How to Make a Vegan Quiche

This simple vegan quiche, made with a tofu based filling, is a delicious way to start the day!

Jump to:

• Key Ingredients & Substitutions
• Vegan Crusts for Quiche
• Make a Vegan Quiche Filling
• Vegan Quiche Mix-Ins
• Bake it!
• Helpful Tips
• Variations
• Serving the Vegan Quiche
• Storing & Freezing
• More Vegan Breakfast Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Confession: I was never a big fan of eggs. There were times when I wanted to like them so badly, because you really can turn eggs into some of the coolest dishes.

It wasn't until I met my husband, who loves eggs big time, that I started veganizing some egg-based recipes. I was surprised by a couple of things.

First, most eggy dishes are super easy to create vegan versions of. Second, they turned out pretty darn convincing, and now my egg loving husband will take tofu eggs over the real deal any day.

The biggest surprise of all was that I loved the vegan versions of all of the dishes. I think by being able to customize the flavors (which I'll talk about below) I was able to create something that captured all the stuff I liked about eggs, but not so much the things I didn't like.

Since I'm all about customizing my eggy dishes to suit my tastes, I decided to come up with a totally adaptable vegan quiche formula, and quiche probably reigns as the coolest egg dish of all. I mean, come on, it's an egg pie!

You can use this basic vegan quiche recipe as a base for your own creations. Start with the recipe below, then add your own favorite spices and mix-ins!

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Extra-firm tofu. This is the base of the whole quiche. One 14-ounce block fills a standard 9-inch crust. Firm tofu works too, but skip silken tofu here, since it holds too much water and the filling won't set up as nicely.
• Pie crust. Any 9-inch unbaked crust works, store-bought or homemade. Our easy vegan pie crust is a great place to start if you want to make your own.
• Nutritional yeast. Adds a savory, slightly cheesy flavor. I use Bragg nutritional yeast, but any brand of flakes will do. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more to taste.
• Turmeric. Mostly here for that sunny, egg-yellow color. A little ground turmeric goes a long way, so stick to about ½ teaspoon.
• Kala namak (black salt). The secret to a truly eggy flavor, thanks to its natural sulfur content. Kala namak powder is easy to find online or at Indian markets. Regular salt, soy sauce or tamari all work if you don't have it.
• Mix-ins. Baby spinach and shredded vegan cheese are my go-to combo, but almost any cooked vegetable, herb or plant-based protein can go in. See the Variations section below for ideas.

Vegan Crusts for Quiche

This is the easy part. If you opt to make it really easy on yourself and use a store bought crust, you'll find that lots of the brands available at the supermarket are already vegan.

You should still check the ingredients though, because you'll occasionally run into a brand that contains dairy, or even lard.

There are also plenty of vegan pie crust recipes available - just look for recipes that use shortening or vegetable oils instead of lard or butter. If some milk is required, swap it out for non-dairy milk, like soy or almond. Here are a few of my favorite vegan pie crust recipes:

• Basic Vegan Pie Crust
• Coconut Oil Pie Crust
• Vegan Gluten Free Pie Crust

If you're up for something a little different, try an almond crust, puff pastry, or even making mini quiches in wonton wrappers (some contain eggs, so check the ingredients), or phyllo cups. Just be sure to decrease the bake time for anything smaller than a standard pie crust.

Make a Vegan Quiche Filling

Believe it or not, there's only one essential ingredient to a basic vegan quiche: tofu. Tofu blends up creamy, and then bakes up to take on the consistency of eggs. It's pretty amazing.

You'll need a single 14-ounce block of extra-firm tofu for one quiche. Drain the water from the package, break it into a few chunks, and stick them into the food processor.

From there, you'll want to season the tofu. While tofu is the only required ingredient, it wouldn't make a very tasty or pretty quiche all by itself.

Nutritional yeast, turmeric and salt are my three go-to seasonings. Two or three tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes will give the quiche some savory, almost cheesy, flavor.

A pinch of turmeric will add some natural yellow color, so it actually looks like it's made of eggs. Just don't go overboard - ½ teaspoon of turmeric is plenty, and the color tends to intensify during baking.

You'll also want to add some salt. Regular old table salt works, but soy sauce or tamari can also be nice too for extra flavor.

If you really want to create a convincing quiche, get your hands on some kala namak, also known as black salt. It contains sulfur, which gives it a super eggy taste and smell. I find it a bit intense (my egg loving husband digs it a lot though), so I sometimes serve it on the side as opposed to adding it to the filling. You can pick up a jar of kala namak at an Indian market or online here.

