Savoury vegan quiche with silken tofu custard
A creamy, egg-free quiche packed with caramelised veg and a chickpea-flour custard — perfect for brunch, picnics or a light supper.
This vegan quiche swaps eggs for a silky blend of silken tofu and chickpea flour to give the classic custardy texture without the eggs. It’s a brilliant make-ahead centrepiece for brunch, a picnic cut into wedges, or a light supper with a crisp salad.
The pastry is a straightforward, flaky vegan shortcrust and the filling relies on good caramelisation of the aubergine, courgette and mushrooms for depth — don’t rush that bit. Kala namak is optional but a tiny pinch gives that familiar ‘eggy’ note if you miss it.
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour — for the pastry
- 100 g vegan butter
- 50 ml cold water
- 5 ml fine salt
- 200 g baking beans — for blind-baking
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — medium, thinly sliced
- 200 g aubergine — diced into 1 cm pieces
- 200 g courgette — thinly sliced
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 150 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 350 g silken tofu
- 60 g chickpea flour
- 200 ml unsweetened soya milk
- 45 ml nutritional yeast
- 5 ml ground turmeric — for colour
- 5 ml kala namak — optional — gives an eggy note
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, some reserved for garnish
Equipment
- 23 cm loose-bottom tart tin
- rolling pin
- food processor or blender
- baking paper
Instructions
Make the pastry: put the plain flour and fine salt in a large bowl. Add the vegan butter in cubes and rub between your fingertips (or pulse 6–8 times in a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces.
Sprinkle a little plain flour on a clean surface, bring the mixture together with the cold water (add a little at a time). Form into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan. Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3 mm thickness and use to line a 23 cm loose-bottom tart tin, trimming the edges. Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans.
Blind-bake the lined tin for 15 minutes, then carefully lift out the paper and baking beans and return the case to the oven for a further 5 minutes until the base looks set and pale-golden.
While the pastry bakes, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Add the aubergine, courgette and chestnut mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and starting to caramelise. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Tip the cooked veg into a bowl to cool slightly.
Make the custard: in a blender combine the silken tofu, chickpea flour, unsweetened soya milk, nutritional yeast, ground turmeric, kala namak and black pepper. Blend until completely smooth, about 60 seconds.
Stir the cooled cooked vegetables and most of the chopped fresh parsley into the blended custard, then pour the filling into the blind-baked case and level the top.
Reduce the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional and bake the quiche for 40 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the centre is just set (a skewer should come out slightly moist but not watery).
Remove the quiche from the oven and leave to rest in the tin for 15 minutes before unmoulding. Scatter the remaining fresh parsley over the top, slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Keep the vegan butter and water cold for a lighter, flakier pastry — if the butter softens, chill the dough briefly before rolling.
- Blind-bake fully: a soggy base is the most common quiche mistake. If the base browns too quickly, cover the edges with foil.
- If you don’t have a blender, whisk the silken tofu very thoroughly and sieve the chickpea flour into the tofu to avoid lumps.
- Make ahead: the quiche keeps in the fridge for 3 days and actually slices better cold; reheat slices in a moderate oven (160°C fan) for 10–12 minutes.
- Freeze: cool completely, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and refresh in the oven before serving.
Substitutions
silken tofu → soft silken-style tofu alternative or 200 g creamed coconut diluted with 150 ml unsweetened soya milk (blend to a smooth texture)
Noticeably differentchickpea flour → 50 g plain flour plus 10 g cornflour (may reduce the chickpea flavour)
Stays closeunsweetened soya milk → unsweetened oat milk
Stays closevegan butter → neutral vegetable fat block of the same weight
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 430
- Calories
- 14 g
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 420 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this quiche nut‑free?
Yes — as written the recipe contains no nuts, so it is nut‑free. If you substitute ingredients, double-check any vegan butter or packaged items for nut traces.
Why use chickpea flour in the custard?
Chickpea flour adds body and a slight savoury depth so the filling sets firmly without eggs. It also keeps the quiche entirely plant‑based while giving a pleasant texture.
My filling split while baking — what happened?
Split or grainy custard usually means the mixture was too hot or not blended smooth. Ensure veg has cooled slightly and blend the tofu mix until silky before combining.
Can I use a store‑bought pastry?
Yes — a vegan ready‑rolled shortcrust works fine and saves time. Still blind‑bake the case to avoid a soggy base.
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