Easy Cheesy Vegetarian Quiche

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Step 2

In a large bowl mix the flour and salt, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs and is starting to stick together.

Step 3

Add the water a teaspoon or so at a time until the flour and butter mixture comes together in a dough. It shouldn’t take very long and you shouldn’t need much water.

Step 4

Place the dough into a container and put it in the fridge for 30 mins to an hour to firm up so it doesn’t fall apart or stick when rolling out, but not so much it’s too hard to use!

Step 5

Roll the chilled dough out onto a floured surface until it’s as thin as you’re comfortable with. I also fold it gently into quarters, then place the quarter in the tin/pie plate/whatever you’re using (for this, I use a 20cm springform pan) with the point in the centre of the base, then gently fold out to a circle.

Step 6

Fit the pastry to the receptacle (same if you’re using frozen shortcrust pastry that’s been thawed), prick a few holes in it with a fork, cover with baking paper and any old dried beans/proper baking beads you have on hand and blind bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the paper and bake another 10 minutes.

Step 7

Brush the base with beaten egg to glaze (this helps stop the bottom from getting soggy from the wet ingredients) and bake another 10 or 15 minutes.

Step 8

While the base is baking, make your filling.

Step 9

Cook onion in frying pan in a little oil until soft. You don’t want too much colour on it, unless you’re adding other veggies. If so, saute them along with the onion.

Step 10

Beat eggs in a bowl with whisk, add cream, milk and cheese, whisk until just combined. Pour into pastry case.

Step 11

Bake at 180C for about 35-45 minutes or until filling is set and brown. It should still wobble a bit in the middle, but you definitely don’t want it too undercooked. The old “stick a skewer in it and if it comes out clean it’s done” kind of works for quiches too – go with your gut.

Step 12

Stand the quiche for five minutes before removing from the tin (or serve in the pie plate it was cooked in), and easy cheesy vegetarian quiche is all yours. Voila!