My absolute favorite quiche recipe! This deep dish quiche has a tender, flaky crust and a fluffy egg center filled with sautéed leeks and spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and creamy goat cheese. So flavorful and delicious!!
My inspiration for this amazing Leek, Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche came from my love for French Meadow Bakery & Cafe in Minneapolis. They serve the most delicious deep-dish quiche, and it's literally the only thing I've ever ordered off of their menu because it's that good. So I knew I had to recreate it at home, and I'm equally as obsessed. It's a must make!!
Besides their bomb food, what I also really love about French Meadow Bakery is that they source food locally and support organic farmers. Does it get any better? If you've never been to French Meadow, and live in the Twin Cities area, add it your list. They also have a location in St. Paul and at the MSP airport - if you're a passerby.
When it comes to making quiche at home, I always like to make deep dish quiche. One slice of deep dish quiche and you're satisfied! I also need lots of vegetable filling and a thick, flakey crust. This quiche is just that! I make this quiche on repeat and I typically eat the entire quiche myself lol but over the course of a week. I'll eat it for breakfast every single day - it's that good.
This Leek, Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche is loaded with so much deliciousness. The leeks are sautéed to tender perfection, and the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes add so much texture and flavor. Also, let's not forget about the goat cheese. It's just so creamy, rich and perfect in quiche because it's not overpowering, it melts right into the fluffy egg center. If you've never had goat cheese, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a try. Not be shy. But, if you insist that you're not a fan of goat cheese, I suggest either using Feta or Gruyere cheese.
Ingredients.
Deep Dish Crust.
- Flour. All-purpose flour is all you need.
- Salt. Table salt is fine.
- Shortening. Shortening makes the pie crust a little easier to roll out because of its high melting point, and it also helps the crust hold its shape while baking. I like to use butter flavored shortening, but regular shortening will also work. Alternatively, you can replace the shortening with more butter.
- Vinegar. Vinegar helps to create a flakier dough that is easier to work with because it slightly inhibits gluten development. All you need is a little distilled white vinegar. If you don't have vinegar on hand, you can replace the vinegar with more cold water.
- Cold water. Always use cold water when making pie to prevent the crust from getting warm. Warm pie crust is likely to tear when you're transferring it to the pie pan.
Leek, Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche Filling.
- Leeks. Leeks can be found in the produce section of the grocery store next to fresh vegetables and herbs. If you aren't familiar with how to cut leeks, here is great article on How to Cut Leeks.
- Butter. Again, I always use salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted butter.
- Spinach. Just baby spinach.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. I like to use the julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil.
- Goat cheese. NEVER buy goat cheese that is pre-crumbled. It's dry and has a weird taste. You want to buy a goat cheese log - it's soft, moist and has great flavor.
- Eggs.
- Heavy cream.
- Salt. Table salt is fine.
- Pepper.
Do You Need To Pre-Bake the Crust?
Nope! This recipe does not require you to pre-bake the crust, which I absolutely love! Pre-baking pie crust is just one extra step that I like to avoid when possible.
The reason most quiche or pie recipes call for pre-baking the crust is to prevent the filling from creating a soggy crust while baking. Well, with this crust recipe, I have never had that issue! There is no pre-baking required and the crust still comes out so flakey, buttery and tender and never soggy!
What I also love about this crust is that it's nice and thick, so it pairs well with the deep dish egg filling.
How Deep is a Deep Dish Quiche?
Most quiche recipes are made in a shallow tart pan, but I prefer to make deep dish quiche so that one hearty slice of quiche is enough to satisfy your appetite.
I use a deep-dish tart pan that creates a quiche that is about 2 inches deep. You can also use a deep dish pie pan or springform pan.
If you want to make the quiche in a 1-inch shallow tart pan, you certainly can! Just cut the recipe in half and reduce the baking time by close to half, as well.
What are Leeks?
If you've never cooked with leeks before, don't be intimated. They're part of the onion family, and they're really tasty. They have a more mild flavor compared to bulb onions.
Being that leeks grow primary underground, there can be sand and dirt lodged inside. So, it's important to clean them well before cooking. Start by cutting off and discarding the dark green top and the root, then thinly slice the white and light green part. Place the sliced leeks in a bowl filled with cold water, and use your hands to clean and dislodge any dirt. Strain from the water and you're good to go. If you need it, here is a link to a more thorough article on cleaning leeks.
