Pro Tips For Adding Veggies To Homemade Quiche

Quiche seems like such a simple dish to make. There are, however, several things to consider in order to make this beloved French dish the proper way. For the crust, you need to be mindful not to overwork the dough. For the custard, you need to make sure you are using the right amount of eggs. But perhaps one of the most important things to do, according to Mary Nguyen, chef and founder at Olive & Finch Collective, a group of three restaurants in Denver, CO, is pre-cook the vegetables.

Although many will argue that the only true quiche is quiche Lorraine – the version of quiche that includes only eggs, bacon, and crème fraîche — once you have your pie crust and your egg custard, there are seemingly endless varieties of quiche you can make. Even the Association for the Protection of the Quiche, which conducts an annual Quiche of the Year competition, says that additional fillings are not only allowed, but encouraged. Not surprisingly, many of the past winners have included plenty of vegetables. 

Pre-cooking is particularly important with veggies that have a lot of moisture, like mushrooms, spinach, and onions, which can turn your quiche watery. "The goal," says Nguyen, "is to keep the quiche's texture creamy, not soggy."

Chef Mary Nguyen does not advise cooking the vegetables completely before adding them to the quiche custard. "Just soften them up and reduce the moisture a bit," she says, noting that they will continue cooking in the oven. She suggests cooking the veggies about 75% of the way through so they are tender but not fully browned. "That way, they won't overcook or lose their texture when baked in the egg mixture," says Nguyen.

When cooking the vegetables, use a small amount of oil or butter. Nguyen says that butter blends with the egg custard better. After you've softened the veggies, you can strain off any extra liquid. To avoid losing any flavor, she suggests making a slurry – mixing the excess liquid with a starch – and adding it back into the mixture. That way nothing is wasted.

You can skip pre-cooking softer veggies, like tomatoes and zucchini. Instead, remove the seeds, which will help you reduce moisture before adding them to the custard. Follow this advice and you'll have a smooth, silky quiche filling.