This quinoa quiche makes a satisfying brunch, lunch, or dinner entree and is a great way to use greens, beans, and bits of cheese you may have lingering. Thank you to my friend Janice Haugen for her original, Crustless Quinoa Quiche with Greens.
Infinitely variable, my favorite combinations are: Mexican (green chiles, black beans, Cheddar cheese or Parmesan), Greens (kale, chard, or spinach) with or without beans (scarlet runners or white are best), and Mushroom (sautée first to get them cooked).
For leftovers, split the slices horizontally, warm on a griddle or in a frying pan, top with a fried egg. (Great idea, Lawrence!)
Crustless Quinoa Quiche
makes one round, about 10-inches diameter; about 6 servings
Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion, sliced or diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced and mashed with 1 teaspoon salt
- a few grinds fresh black pepper
- 5 ounces spinach (or chard, kale, or braising greens)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ cus cooked quinoa, see instructions
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, grated
Serve with greens dressed with either vinaigrette or ranch
Mexican variation: substitute black beans and one 4-ounce can diced green chiles for the spinach; optionally swap the cheese for Cheddar or a Monterey Jack. Serve with lettuce, avocado, sour cream, and a spritz of lime or lemon.
Mushroom variation: substitute sautéed mushrooms (8-16 ounces before cooking) and some fresh thyme for the spinach; add some Gruyère cheese to gild the lily
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, a few grinds of fresh black pepper, and cook a couple minutes longer. Add the greens and cover for a minute to wilt. Remove from heat and let cool while you proceed.
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In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with the milk to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and cheese. Stir in the cooked greens, onions, and garlic. Grease interior of a glass pie plate (in the ballpark of 10-inches) with butter or spray with cooking spray. Pour in quiche mixture and smooth into an even layer.
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Put in oven, reduce temperature to 325° F and bake for 50 minutes. Raise temperature back to 350 and bake 5 more minutes to brown the top. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Recipe Notes / Tips
- Cook quinoa on the stovetop with a ratio of 1:2 to water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, simmer about 15 minutes until liquid is mostly absorbed then cover and steam for 5 additional minutes. Quinoa expands about 3x, so 1 cup uncooked will yield 3 cups cooked. (Don’t worry about yielding the exact 1½ cups quinoa. Cook a pot full and you can use extra for another meal.)
- When I don't feel like watching a pot, I cook quinoa in my rice cooker, same ratio of water as I use with rice.
- Be sure to rinse quinoa with water a few times before you start cooking. The seed produces a soapy flavored residue as a deterrent to pests. It is harmless to us, but doesn’t taste very good. So, put the quinoa in a bowl of water, swish, then pour off the water two or three times. The bag I purchased from Costco recently says it is pre-rinsed and does not require this step.
- Not a dairy person? Substitute unsweetened coconut milk or other non-dairy milk. Sure, you can try swapping out the Pecorino Romano too, but consider giving it a go (it is salty and so delicious!)