Spinach Quiche Recipe – Love and Lemons
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Learn how to make quiche! This easy spinach quiche recipe has a delicate egg filling and a flaky, buttery crust. It’s a delicious breakfast or brunch!
I’m making this spinach quiche recipe for Easter brunch this year, and I’m already looking forward to it. It’s a change from my usual breakfast casserole or frittata, and though it’s (much) more time-intensive, every second is worth it. This spinach quiche is melt-in-your mouth delicious. It has a buttery, flaky crust and a custardy egg filling that’s flecked with tender spinach, green onions, and salty feta cheese.
If you’re tempted to try it, you can find my step-by-step guide to how to make quiche below, complete with all my best tips for quiche success. I know that pastry can be intimidating, but I hope you won’t let this quiche recipe scare you. It’s easy to master, and it’s a wonderful addition to any breakfast or brunch (or dinner, for that matter). I think you’re going to love it!
What is quiche?
Quiche is a savory egg custard tart or pie. It differs from a frittata in that it a) has a crust and b) has a higher proportion of milk or cream to egg in the filling. (For reference, I use 6 eggs and 1/4 cup milk in my frittata recipe and the same number of eggs and 1/2 cup milk in my quiche filling. Many quiche recipes use even more milk or heavy cream!)
Quiche’s most famous iteration, the bacon, cheese, and onion quiche Lorraine, originated in the Lorraine region of Northeast France, where it likely descended from the kuchen of nearby Germany. Quiche had a bit of a heyday in the US in the 1970s and 80s, and it still remains popular today. Like a frittata, it works beautifully with a variety of vegetables and cheeses in the egg filling. I’ve enjoyed quiche flecked with potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, cheddar, Swiss cheese, and more. But this simple spinach quiche is my favorite I’ve tried so far.
Spinach Quiche Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this spinach quiche recipe:
- Spinach, of course! I use fresh baby spinach here because I like the texture of the whole leaves. Thawed frozen chopped spinach works too.
- Eggs and milk – They create the custard filling. You can use any kind of milk you like here. Whole milk and unsweetened almond milk both work great!
- Feta cheese or goat cheese – It adds tangy, salty flavor to the filling.
- Green onions – For a fresh, oniony kick.
- Salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
- And my Easy Pie Crust – It’s flaky, buttery, and super simple to make. This recipe yields enough dough for two quiches. Make both side-by-side, or freeze the extra dough for up to 3 months. To simplify this recipe, you could use a store-bought pie crust, but you’ll still need to blind bake it. More on that below!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Quiche
The first step in this spinach quiche recipe is making the pie crust. You can find step-by-step photos and instructions for making it in my pie crust recipe blog post. Before you get cooking, here are a few key tips:
- Keep the ingredients cold. For the flakiest crust, you want the butter to melt while it’s in the oven, not before. Make the pie dough with ice water and butter that’s cold from the fridge.
- It has to chill for at least 2 hours. Make sure you account for this time when you’re planning to make this quiche recipe! If you want to get ahead, make the dough in advance. It keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge and for up to 3 months in the freezer. Allow frozen pie crust to thaw overnight in the fridge.
- You’ll need to blind bake it. No one likes a quiche with a soggy bottom! Blind baking the crust helps it set up before you add the filling. Find detailed blind baking instructions in the recipe card below.
After you blind bake the crust, start on the filling. Steam the spinach until it’s just wilted. Then, transfer it to a kitchen towel and wring out the excess water.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, beating until no streaks of egg white remain.
Add the steamed spinach, green onions, cheese, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Mix to combine.
Then, assemble the quiche. Pour the egg mixture into the par-baked pie crust (it’s ok if it’s still warm). If necessary, smooth the filling into an even layer.
Finally, bake in a 350°F oven until the eggs are just set, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Par-bake the crust. It’s worth repeating: when you’re making quiche, always blind bake the crust before you add the filling. Without blind baking, the crust will be gummy and underdone on the bottom. With it, the crust comes out gloriously flaky and crisp. Note that you’ll blind bake the crust at a higher oven temperature than you’ll use for the actual quiche. The high heat is crucial for getting delicious layers in the pastry.
- Squeeze the spinach. A classic quiche pitfall is using vegetables that release too much moisture into the filling, thereby preventing it from setting up. Avoid this by squeezing the excess water out of the spinach after you steam it. If you’re using thawed frozen spinach, skip the steaming step, but still press out as much moisture as you can.
- Cook until it’s just set. When you’re checking for doneness, remember that the quiche will continue cooking for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven. You want it to be soft and custardy, not overdone and dry, so aim to bake the eggs until they’re just set. In my oven, this takes 45 minutes.
- Make it a meal. Serve slices of spinach quiche for brunch alongside a green salad or fruit salad. Round out the menu with carrot muffins, strawberry muffins, or slices of lemon yogurt cake.
Storage and Make-Ahead Options
Leftover quiche keeps well for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy slices at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave or a 325°F oven.
Quiche also freezes well. Allow it to cool to room temperature after baking. Then, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or seal it in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave or a 325°F oven.
More Favorite Brunch Recipes
If you love this spinach quiche recipe, try one of these delicious brunch recipes next:
Spinach Quiche
Serves 8
This easy quiche recipe is a delicious breakfast or brunch! The delicate egg custard filling is flecked with spinach, green onions, and tangy, salty feta cheese. Serve it with a green salad or fresh fruit. Note: you’ll need a 9.5- or 9-inch pie plate to make this recipe.
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Pie Dish (I like this glass dish because I can see if the crust is done on the bottom)
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Roll out one disk of pie dough according to the instructions in this recipe, until you have a large circle about ⅛-inch thick. Gently roll it over your rolling pin and unroll it over a 9- or 9.5-inch pie dish. Use your hands to press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess dough so that you have a ½-inch overhang on all sides of the pie pan, then roll the edge of the dough under itself to line up with the rim of the pan. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp. Loosely tent with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
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When the oven is hot, uncover the crust and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights to reach the top of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are set.
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Remove from the oven and lift the pie weights and parchment paper out of the crust. Bake the crust for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the bottom is beginning to set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
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Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
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Place the spinach in a steamer basket and set over a pot filled with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a kitchen towel and allow to cool slightly, then wring the excess water out of the spinach.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the steamed spinach, feta, scallions, salt, and several grinds of pepper and stir to combine. Pour into the par-baked crust. If necessary, use a spatula to smooth the egg mixture into an even layer.
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Bake the quiche for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the eggs are just set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
**Frozen chopped spinach works too. No need to steam—just allow the spinach to thaw fully and squeeze out the excess water before adding it to the egg mixture.
Sources: Melissa Clark’s Brief History of Quiche and Candy Sagon’s article about Americanized versions of quiche
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