Good Luck Quiche (vegan)

A tasty plant-based quiche comprised of sautéed mushrooms, onions, greens, tomatoes, and cheese all nestled in a smooth vegan egg batter made of mung beans.

Happy New Year!

Do you have a New Year’s tradition?

Many cultures share in different food traditions that offer good luck for the upcoming year, including pork, tamales, noodles, rice, and so on. When I was a child, my family ate cabbage to celebrate the start of a new year. Others swear by black-eyed peas and collard greens. As I entered my teen years, my parents began introducing different cultures to us on New Year’s Day. And I started looking forward to the festivities and new foods each year. And my not-so-secret love affair with food began.

Since then, I’ve been able to experience more traditions as I travel and make new friends. And yet, through it all, luck is the common theme for New Year’s traditions. Everyone wants a little good luck. Don’t you?

So I’d like to introduce a new good luck tradition to you – Good Luck Quiche featuring the mystical mushroom! 🍄

Did you know that mushrooms are a sign of good luck? 🍄

“Associated with nature and the beauty of the forest, mushrooms are considered a good-luck symbol. Finding a mushroom is considered to be very lucky and mean good fortune is at hand. In Germany, mushroom ornaments are displayed on Christmas trees in reverence for nature and in hope of good luck in the New Year.” (Bronners) 🍄

This Good Luck Quiche contains delicious sautéed mushrooms, greens, then topped with halved grape tomatoes, vegan parmesan cheese, and a Vegan Egg Batter made of mung beans. It’s the perfect dish for family breakfasts, bunches, or dinner. And it’s the ideal combination for New Year’s Day. So let’s take a look at the ingredients and process.

First up is the crust. Feel free to use your favorite pie crust. If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your pie crust is gluten-free. Otherwise, all of the remaining ingredients are gluten-free. I’m still trying to find the perfect healthy pie crust, so I haven’t posted one yet. If you’d like to omit the pie crust, you can make a crustless quiche. Just use a silicon, glass, or nonstick pie plate or casserole dish.

To avoid a soggy crust, the pie crust is baked three times. Yup, three times. For the first oven session, a piece of parchment paper is laid over the bottom of the unbaked pie shell and covered with pie weights or dry beans. Pie weights are used to prevent an unbaked pie crust from puffing out and sliding down as it bakes.  

Baking beans are a very inexpensive version of pie weights.  I use black beans; but you can use any beans you have on hand.  Once the beans are used as pie weights, the beans can not be cooked or consumed – they will be very hard and likely to break your teeth. Instead, allow the beans to cool completely and store them in a plastic bag or container for later use.

Once the pie shell bakes for 12 minutes, remove the par-baked pie shell from the oven and carefully remove the pie weights or baking beans and parchment paper. Then prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork to prevent from puffing up.  The par-baked pie shell is then baked for 8 more minutes, until the edges of the pie crust are slightly golden. For the third go-round is when the pie shell is baked along with the filling. It may seem seem like a lot of steps; but trust me, this is the key to a good quiche and crust.

The next primary component in this Good Luck Quiche are the vegetables and fruit – mushrooms, onions, mixed greens, and tomatoes. There are so many different nutritional benefits for each of these ingredients. But when you consider them together, it reminds me that this single quiche satisfies several of Dr. Fuhrman’s healthy anti-cancer foods – one that he refers to as GBOMBS – Greens, Beans, Onions, and Mushrooms.

And if you serve this quiche with fresh berries, you can satisfy five of the GBOMBS in one meal. Pretty awesome, don’t you think?

It’s important to sauté the mushrooms, onions, and mixed greens, which concentrates the flavors of the onions, enhances the umami flavors from the mushrooms, and reduces the moisture from the mixture. This ensures the crust doesn’t get soggy or the quiche from cooking unevenly. I like spooning the veggie-mushroom mixture into the baked crust and then adding more umami flavor from sun-dried tomatoes. And to add more contrasting colors and complementary flavors, halved grape or cherry tomatoes and a little vegan parmesan cheese go on top.

The sole reason this Good Luck Quiche works without the use of eggs is the Vegan Egg Batter. I’m obsessed with it. It’s a smooth and versatile vegan egg substitute that creates delicious vegan french toast, breakfast casseroles, omelets, frittatas, and of course quiche. Just like regular quiche, the Vegan Egg Batter is combined with some milk – any plant milk will do. Obviously, coconut milk will make the creamiest texture, though I typically use almond milk or Oat + Nut Milk. The choice is yours.

Next, the spices are just a guide. Honest. I like using a little dill and garlic powder in this Good Luck Quiche, but thyme or rosemary is just as delicious, if you prefer these flavors. Nutmeg adds an additional and unexpected element in the flavor department. It’s not enough for you to taste nutmeg per se, but it really works in this quiche.

Once the quiche is baked, proper rest is key. You may certainly eat your quiche after it cools slightly. You are the boss after all. But quiche really needs some down time to work its mojo. It’s best to allow your quiche to cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerate overnight. This allows the filling to set up properly.

And finally, you get to choose how you want to enjoy your quiche. Everyone has a preference. Some like to eat it cold, while others like to eat their quiche at room temperature. I prefer to eat my quiche warm, alongside a nice garden salad or fresh fruit.

I hope you enjoy this Good Luck Quiche as much as I do.  

I’m just starting out and would love to see your results. Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

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Ingredients

• 1 pie crust and pie weights or baking beans*
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (about 6 button)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups mixed greens, spinach, chard, or kale
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp dried dill (1 tsp fresh)
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 12 grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ cup vegan cheese**
• 1¼ cups Vegan Egg Batter
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp kala namak

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Place the unbaked pie shell in a pie dish or tart pan and place on a baking sheet. Line the crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or baking beans.*
3. Bake the pie crust for 12 minutes. Remove the pie shell from the oven; remove the pie weights or baking beans and parchment paper, then prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Return the pie pan to the oven; bake for 8 more minutes, until the edges are golden. Remove the pie pan from oven and set aside.

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the onions, mushrooms, and greens over medium heat until the onions are translucent and mushrooms are dry, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, dill, nutmeg, pepper flakes, and pepper. Remove from heat.

1. In a bowl, whisk together the Vegan Egg Batter, nutritional yeast, and milk. Set aside.
2. Spoon the onion-mushroom-greens mixture evenly over the baked pie shell. Top with tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese, if using. Pour the liquid vegan egg mixture evenly over the vegetables and tomatoes.

1. Bake at 325°F for 55-65 minutes, until the center is set.*** To prevent the crust from getting too dark, cover the pie crust with a shield (or aluminum foil). The type of pie pan used will determine how long it will take to bake – it will take less time to bake a shallow tart versus a deep-dish pie.
2. Allow the quiche to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.  However, like most quiche, it is best to cool completely and allow the quiche to rest in the refrigerator overnight. 
3. To reheat, place the entire quiche on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 325°F for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.

Notes

* Pie weights are used to prevent an unbaked pie crust from puffing out and sliding down as it bakes.  Baking beans are a very inexpensive version of pie weights.  I use black beans but you can use anything you have on hand.  Please note that once the beans are used as pie weights, you should not try to cook and eat them.  They will be very hard and will likely to break your teeth. Instead, allow them to cool completely and store them in a plastic bag or container for later use.  

** For the vegan cheese, I used Follow Your Heart parmesan-style shreds or Violife parmesan; but you can use any cheese you have or omit.

*** The timeframe depends on what type of pan you use, as well as your oven.  Glass dishes take longer to cook while metal tins tend to cook faster.

This quiche can be served chilled, at room temperature, or heated.  It depends on your personal preference.