This Feta and Asparagus Quiche is a great brunch recipe that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner too! Light, crunchy, creamy and packed with flavours, quiches are always a go-to versatile dish for me.
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No, baking is not just for dessert. Sometimes, it is also for lunch or dinner! If you ask me, Quiches are the perfect lunch to take to work, great as an entree or even as your dinner main dish.
Not only they are fairly easy to make, the ingredients and flavour combination are basically endless! Today, I chose to make an Asparagus and Feta Quiche.
Tomorrow, who knows!
Quiche vs Frittata
So what is a Quiche anyway, and how is it different from a Frittata? I would say that there are two main differences between Quiches and Frittata (other than the fact that one is French and the other Italian):
- Quiches usually have a crust made out of Pastry while Frittata don't.
- Quiches are baked in tart pan in the oven, Frittata are usually made directly in a frying pan on the stove.
Why do we often mix them up? Mainly because their most important ingredients are Eggs. For a Quiche, the Eggs are usually mixed with Cream and/or Milk to make a savoury custard. For a Frittata though, Cream or Milk is usually not added.
How to make a Feta Quiche with Asparagus
There are two steps to follow to make a Quiche:
First, you will need to make the Pastry - although some quiche recipes are crustless. The traditional French Quiche always has Pastry, so this is the model I have always followed.
Making a savoury pastry is exactly the same as making a sweet one, minus the sugar (obviously). You can always buy a pre-made quiche/tart/pie crust if you don't feel like making your own!
Secondly, you will need to make the Quiche Filling with Feta Cheese and Asparagus. The quiche base is always the same: Eggs and Cream.
Then, you can add whichever ingredients you want to flavour your savoury custard. Cheese, Meats, Vegetables or Fish - you decide! This time, it was an Asparagus Feta Quiche for me.
Quiche Pastry
Making a Quiche Pastry - in this case a Savoury Shortcrust Pastry - is exactly the same as making a Sweet Tart or Pie Pastry. Actually, it is the same recipe - with the difference of using Salt instead of using Sugar. To make this Quiche Pastry, I follow my usual Tart Pastry recipe and this golden ratio: 2 flour to 1 butter.
That means that for any quantity of dough you require, use twice as much butter as flour. It's that easy! You will also need a little bit of cold water to bind it all together, then some spices to flavour the pastry.
The spices you decide to use are up to you - you can simply use salt only, but I love to also add Garlic Powder and Cumin Powder to the pastry. This Pastry Recipe is extremely versatile, and I have been using it for both sweet and savoury tarts.
More tart recipe using a similar shortcrust pastry:
- Onion, Fig and Feta Savory Tart
- Chocolate Cherry Tart
- Cinnamon Strawberry Galette
- Mini Cherry Tomato Galettes
Feta and Asparagus Filling
Now that we have the Quiche Pastry sorted, on to the Quiche Filling. As explained above, you will need Cream and Eggs as your main ingredients.
I used Thickened Cream - which is the type of cream most commonly found in Australia, but you can also use Heavy Cream instead.
Then, I added my chosen spices to the mix: Salt, Pepper, Cumin Powder and Garlic Powder. That is your savoury custard base.
I cut the Feta Cheese in small dices and mixed them into the savoury custard batter before pouring it in the pre-baked quiche pastry.
Finally, I sliced the Asparagus in half on their length and topped the quiche with them before placing it back in the oven. The ratio of Eggs/Cream used for this recipe make a really nice and silky custard filling.
It's almost like eating a Flan!
More Quiche Ideas:
- Leek and Smoked Salmon Quiche
- Cheese and Tomato Quiche
- Spinach and Feta Quiche
- Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche
- Sweet Potato, Bacon and Leek Quiche from Kidgredients
Quiche Pan
You can use a simple Tart Pan to make a Quiche, but I recommend using a proper Quiche Pan with removable bottom.
What is the difference? I Quiche Pan will have higher edges than a Tart Pan, so you can have a nice, thick custard filling. If you use a tart pan, you will end up with something that looks more like a savoury tart than a quiche.
Either way, it will be delicious!
More Brunch Ideas:
- Super Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes
- French Buckwheat Crepes
- Easy Lemon Sweet Rolls
- Gluten Free Banana Buckwheat Pancakes
- Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Brioche Rolls
Feta Asparagus Quiche
Ingredients
Quiche Pastry
- 180 gr (1 cup + 3 tablesp.) Plain Flour
- 90 gr (6 tablesp.) Butter
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) Cold Water
- 1/2 teasp. Salt
- 1/2 teasp. Cumin Powder
- 1/2 teasp. Garlic Powder
Quiche Filling
- 450 ml (15 oz) Thickened Cream
- 4 Eggs
- 150 gr (1 cup) Feta Cheese
- 1 dozen Asparagus
- Salt, Pepper, Cumin Powder, Garlic Powder to taste
Instructions
Quiche Pastry
- Place the Flour and Spices in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to mix it all in. Add the cubed cold butter and blend until it looks like thick sand.
- Add the cold water a little at the time - blending in between each time. When the pastry dough starts to come together, remove it from the food processor. Make a ball with the dough, cover it with cling wrap and press on it to form a thin round. Place it in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven on 180'C.Once cold and rested, roll the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and fill your Quiche Pan. Prick the dough with a fork and blind bake it for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool down.
Quiche Filling
- In a large bowl, whisk the Eggs, Thickened Cream, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and Cumin Powder together.
- Cut the Feta Cheese into small cubes and add them to the custard batter. Pour the batter into the pre-baked quiche pastry.
- Slice each asparagus in half length -wise and place them over the quiche filling. Put the Feta Asparagus Quiche back in the oven for another 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. The custard should have set.
Notes
