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.
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.
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Asparagus and Leek Quiche
Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 1-1/3 cups + 4 teaspoons (177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more flour for dusting your work surface
- 1 teaspoons (4 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice-cold water or more if required
Quiche Filling
- 8 ounces (227 grams) asparagus trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups (169 grams) sliced leeks cleaned and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) 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
- 4 large (200 grams) eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
Pie Dough
- Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add it to the flour mixture. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a combination of lima beans and small peas.
- Add 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the ice water and use a rubber spatula to toss the water and dry ingredients together. Add the remaining water and gently mix it in. The dough will feel and look wet but that is okay.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press the dough together. Use your fingers to press it out to a 6x8-inch rectangle with the short end facing you. Fold the top third towards the center and then fold the bottom third over the top half.
- Rotate the dough 90 degrees (a quarter turn) so the short edge is facing you. The edges won’t be smooth or completely even which is okay. If the dough is sticking to the work surface, add more flour.
- Again, with your fingers press the dough out to a 6x8-inch rectangle. Fold the top third towards the center and then fold the bottom third over the top half. Repeat this step one more time.
- Shape the dough into a round disk, 1-inch thick and wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 45 minutes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to a 13-inch circle. Fold the dough into quarters and place it in 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 there is about 3/4-inch overhang. Fold the dough under so that the edge is even with the edges of the pie plate. Use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Prick the bottom and sides of the pie dough all over with a fork. This step will help prevent the dough from puffing up during baking. Refrigerate the pie shell for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.
Blind Baking the Pie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a half baking sheet in the oven.
- Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and 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 25-30 minutes. The edges of the pie crust should have a little bit of browning on the edges but still be mostly pale. The bottom of the pie crust will look a little wet.
- Remove it from the oven and remove the pie weights and the foil. Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes. The bottom should look dry. Remove it from the oven.
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
- The oven should be at 375°F.
- In a medium bowl whisk the 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.
Susi says
Followed instructions exactly. When baking the pastry case blind . 35 mins is far too long at the suggested temperature. the pastry burnt and went hard and far too overcooked. It ruined the quiche and I didn’t have time to make again. 1/2 this time would be better. I do not recommend this recipe
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Susi
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with my quiche recipe. First, I want to sincerely apologize for the frustration and wasted ingredients you experienced - that's never what I want for my readers.
After reading your comment, I retested the recipe. You're absolutely right - the 35-minute blind baking time is too long and results in an overcooked crust. I've updated the recipe to reflect a more appropriate baking time of 25 minutes.
I suspect part of the reason is the oven brand. Different oven types can affect baking times (my current oven bakes much faster than the one I used when originally developing this recipe years ago), so I have also provided more descriptive language to tell when the pie is done.
I truly appreciate you bringing this to my attention as it helps me improve my recipes for everyone. I completely understand your recommendation against the recipe based on your experience, and I'm working to make it right.