What is Vegetable Crustless Quiche?
– a low-calorie savoury pie without pastry, made with vegetables, cheese, eggs and milk and baked until golden.
Recipe Intro
The beloved French classic, sans pastry, remains utterly delicious yet remarkably low in calories. Nutritious and healthy, this crustless vegetable quiche features spinach as its star, complemented by vibrant red roasted peppers, earthy mushrooms, and tender courgettes. Customize to your heart’s content for a tasty, quick and easy dish.
For those seeking a more substantial variation, this adaptable recipe welcomes the addition of your favourite meats or seafood. Consider incorporating savoury options such as crispy bacon, ham, or spicy sausage for a satisfying twist.
Alternatively, indulge in the delicate taste of flaked salmon, shrimp, or tuna to bring an oceanic essence to your table.
Essential Ingredients and Substitutes
Quiche mixture
- eggs
- low-fat milk
- plain yoghurt
- double cream
- cheese
In this lighter version of the quiche mixture, yoghurt is substituted for a portion of the double cream, alongside eggs and milk, resulting in fewer calories without sacrificing the creamy texture and delicious taste. With just a touch of double cream, this recipe offers a healthier twist on the classic quiche.
Vegetables
- spinach
- roasted pepper
- mushrooms
- courgettes
Spinach is the main ingredient, giving the quiche its vibrant green colour and delicious flavour. Roasted red peppers add a pop of colour and flavour. Save time by using jarred roasted peppers. I used mushrooms and courgettes (zucchini) as it was available in the fridge, it added texture and layers. Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand.
If you’re using any root or hard vegetables, make sure to partially cook them before adding them to the dish. This ensures that they’ll be just right when the quiche is baked.
How to make Crustless Vegetable Quiche?
- Put some water in a pot and let it boil. Once it’s boiling, add the washed spinach and let it wilt. You don’t need to cook it for too long because it will be baked later. After that, drain the spinach, chop it into small pieces, and then set it aside.
- Thinly slice the mushrooms and stir-fry them for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds. Remove the mushrooms from the pan. If you’re watching your calories, you can skip this step and use fresh mushrooms instead.
- Now, let’s assemble the dish. Grease your dish with oil. First, add a layer of roasted peppers, then fried ( or fresh) mushrooms, next cooked spinach, and finally sliced courgettes.
- In a bowl, mix milk, eggs, yogurt, double cream, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture over the courgettes evenly. Cover with foil and bake at 175°C for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven, discard the foil, and arrange slices of mozzarella cheese on top. Place it back in the oven until the cheese turns golden brown.
Allow the dish to cool and set before slicing into portions.
Serving crustless vegetable quiche
This crustless quiche can be served hot, warm, or cold, making it versatile for various occasions. Leftovers can be repurposed into cold canapés or appetizers by cutting them into small cubes as pictured on the recipe card.
As a main meal, it pairs perfectly with a fresh salad.
It also makes a great side dish for non-vegetarians when served alongside meat or fish.
Recipe Card
Crustless Vegetable Quiche – Low-Calorie Spinach Pie
Ingredients
- 450 g spinach
- 1 courgettes
- 250 g mushrooms
- 2-3 roasted peppers
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 eggs
- 120 ml milk
- 80 ml plain yoghurt
- 3 tbsp double cream
- black pepper - to taste
TOPPING
- 75 -100 g mozzarella
Instructions
- Boil water in a pot. Add cleaned spinach and let it wilt. Remove from heat. Drain spinach in a colander, rinsing with ice-cold water. Set aside.
- In a frying pan, heat oil. Add finely chopped mushrooms and cook until the water evaporates. Add crushed garlic in the last 30 seconds of frying.
- Grease a baking dish. Arrange roasted pepper pieces at the bottom, followed by fried mushrooms, finely chopped spinach, and sliced courgettes on top.
- Beat together eggs with yoghurt, cream, and milk. Add salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture over the courgettes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for about 30-40 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
- Cool, slice into pieces, and serve with tomato salad.
Notes
The recipe yields 9 servings, each cut into squares measuring approximately 7 cm x 7 cm. Based on this, each portion is estimated to contain around 166 calories.
What’s your favourite spinach dish?
Do you have any similar dishes in your country? Let me know in the comments below! And if you give this recipe a try, please share your results and how it turned out!
Bon appétit!