From there, add in anything you might otherwise put into a quiche, or just anything that sounds good to you. Hot sauce, a splash of lemon juice for tang, some garlic, and dried spices are all great choices. This is where you get to customize!

Blend everything up in a food processor until it's nice and smooth. If the mixture is so thick you can't get it to blend, add a splash or two of non-dairy milk.

Give the mixture a taste-test. It might taste a bit weird (uncooked tofu has an odd flavor), but if the flavors seem balanced, you're okay to proceed.

Vegan Quiche Mix-Ins

Again, think about what might taste good in a regular old quiche here. It probably goes nicely in a vegan quiche too.

I always include some veggies. Delicate greens like baby spinach are nice because you can throw them right into the filling without any precooking, while harder veggies usually benefit from a brief steam or sauté before adding to the filling mixture.

I usually just throw my veggies into the food processor and pulse until they're well-incorporated, but if you do this be really careful not to puree them. Larger mix-ins can be simply stirred into the filling, or just arranged over the crust before you pour the filling in to bake.

Here I've incorporated some baby spinach and vegan cheddar cheese shreds during the food processor step, then placed a layer of tofu bacon (made according to this method) over the crust just before adding the filling.

Pour the quiche filling over the crust and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Bake it!

And we're back to a process that looks pretty similar to that for making a regular old quiche. Place your quiche into an oven preheated to 375°F and bake it until the top begins to brown and the filling firms up a bit. About 35 minutes should do it.

Helpful Tips

Squeeze out the extra water. Tofu packed in water can make the filling loose and the bottom crust soggy. After draining, wrap the block in a clean kitchen towel and press gently for a few minutes before it goes into the food processor. For more ideas on getting the best texture and flavor out of tofu, check out how to make tofu taste good.

Precook watery vegetables. Mushrooms, zucchini, onions and peppers all release moisture as they bake. Sauté them first and let them cool slightly, then fold them in. Tender greens like baby spinach can go straight in.

Season boldly. Raw tofu tastes flat, and the filling mellows in the oven, so it should taste a little more seasoned than you think it needs before baking. Add salt, nutritional yeast or a splash of lemon juice until the flavors taste balanced.

Protect the crust. If the edges of the crust start to get too dark before the filling is set, cover them with a ring of foil or a pie shield for the rest of the bake. A glass 9-inch pie plate makes it easy to check that the bottom is golden, too.

Let it rest before slicing. Tofu quiche firms up as it cools. Give it at least 15 minutes out of the oven before cutting in, and you'll get clean slices instead of a soft, crumbly wedge.

Variations

• Mushroom and caramelized onion. Sauté sliced mushrooms and onions until deeply browned, then add a pinch of dried thyme to the filling.
• Broccoli cheddar. Steam small broccoli florets until just tender and stir them in with a generous handful of vegan cheddar shreds.
• Mediterranean. Fold in chopped sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and fresh basil. A spoonful of sun-dried tomato pesto swirled on top is a nice touch.
• Smoky “bacon.” Layer tofu bacon over the crust like I did in the photos above, or try mushroom bacon for a different kind of smoky crunch.
• Southwest. Add roasted red peppers, black beans, green chiles and a little cumin, then serve with salsa and avocado.
• Crustless. Skip the crust and bake the filling in a well-oiled pie dish or muffin tin. It turns out like a frittata, and the bake time drops to about 20 to 25 minutes for muffin-size portions.

Serving the Vegan Quiche

Allow the quiche to cool a bit before cutting into it. Serve it up with your favorite sauce. I always like some homemade salsa or hot sauce with mine.

For a full brunch spread, pair a slice with crispy roast potatoes, a bowl of fresh fruit, or a bright green spring salad with a lemony dressing. Quiche also makes a great light lunch or dinner alongside a cup of soup.

Storing & Freezing

Let leftover quiche cool completely, then cover the dish tightly or move slices to an airtight container. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, which makes it an easy make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings. Enjoy it cold, at room temperature, or warmed in a 350°F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.

To freeze, wrap cooled slices (or the whole quiche) in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. The oven keeps the crust crisp, while the microwave works in a pinch but will soften it.

More Vegan Breakfast Recipes

If you love this vegan quiche be sure to check out my other vegan breakfast recipes, and these tasty ideas:

• Easy Vegan Waffles
• Simple Vegan Pancakes
• The BEST Vegan Crepes
• Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

📖 Recipe