Ingredients & Substitutions

Eggs. You can’t have a quiche without eggs – and quite a few on that note. They form the base here, adding structure and binding ingredients.

Cheese. Both soft ricotta and hard parmesan. If you can’t find ricotta, sub for cottage cheese.

Green vegetables – and a seriously decent amount. Feel free to swap kale for silver beet or spinach, or a very thinly sliced brown onion for the spring onions.

Fresh herbs. For oodles of flavour, use a mix opposed to just one type. I love dill, basil and parsley together.

Flour helps absorb moisture and stabilise. Go for plain or gluten-free.

Olive oil. Heart-healthy EVOO adds flavour and health benefits.

Seeds. Decorate with a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. They’ll get a little toasted and crispy in the oven – delicious.

Salt & Pepper. Season the mix generously before baking, it will amplify and bring all the flavours together. This has got to be the number one all-time cooking tip of all time – if a dish tastes flat, it might just be underseasoned!

Kitchen Tips

Strip your stalky greens leaves off their inner woody stalk. Discard stalks so you’re just using the leaves – they’re a bit tough for this recipe.

To defrost peas carefully place in a bowl of hot water, leave for a few minutes then drain. No need to boil over a stovetop.

To cut herbs like a champ, place in a large mug and snip with kitchen scissors. Too easy.

Use a leak-proof dish. The mixture will leak our of a loose-bottomed pie dish or similar. Size-wise, opt for a 25cm across diameter.

Evenly distribute your veg. As you pour the mixture into the pie dish, rejig the bigger pieces of broccoli and courgette around so they’re evenly place.

A quiche is traditionally cooked in pastry, like a tart or pie. While this quiche is technically crustless, you might notice it has a nifty self-crusting ability – a wee crust forms along the outer edge as it bakes!

Nutrition Q&A

Here are commonly asked nutrition questions on eggs, the star ingredient of quiche.

Are eggs filling? Yes! Eggs are a source of high quality protein, which is a very filling nutrient – it impacts hormones that regulate appetite, keeping us full for longer (1). Research shows that egg breakfasts tend to satiate better than cereal-based ones (2).

Are eggs vegetarian? Generally yes, by definition – but there’s a catch. Vegetarianism is classified as a diet that excludes animal flesh (e.g. tissue, muscle or meat). Since eggs are not technically animal flesh, they’re usually considered vegetarian. However, there are subtypes of vegetarianism that don’t eat eggs, e.g. lacto-vegetarians (who avoid eggs, meat, and fish but include dairy), or vegans where all animal products are excluded. Vegetarians who eat eggs are considered ovo-vegetarians (they avoid meat, fish, and dairy, but include eggs) or lacto-ovo vegetarians (they avoid meat and fish, but include eggs and dairy). Clear as mud?

Thanks for reading! After more egg-based lunch ideas? Check out this cheddar and vegetable loaf, or these pesto scrambled eggs 🥚.