Quiche is a classic French pie but it’s savory, not sweet. It’s a favorite picnic dish in my family because it is like a whole meal in one slice and is just as good cold (if not better) as it is hot. I like how versatile it is: once you have the basic pastry and egg-filling recipe, you can change the other ingredients to whatever takes your fancy, and add as many or as few different things as you like. So, I decided to make spinach goat cheese quiche.
For this spinach goat cheese quiche recipe, I made pâte à foncer, or flan pastry, which turned out to be crisp and light. It was easy to work with and didn’t fall to pieces when I rolled it out – which, as anyone who has worked with gluten-free flour will know, is quite the mark of success.
For the filling, I just added my favorite summertime ingredients: roasted pepper, fresh spinach, and goat’s cheese. I also couldn’t resist adding some meli-melo baby tomatoes – a combination of yellow, orange, and red cherry and plum tomatoes – which made it look like sunshine in a dish.
Tomato Spinach Goat Cheese Quiche on the plate, and my mind instantly goes, ‘This needs a spritzer.” And Pomegranate Spritzer would be a perfect match to complete this delightful culinary experience.
This is my recipe for quiche with goat cheese and spinach!
Spinach Goat Cheese Quiche
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 250 g plain flour mine was a gluten-free blend
- 125 g butter cut into cubes and at room temp
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 40 ml water with gluten-free flour, you may need up to 70ml
For the filling
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 200 ml double cream
- 1 bell pepper
- 8-10 baby meli-melo tomatoes
- Handful of fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 a red onion finely chopped
- 50 g soft goat’s cheese cut into cubes
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Dried herbs pepper & salt to taste
Instructions
To make the pastry
- Sift the flour and tip onto a clean worktop. Make a well in the center for the cubes of butter, the egg, and the salt. Begin to rub the ingredients between your fingers, gradually drawing in flour until combined and you have a mixture resembling breadcrumbs.
- Add the water and bring together to make a ball of dough.
- Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
- Once the pastry is chilled and rested, preheat the oven to 180oC and lightly grease a round or fluted flan tin. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Place into the tin and use a knife to cut away excess from the edges.
- Prick with a fork and blind bake for about 15 minutes.
For the filling
- Line a small roasting tin with foil. Cut the pepper into thin strips and halve the tomatoes. Put in the tin and sprinkle with a little olive oil and herbs. Roast for 15-20 mins. (These can go into the oven along with the pastry case).
- In a frying pan, heat the rest of the olive oil and cook the onion over a relatively low heat until soft. Add the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes until it has wilted.
- Whisk together the eggs and cream and add a little salt and pepper.
- Put the vegetables and goat’s cheese into the pastry dish and pour over the egg mixture. Bake the quiche for about 40 mins, until the filling has set and is going golden on the top.
- Serve warm, with a few salad leaves, or leave to cool and cut into slices to take to your picnic!
I made this quiche for a brunch gathering with friends, and it was a huge hit! Everyone kept asking for the recipe. I’ll definitely be making it again soon.