Learn how to make quiche! This easy spinach quiche recipe has a tender egg filling and a flaky buttery crust. It’s a delicious breakfast or brunch!
I’m making this spinach quiche recipe for Easter brunch this year and I’m looking forward to it. It’s a change from my usual breakfast casserole or frittata, and while it’s (much) more time-consuming, it’s worth every second. This spinach quiche is so delicious it melts in your mouth. It’s got a buttery, flaky crust and a custard-egg filling sprinkled with tender spinach, scallions, and salty feta cheese.
If you’re tempted to give it a try, below is my step-by-step guide to making quiche, complete with all of my top tips for quiche success. I know pastries can be intimidating, but I hope you don’t let this quiche recipe put you off. It’s easy to master and a wonderful addition to any breakfast or brunch. I think you will love it!
What is quiche?
Quiche is a savory egg custard tart or tart. It differs from a frittata in that a) it has a crust and b) it has a higher proportion of milk or cream-to-egg in the filling. (For reference, I use 6 eggs and 1/4 cup milk in my frittata recipe, and the same number of eggs and 1/2 cup milk in my quiche filling. Many quiche recipes use even more milk or cream!)
The most famous iteration of the quiche, the Lorraine bacon, cheese, and onion quiche originally hails from the Lorraine region of north-eastern France, where it likely has ancestry from the region Cake from nearby Germany. Quiche had a small heyday in the US in the 1970s and 80s and is still popular today. Like a frittata, it works beautifully with a variety of veggies and cheese in the egg filling. I’ve enjoyed quiche with potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, cheddar, swiss cheese and more. But this easy spinach quiche is my favorite I’ve tried so far.
Recipe ingredients for spinach quiche
What you need for this spinach quiche recipe:
- spinach, Naturally! I use fresh baby spinach here because I like the texture of the whole leaves. Thawed frozen chopped spinach works too.
- eggs and unsweetened almond milk – They make the pudding filling. Sub whole milk for the almond milk if you prefer.
- Feta cheese or goat cheese – It gives the filling a spicy, salty taste.
- spring onions – For a fresh, onion kick.
- salt and pepper – To make all the flavors burst!
- And my easy pie crust – It’s flaky, buttery and super easy to make. This recipe makes enough batter for two quiches. Make both side by side or freeze the extra batter for up to 3 months. To simplify this recipe, you could use store-bought cake batter, but you still have to blind bake it. More on that below!
The full recipe with measurements is below.
How to make quiche
The first step in this spinach quiche recipe is make the cake base. For step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make it, check out my pie crust recipe blog post. Before you start cooking, here are a few important tips:
- Chill all ingredients. For the flakiest crust, you want the butter to melt while it’s in the oven, not before. Prepare the pie dough with ice water and cold butter from the refrigerator.
- It must be refrigerated for at least 2 hours. Make sure you factor this time in when planning to make this quiche recipe! If you want to advance, you can prepare the dough in advance. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You have to blind bake it. Nobody likes a quiche with a soggy bottom! Blind baking the crust helps build it before you add the filling. See the recipe card below for detailed instructions on blind baking.
After blind baking the base, start the filling. Sauté the spinach until it just wilts. Then place on a kitchen towel and wring out excess water.
Whisk together the eggs and milk in a large bowl and beat until no streaks of egg white remain.
Add the steamed spinach, scallions, cheese, salt and some peppercorns. Mix to combine.
Then assemble the quiche. Pour the egg mixture into the pre-baked pie crust (it’s okay if it’s still warm). If necessary, flatten the filling into an even layer.
Finally bake in a 350°F oven until eggs are just set, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Pre-bake the crust. It’s worth repeating: if you make quiche, Always blind bake the base before adding the filling. Without blind baking, the crust on the bottom will be rubbery and undercooked. This makes the crust wonderfully flaky and crispy. Note that you are blind baking the crust at a higher oven temperature than you will be using for the actual quiche. The high heat is crucial to get tasty layers in the pastry.
- Squeeze the spinach. A classic quiche case is using veggies, which add too much moisture to the filling, preventing it from rising. Avoid this by squeezing the excess water out of the spinach after you steam it. If using thawed frozen spinach, skip the steaming step, but still squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
- Cook until it is Only Sentence. When checking doneness, remember that the quiche will continue to cook for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven. You want it to be soft and pudding-like, not overdone and dry, so try to bake the eggs until just set. My oven takes 45 minutes.
- Make it a meal. Serve spinach quiche slices for brunch alongside a green salad or fruit salad. Complete the menu with carrot muffins, strawberry muffins or lemon yoghurt tart.
- The leftovers are great. Leftover quiche keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s fantastically warm or room temperature. Enjoy it for a quick breakfast, lunch or even dinner!
More popular brunch recipes
If you love this spinach quiche recipe, try one of these delicious brunch recipes next:
Spinach-quiche
serves 8th
This easy quiche recipe is a delicious breakfast or brunch! The tender custard filling is sprinkled with spinach, scallions and tangy, salty feta cheese. Serve with a green salad or fresh fruit. Note: You will need a 9 or 9.5 inch pie pan to make this recipe.
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pie dish (I like this glass bowl because I can see if the crust is done on the bottom)
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Roll out a disc of pie dough according to the instructions in this recipe until you have a large circle, about â…› inch thick. Gently roll it over your rolling pin and unroll over a 9 or 9.5 inch cake pan. Press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides with your hands. Trim excess pastry to leave 1/2 inch overhang on all sides of pie platter, then roll edge of pastry under itself to align with edge of platter. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp. Tent loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preheating the oven to 425F.
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When the oven is hot, uncover the crust and prick the base all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights to reach the top of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges of the crust are set.
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Remove from the oven and lift the pie weights and parchment paper out of the crust. Bake the crust for an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until the bottom begins to set. Take out of the oven and let cool down a bit.
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Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
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Place the spinach in a steamer basket and set over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and steam for 1 to 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Place on a kitchen towel and allow to cool slightly, then wring the excess water out of the spinach.
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In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add the steamed spinach, feta, green onions, salt and a few peppercorns and stir. Pour into the pre-baked crust. If necessary, use a spatula to smooth the egg mixture into an even layer.
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Bake the quiche for 40 to 50 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
**Frozen chopped spinach will also work. No steaming is necessary—just thaw the spinach completely and squeeze out the excess water before adding it to the egg mixture.
Sources: Melissa Clark’s History of Quiche brief and Candy Sagon’s article on Americanized versions of quiche