This Asparagus, Leek and Gruyere quiche is a delicious combination of flavors. If you love asparagus you'll love it in this quiche where it is paired with sweet leeks and nutty grueyere and packed into a flaky buttery pie crust.
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Why This Quiche Recipe Tastes So Good
Asparagus season is here and it's a great time to make this delicious Asparagus and Leek Quiche. This quiche has a smooth, creamy custard and a flaky, tender pie crust. The egg custard is baked until it's puffed up and slightly brown, but still a jiggly in the center. The residual heat finishes cooking the custard. The asparagus is tender, the leeks add a oniony, slight sweet flavor and the gruyere makes it cheesy. And if you want to try another option check out this Spinach and Leek Quiche.
Quiche Recipe Ingredients
The base for my quiche fillings is the same simple custard: a hand-beaten mixture of egg, milk, and cream. The main ingredients for the asparagus quiche are:
- Asparagus
- Leeks
- Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese
- Whole Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Whole Eggs
To these main ingredients, I added lemon zest, shallots, and garlic for flavor. The pie crust recipe for this quiche is my basic pie dough that I use for sweet and savory bakes.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Ice Cold Water
How to Make the Quiche Pie Crust
The crust for the quiche must be prebaked to prevent it from becoming soggy when it is filled with the custard. Prebaking the pie shell is called "blind' baking. After making the pie dough, chill it for 1 hour and roll it out into 14-inch circle. Place it in the pie plate, shape the edges and chill for 30 minutes.
Line the pie dough with foil. Some recipes call for using parchment paper, but I prefer foil because it is easier to shape against the dough. Lightly press the the foil into the pie dough covering the edges.
Fill the foil with dried beans or store bought pie weights. This technique prevents the dough from puffing up or slipping down into the pan as it bakes.
Bake the pie dough for 35 minutes until the edges are lightly brown. Remove the dried beans or pie weights by lifting up the the foil and placing it aside. Bake the crust for another 10 minutes until the bottom is a light golden brown. The crust may puff up a little.
Set the pie crust aside as you prepare the filling.
How to Make the Asparagus, Leek, and Gruyere Filling
Prep all the ingredients before you start cooking the ingredients. Saute the shallots and when they're almost done add the leeks and cook them until they are just soft.
Add the asparagus and saute for a few minutes over medium low heat until the asparagus just begins to turn tender. The outer layer of the asparagus will be a little tender but still have a slight snap when you bite into it.
When the filling is done scrape it a pie plate or quarter sheet pan and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. This part of the filling can also be made the night before and refrigerated until you're ready to make the quiche.
While the filling is cooling make the egg, milk, and cream custard; and grate the cheeses. Follow the recipe and add the vegetables, cheese and custard to the pre-baked pie shell.
When the quiche is done baking, let it sit for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.
What to Serve with Quiche
- A Green Salad
- Tomato Soup
- Roasted Potatoes or Hash Brown
Pro Tips for Making Quiche
- To ensure even cooking use thin asparagus about 1/4-inch thick
- Use cold butter and cold water when making the pie dough.
- Shallots come in increasing sizes, some quite large. When you chop the shallots you should have about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of shallot.
- Make sure to cook the vegetables before adding them to the quiche to remove some of the moisture. Adding raw vegetables to the quiche will leave it soggy and it may not set.
- Make the vegetable mixture 1 or 2 days before baking the quiche and refrigerate until ready to use.
Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the quiche can be made gluten free. Make the quiche without a crust and butter or oil the baking dish before adding the filling and custard. If you're looking for another gluten-free option check out Easy Baked Eggs Florentine.
Yes, you should blind bake the pie crust. If you don't the crust will be soggy and/or pale when it comes out of the oven.
Substituting the milk and heavy cream with an equal amount of half-n-half works.
Quiche is great for lunch or dinner and I've even had leftovers for breakfast. Make this Asparagus and Leek Quiche is you want something a little different and tasty. If you make this quiche please leave a comment below. And if you take a picture and post it to Instagram tag me @bakesbybrownsugar and #bakesbybrownsugar.
Asparagus and Leek Quiche
Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 2 1/2 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 20 tablespoons (284 grams) cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1/2 cup ice-cold water or more if required
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Quiche Filling
- 8 ounces asparagus trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups sliced leeks cleaned and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small shallot chopped fine
- Lemon zest from one lemon
- 1/2 cup shredded gruyere
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Pie Dough
- Put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Place the flour mixture into a food processor.
- Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add it to the flour mixture. Pulse the dough until it is coarse and crumbly, and the butter is about the size of peas.
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of ice water and use a rubber spatula to toss together. Add the remaining water and mix into the dough until it starts to come together. It will still be slightly crumbly or shaggy but will hold together when squeezed into a ball. If more water is needed add a tablespoon at a time.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press the dough together, folding it over on itself until it starts to hold together. Try not to work the dough too much or it may become and overdeveloped and tough.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and shape each piece into disk 1-inch thick. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes. I use one disk for this recipe and freeze the other for another dish.
Blind Baking the Pie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to a 13-inch circle. Fold the dough into quarters and place it into a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold the dough, so the dough is overhanging the edges. Trim the edges with a sharp knife or kitchen shears so even out the dough. Fold the dough under so that the edge is even with the edges of the pie plate.
- Prick the bottom of the pie dough with a fork. This step will help prevent the dough from puffing up during baking. Press a large piece of foil onto the pie dough so the bottom and edges are covered. Fill the pie plate with pie weights or dried beans so the sides of the dough are completely covered.
- Place it in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove it from the oven remove the pie weights and the foil. Return it to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until the bottle is slightly browned. Remove it from the oven and prepare the quiche filling.
Make the Quiche Filling
- Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to a nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat until oil just begins to shimmer. Add the chopped shallot, immediately reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the shallots as they cook.
- Add the sliced leeks and cook for 4 minutes until the leeks turn soft, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper as they are cooking. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pan and allow it to heat for about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes until the asparagus just begins to turn tender. The outer layer will be tender when you bite into it, but will still have a little snap to it. Remove the pan from the heat and zest one small lemon directly into the filling and stir. Taste the filling and season with additional salt and pepper.
- Scrape the filling into a pie plate or onto a quarter sheet pan and allow it cool for about 30 minutes.
Bake the Quiche
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- In a medium bowl whisk the three eggs. Add the whole milk and heavy cream and whisk to combine.
- Spread the asparagus leek mixture over the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust. Sprinkle the gruyere and parmesan cheeses over the vegetables. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the cheese and vegetables. Cover the edges of the pie crust with a strip of foil to prevent excessive browning while the quiche bakes.
- Bake the quiche for 30-35 minutes until it is puffed and slightly browned on top. Remove it from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Once the quiche has cooled to room temperature store it in the refrigerator if not eating all it in one meal. The quiche can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Bob Bell says
I assume you can also make it gluten free by substituting a 1-1 gluten free flour (like Bob's Red Mill) for the AP flour.