No pastry is involved in this vegan quiche. Thick sturdy slices of eggplant are used to encase the filling in lieu of a crust. It’s lighter than a traditional quiche, eggless and dairy-free with no compromise on the texture, yet very filling and satisfying. This quiche is crispy around the edges and creamy in the centre. Delicious!
100gtempeh [about ½ block]see notes for how to make homemade tempeh
1 - 2tablespoonssoy sauce
Few drops liquid smoke
Salt to taste
100gfresh white mushrooms [about 5 - 6]
25garugula / roquette [1 cup]
Creamy sauce:
350gsilken tofuextra firm
120mlnon-dairy milkI used soy milk [½ cup]
2tablespoonschickpea flouror besan, substitute with other gluten-free flour mix or regular all-purpose wheat flour
2tablespoonsnutritional yeast
½teaspoonkala namakIndian black salt or substitute with regular salt, adjust to taste. See notes.
5 - 6basil leaveschopped
1teaspoondried thymeor few sprigs fresh thyme
Pepperto taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit.
Slice the eggplant along the length, about 75-mm [1/3 inch] thickness.
Brush with a little oil on both sides, then place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until half cooked.
Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.
Prepare the tempeh
Slice the tempeh into slices of less than 1 cm [2/5 inch]. Heat 1 - 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Place tempeh in the skillet and fry until crispy on one side, then flip and fry until crispy. Flip again, then add the liquid smoke, soy sauce and salt to taste (if needed). Let the tempeh absorb the liquid. Flip and continue cooking until the tempeh is crispy again. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Make the creamy sauce
Blend the tofu, non-dairy milk, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast and kala namak (or salt).
Add in the fried tempeh, sliced mushrooms, arugula (roquette leaves) and herbs (thyme and basil). Stir and mix well.
Assemble the quiche
Remove the eggplant from the oven and line a 20-cm / 8-inch baking tray. Arrange the bottom rounded part of the eggplant around the top to make a pretty edge.
Pour the sauce-vegetable mix into the pan and spread out evenly.
Cover the pan with some foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Then remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until the quiche is firm. The creamy centre should not be runny. If it is, leave the quiche to bake for some more time.
Once out of the oven, let the quick cool before slicing. You will get a much cleaner cut once it is cooled.
Notes
For sturdier eggplant crust:One 450-g [1-pound, 16 oz] eggplant is enough to line a 20-cm / 8-inch round baking pan with a single layer of eggplant. If you want a double layer for a sturdier crust, use 2 eggplants or a larger one.Where to buy ingredients: Kala namak - Indian black salt - https://amzn.to/2CYJrPB Silken tofu, extra firm (long life, shelf stable) - https://amzn.to/2RMkFuB Variations:
Use sliced potatoes instead of eggplant for the crust.
For a traditional pastry crust - check out this oil-based shortcrust pastry recipe - (https://veganlovlie.com/oil-based-vegan-shortcrust-pastry/).
Use spinach instead of arugula.
To reduce the baking time: Saute the mushrooms and dry out some of their moisture before adding them to the cream.