Easy Spinach Quiche

I had thought that quiche was something incredibly difficult to make and you could only get it at bakeries and/or cafes. Then one Saturday morning in California, my friend Maria whipped one up for me and I stood there incredulous at how easy it was. I adapted her recipe and instead of a butter pastry, I made an olive oil one. It’s surprisingly delicious for something that doesn’t contain butter! It’s also way easier to make and takes less time than the butter dough.

Enjoy this spinach tart for brunch, lunch or even dinner!

Easy Spinach Quiche Recipe

Makes one 11-inch quiche

Olive Oil Crust Ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Food52.

• 1½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup mild olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons whole milk 

Filling Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 slices ham (optional), diced
• 3 cups spinach
• 1.5 cups shredded cheese (mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
• 1.5 cups whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• Black cracked pepper to taste

Method:

Olive oil tart crust

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix them together. In another bowl, whisk the olive oil and milk together until it resembles evaporated milk. Slowly pour the liquid with the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. Gather the dough together and gently press into a ball. Don’t overwork the dough or it will be too tough but make sure it becomes a smooth ball or it will crack when baked!

Press onto an 11-inch shallow tart pan (watch the video on Food52) starting from the sides then pressing the dough down the middle to join the sides. Poke a couple of holes on the dough with a fork. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes to chill.

Preheat the oven at 375℉ (190℃).

Place a piece of parchment paper on the dough and fill with baking beads (I used dry red beans instead). Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the parchment paper with beads and bake the tart crust uncovered for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

The spinach and ham filling

In a large pan, sauté the garlic and red onions in oil until soft. Add the ham next and saute it for a few minutes then add the spinach and fry until the leaves are wilted.

In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, shredded cheese, milk, nutmeg and pepper. Spread the dry ingredients onto the baked tart crust and then pour the milk/egg/cheese mix over it. Make sure the spinach is evenly distributed.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.