add the filling to the crust, spreading it out evenly. Top with the egg mixture then sprinkle the goat cheese over the top.
• Arrange the pieces of butter around the goat cheese then bake until, until the top is puffed and golden brown and the center is set (it doesn’t jiggle when moved), about 35 minutes.
• Let cool for 15 minutes then serve topped with pea shoots.

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