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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Vegetarian Main Dishes

    Spring Vegetable Strata

    Published: Mar 21, 2016 · by Joanne · Updated: Feb 15, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Spring Vegetable Strata

    If the question is: how often do I wish I were eating brunch?

    My answer is ALL. THE. TIME. Pancakes at every meal? I'd be down. Frittatas as a midnight snack? Bring it.

    While I occasionally feel a little guilty eating what is basically dessert for the most important meals of the day (almond-crusted stuffed French toast, I'm looking at you), it always feels good to find a brunch option that can legitimately serve as breakfast, lunch, AND dinner...which is where this strata comes in!

    Spring Vegetable Strata

    The term "strata" is basically the fancy Italian name for savory bread pudding. To make a strata in its most basic form, cubes of bread are soaked in an egg custard, usually topped off or mixed with some cheese and herbs, and then baked until set leaving the insides delightfully creamy while the top gets nice and crispy. They can serve as a base for pretty much any flavor profile, so I like to make them as clean-out-the-fridge dishes when I have some veggies that are getting a bit too old for their own good sitting in my crisper drawer.

    This strata in particular is a celebration of all things spring! Asparagus and gorgeous rainbow chard leaves are sauteed in a touch of olive oil and some red pepper flakes until they're just tender. Then they are tossed together with cubes of whole wheat bread, shredded gruyere cheese, and a milk-egg combo that pulls the whole thing together. I gave them a quick soak, only letting them sit together for about 15 minutes, but you can prepare everything ahead up until this point and let the whole casserole soak in the fridge overnight. Before baking, I sprinkled some halved cherry tomatoes over the top, which added some juiciness to the dish. The end result is a perfect mix of cheesiness, carb comfort, and loads of vegetable goodness. Even those of you who are breakfast/lunch/dinner purists will feel compelled to eat it for most meals of the day...and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

    Spring Vegetable Strata

    Spring Vegetable Strata

    Hello brunch! With Swiss chard and asparagus, this savory bread pudding is perfect for spring.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Keyword: savory bread pudding, Spring Vegetable Strata
    Servings: 8 -10 servings
    Calories: 839kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 onion thinly sliced
    • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 pound asparagus trimmed and cut into ½-inch lengths
    • 1 bunch of swiss chard stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
    • Salt and black pepper to taste
    • 6 large eggs
    • 3 cups milk
    • 8 cups 1-inch cubed bakery-style whole wheat bread
    • 1 ½ cups shredded gruyere cheese
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
    • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the swiss chard leaves and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
    • Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the veggies and half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, veggies, and cheese.
    • Pour the egg mixture over the bread, veggies, and cheese. Press down with a spatula to make sure all of the bread cubes get soaked. Do this every 5 minutes for 15 minutes.
    • Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 839kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 47gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 1134mgPotassium: 935mgFiber: 18gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 1438IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 646mgIron: 8mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
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    Easter, Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes, Vegetarian Main Dishes, Vegetarian Recipes asparagus, breakfast, brunch, eggs, spring, tomatoes

    Joanne Bruno from Eats Well With Others

    About Joanne

    Joanne Bruno is the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind the mostly ridiculous and always delicious vegetarian food blog Eats Well With Others. She likes her vegetables with a side of cupcakes and takes a highly hyperbolic approach to most things in life.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elsy Shallman says

      March 25, 2017 at 4:05 pm

      This dish isn't vegetarian. I find it deceitful. Milk isn't vegetarian.

      Reply
      • Alissa says

        March 26, 2017 at 11:40 am

        Hi Elsy - I think you're confusing vegan with vegetarian. If you prefer recipes that exclude dairy you'll want to to look for ones labeled "vegan" or "dairy-free."

        Reply
    2. Nona says

      March 26, 2017 at 3:14 pm

      I'd love to print out this recipe, but the "print" button doesn't seem to be working, and the page won't let me do a "cut and paste" into a Word doc. Could you see if there's something wrong with the "print" link? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa says

        March 27, 2017 at 10:01 am

        Sorry about that! We're working on trying to fix that. Right now we've got it working in Chrome on desktop, and hopefully it will be up and running in other browsers shortly!

        Reply
    3. Meghan says

      March 26, 2017 at 10:37 pm

      This sounds yummy and looks beautiful, but am I missing something? Where are the tomatoes in the ingredient list and in the directions? Should I just get grape tomatoes and put them on the top before placing this in the oven? Or do the tomatoes go in towards the end of cooking time? They look lovely and perfectly "roasted" in the picture.

      Reply
      • Alissa says

        March 27, 2017 at 9:58 am

        Hi Megan! Joanne just sprinkled some halved cherry tomatoes over hers before roasting. This is totally optional and cherry tomatoes can be a bit hit or miss in the spring, which is why I think she left it out of the recipe. But if you can get your hands on some good cherry tomatoes it will add a nice flavor. 🙂

        Reply

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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