Vegan Christmas Brunch Quiche w/ Tempeh "Ham," Leeks, Broccoli, and Almond Oat Crust
Difficulty: 3/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 pieces
The Challenge: Ham + Broccoli Quiche
QUICHE. The staple of your upcoming Christmas brunch. Made with eggs...cheese...cream...meat... essentially a vegan nightmare.
Let's change that. For this quiche recipe, we used a combination of tofu, leeks, broccoli, spices, oil, and a homemade crust made from oats + tapioca flour. The best part ... we sliced tempeh thin and marinated with a sauce to create a ham flavoring. We sauteed up some leeks, broccoli, shallots, and a bunch of spices.
The tofu acts as an amazing egg base and we top it off with some shredded vegan cheese. In the end, we've made an excellent quiche fit for a Xmas brunch special.
This is a super easy recipe to make and will add a vegan element to the Xmas brunch that you'll enjoy ... and the famiiy will to.
Let's get into it.
Oat + Almond Crust
- 2 tbl ground chia seeds + 5 tbl water
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1 cup steel cut oats (or rolled oats)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbl walnut oil (sub w/ safflower or sunflower)
- 1/4 cup water, as needed
Tempeh Ham
- 4 oz tempeh, thinly sliced
- 1 tbl of olive oil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp bay leaf powder
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- pinch of pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp yellow mustard powder
Tofu Quiche
- 14 oz silken tofu, drained
- 1 tbl olive oil
- 1 leek, diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, diced
- 2 tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
The Rest
- fresh basil, diced
- 1/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
Equipment You'll Need:
Cutting Board . Sharp Cutting Knife . Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Pie Pan or Quiche Tin . Food Processor . Mixing Bowl . Large Frying Pan
Before You Cook:
- Wash and cut all fresh ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350F
1. To start, wrap the tofu in a tea towel or thin dish towel (clean!). Place a heavy pot or pan on top of it. We are trying to get as much water out of the tofu as possible. Set aside.
2. Next, we will begin work on our quiche crust. Mix the chia seeds with the water and set aside. Place the oats in a food processor and pulse 10-15 times until it is broken down into a fine meal (not quite flour). Mix almond flour, tapioca, oats, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and salt.
3. Mix in the oil, water, and chia egg mixture. Mix well. You'll want an almost crumbly granola like texture with large pieces sticking together. Add more water if it seems too dry still.
4. Next, add the crust to a pan that you've sprayed with some oil or rub some vegan butter on to grease it. Pour the crust in and begin to mash it down and onto the sides of your crust. I use two finger to press the crust up the sides. Try to make it smooth as you can. Its okay if isn't perfect...we'll be pouring quiche mixture in. Slide into the oven at 350F and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.
5. While the crust cooks, thinly slice 1/2 a pack of tempeh (I like the Flax version).
6. Place tempeh in a castiron pan with olive oil. Heat over medium heat for 3-4 minutes then add in remaining ingredients continue to heat until browns on sides.
7. Place leeks + shallots in a large frying pan with tbl of olive oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat then add in broccoli and spices. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until broccoli florets start to wilt.
8. While the veggies cook, place silken tofu with 1-2 tbl of dairy-free milk into food processor and blend for 5-10 seconds until whipped.
9. Mix the tofu with the veggies. It should be fairly thick like cream cheese nearly.
10. Spread the tofu mixture across the crust that has been baked and I like to place a few tomato halves on top of the quiche for some added flavor.
12. Damn, enjoy.
