The beloved quiche originated in France, and this leek and mushroom quiche, otherwise known as quiche aux poireaux et champignons is popular. For good reason, it’s delicious and the leeks lend an onion-like flavor that is not overpowering.
One of the things I love about quiche is that it’s so versatile. It’s an appropriate meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and this leek and mushroom quiche is no exception. You can make it today for breakfast and bring it to work tomorrow for lunch, along with some of this beautiful tomato salad. My husband and I are trying to eat less meat, so we also love that this a vegetarian meal, just like our quiche Provencale and quiche Florentine, which you must certainly try!
Frittata is also a lovely versatile dish, plus it’s crustless so it has fewer carbs. This beautiful ham and cheese frittata is the best and a great option if you are looking for a protein-dense breakfast idea that contains fewer carbs.
I found myself referring to The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan once again to get the foundation for this quiche. I then went on to make it my own. I hope you love it!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
If making a homemade quiche crust seems like too much right now, I get it. Please feel free to substitute a frozen ready made crust, and skip this first set of ingredients altogether. If you do decide to give it a shot, we’re here for you every step of the way. 🙂
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour.
- ¼ teaspoon salt.
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter. Cut into cubes. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. The butter needs to be very cold.
- 5 tablespoons ice water.
Filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
- 2 small leeks. Use only the white and pale green part. Cut into rounds. You should end up with about 2 cups of rounds.
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms. White or Baby Bella. We used Baby Bella. For a more mild flavor, go for white.
- 4 large eggs.
- 1 cup milk. You can use whatever you have on hand – whole, 1%, or 2%. I have not tested this recipe with nut or soy milk and do not recommend substituting it as the water content is higher in nut milks. See bullet point right below this one for a substitution suggestion.
- 1 cup heavy cream. If you do not have heavy cream, you can substitute 2 cups of half and half for the milk and cream.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
- ½ teaspoon pepper. Freshly ground.
- ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence. If you don’t have this, you can substitute ⅛ teaspoon each of rosemary, thyme, basil, and marjoram.
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Shredded. Use fresh Parmesan cheese and shred it yourself or purchase a bag of pre-shredded cheese. We do not recommend the stuff that comes in a can that typically gets sprinkled on pizza or pasta.
Instructions
Crust
We love homemade crust. There’s just something about it that’s extra special. However, if you’re just not feeling it and want to make this quiche, feel free to use a ready made frozen crust. We won’t tell. This is your recipe, and you can do what you want, right? 😉 Feel free to skip this section if that’s what you decide to do. However, if you want to take it on (and I hope that you do!) read on to learn how to make a homemade quiche crust.
Step 9. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Step 11. Bake until the dough is set and begins to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, Carefully remove pie weight (it will be very hot), and set aside to cool. If using dried beans instead of a pie weight, save these beans to use as pie weights again the next time you make quiche.
Filling
Step 4. Place an aluminum foil sheet inside of a baking sheet. Make sure that the foil is long enough to cover the sides of the tart pan. Use a second sheet if necessary. Place the tart pan on top of the foil.
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Equipment
- Large bowl. For mixing the crust dough.
- Rolling pin. To roll out the crust dough.
- Tart pan. 9 inches in diameter and 1¾ inch tall. If your pan is smaller than this, you will need to adjust the amounts of milk, cream, and egg. If necessary, adjust the amounts down, but keep the ratio the same. If you need help with this, please leave a comment below. Try to use a pan with a removable bottom. It’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t have that removable bottom, but it makes for a nicer presentation if it does.
- Pie weight. If you don’t have one of these, you can use dry beans to weigh the dough down when blind-baking your quiche crust. This prevents bubbles from forming in the crust while you are baking it. If you do use beans, save them to use as pie weights again the next time you make quiche.
- Baking sheet. This just makes life easier. It’s not easy to get a quiche in the oven when it’s filled with unbaked custard and sloshing around. The baking sheet will help. It will also help catch anything that may spill out. We hope that doesn’t happen, but it’s happened to me before. It’s no fun having to clean burned custard off of the bottom of your oven!
- Large skillet. For sautéing the vegetables.
- Blender. I use my blender for almost everything from making smoothies to pancakes, waffles, crepes and now quiche. I used this to blend the milk/cream/egg mixture. I think blending it for a bit helps the filling to fluff up in the oven. Alternatively, you can use a bowl and a whisk or hand mixer.
Click here to learn how to make this leek and mushroom quiche in a visual story.
Tips & Tricks
- When preparing the leeks, use only the white and pale green part. Cut off the leafy part and either freeze it to use in a future soup recipe or simply discard it.
- Try to keep the butter as cold as possible when preparing the crust dough. Chop up the butter then put it back in the fridge for a bit before adding it to the flour. Also, it is very important to use ice water to keep things cold. Room temp water is not cold enough.
- Try not to overwork the dough. Do only what is absolutely necessary then leave it alone. Overworking the dough releases the gluten and can lead to a tough and chewy crust. That’s great for a pizza, but not so much for a quiche!
- After pressing the dough into the tart pan, inspect the dough for holes and tears. If you see any, simple press the dough with your fingers to seal it.
- Prick the bottom of the unbaked crust with a fork before baking it. This will help prevent air bubbles from forming in the crust as it’s baking.
- Be sure to wrap the tart pan with foil before pouring in the egg and milk (custard) mixture. This will help prevent any leaks if you missed repairing any holes or tears in the crust dough.
Related Recipes
More quiche and egg recipes to make and love!
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Leek and Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients
Crust
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter Cut into cubes. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. The butter needs to be very cold.
- 5 tablespoons ice water
Filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 small leeks Use only the white and pale green part. Cut into rounds. You should end up with about 2 cups of rounds.
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms White or Baby Bella. We used Baby Bella. For a more mild flavor, go for white.
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk You can use whatever you have on hand – whole, 1%, or 2%. I have not tested this recipe with nut or soy milk and do not recommend substituting it as the water content is higher in nut milks.
- 1 cup heavy cream If you do not have heavy cream, you can substitute 2 cups of half and half for the milk and cream.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper Freshly ground.
- ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence If you don't have this, you can substitute ⅛ teaspoon each of rosemary, thyme, basil, and marjoram.
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese Shredded.
Instructions
Crust
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.1¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Sprinkle the butter over the top and use a pastry cutter or two forks to incorporate the butter. The mixture should resemble a course meal.7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sprinkle water over the top and continue blending until mixture holds together. Add more water if necessary.5 tablespoons ice water
- Place the dough into a zip lock food storage bag and flatten into a disc shape. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-inch diameter circle.
- Transfer the dough to a 9-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom and gently press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, leaving a ½ inch overhang. .
- Fold the overhanging dough in against the sides of the pan to form a sturdy side. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
- Prick the dough in the bottom of the tart pan with a fork in an even pattern. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside of the tart pan and cover with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake until the dough is set and begins to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, Carefully remove pie weight (it will be very hot), and set aside to cool. If using dried beans instead of a pie weight, save these beans to use as pie weights again the next time you make quiche.
Filling
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Reserve a few leek rounds and mushrooms to arrange decoratively on the top of the quiche. Add the remaining leeks and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.2 small leeks, 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- Meanwhile, add eggs, milk, cream, salt, and pepper into a blender and blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.1 teaspoon salt, 4 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Place an aluminum foil sheet inside of a baking sheet. Make sure that the foil is long enough to cover the sides of the tart pan. Use a second sheet if necessary. Place the tart pan on top of the foil.
- Evenly spread the leek and mushroom mixture in the bottom of the baked crust.
- Sprinkle the herbes de Provence over the top.½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
- Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.1 cup Parmesan cheese
- Pour egg mixture over the top and bake for 45-50 minutes. About 15 minutes into the baking cycle, arrange your leek rounds and mushrooms decoratively on top. Finish baking. The quiche is done when the filling is set and lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool.
Fantastic tasting recipe. One of the best. A great combination of flavors really makes this one special.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Paul! I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback.
Ok, so I just tried this recipe out.
What a fabulous tasting quiche.
The crust is light & flaky. The seasoning, and mushrooms are very delicious. The egg is so flavorful.
I couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning to have leftovers.
Honestly, you will not find a better tasting recipe 🙂
Thanks for putting this one out there.
You won’t be disappointed 🙂
Thank you for the positive review! I am so glad you enjoyed the quiche! 🙂