What are Sun-Dried Tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes are dehydrated tomatoes, shrinking up and losing all of their water content. They are sweet, tangy, chewy and super flavorful. They're great in quiche, salad, pasta, and more.
If desired, you can save the olive oil that the sun-dried tomatoes come in and use if for cooking in place of regular olive oil. It's super flavorful!
As a note, fresh tomatoes can not be used in place of sun-dried tomatoes. The water content in fresh tomatoes will create a soupy, soggy quiche.
Tips & Substitutions.
What can you substitute for leeks? Leeks have a mild onion flavor, so a great substitute would be shallots.
How to tell if quiche is done baking. When removing quiche from the oven, the edges should be set, but the center should be a little jiggly. To check for doneness, insert a knife into the egg filling about an inch or two from the center of quiche - if it comes out clean, then the quiche is done cooking. Let the quiche rest for at least an hour before slicing - it will finish baking through to the center as it sits.
How long should quiche rest after baking? Deep dish quiche should rest for at least one hour to fully set through to the center before slicing. But, I personally like to let quiche rest until it's about at room temperature - it slices nicer, and I think quiche tastes best just slightly warm.
What pan to use for deep dish quiche. Use a pan that is 9-10 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. I use a deep dish tart pan, but you can also use a deep dish pie pan or a springform pan. Keep in mind that springform pans are typically deeper, about 3 inches, so the crust won't need to come to the top of the springform pan, only about 2 inches up the sides.
More of my favorite brunch recipes!
- Homemade Biscuits and Country Sausage Gravy
- Hot Buttered Rum French Toast Bake
- Extra Cheesy Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole
- Farmers Breakfast Casserole
If you make this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate the recipe below using the stars or leave a comment. If you're on Instagram, share a picture of the food you created and tag me at Modern Farmhouse Eats! I love seeing all the pictures! 😊
Leek, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Goat Cheese Deep Dish Quiche
Ingredients
Thick deep dish pie crust (so flaky!)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter diced
- ¼ cup shortening (or more butter)
- 1 small egg
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
Quiche filling
- 2 leeks thinly sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil (or olive oil)
- 2-3 ounces fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
- 4 ounces julienne sun-dried tomatoes in oil roughly chopped
- 4-5 ounces soft goat cheese broken into crumbles (avoid buying pre-crumbled goat cheese - it's dry and doesn't taste as fresh)
- 8 eggs
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Thick deep dish pie crust
- In a food processor or large bowl, pulse or mix together flour and salt. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse or use a pastry cutter to work shortening and butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal. If using a pastry cutter, it'll take a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cold water and vinegar and pour into the food processor with the flour mixture and pulse until dough begins to form a ball. If using a bowl, use forks or a pastry cutter to work together until dough starts to combine, then use your hands to finish working into a ball. If the dough seems dry, add a little more cold water. If it's too wet, add a little more flour.
- Roll dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before rolling out. Use this time to make the filling.
Quiche filling
- To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and leeks. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until leeks become soft. Add spinach to the pan and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked leeks and spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and half of the goat cheese.
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Roll out pie dough on a well-floured surface to about a 13-14 inch circle. Transfer to a 9 or 10 inch deep dish tart pan, deep dish pie pan or springform pan, and press dough into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle with remaining crumbled goat cheese.
- Place the quiche onto a parchment lined baking sheet (do not skip this step; the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes will bubble over). Bake for 40 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown, then loosely cover with tinfoil and continue baking for another 30-45 minutes until the quiche is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. To check if the quiche is done, insert a knife halfway between the side and center of the filling - it will come out clean if it's done.
- Remove from oven and let rest for at least 1 hour before serving. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
Anna Keating says
I would like to substitute feta cheese for goat cheese. Thoughts on this? Has this been done by you? If so, do you have a suggestion on how to do this in regards to amount? I don’t particularly like the goat cheese taste. Thank you!
Paula says
Good Afternoon! I was wondering if you have ever tried making this with a gluten free pie crust flour. I wanted to make this recipe for a party with vegetarian and gluten free guests. I have bob mills gluten free flour 1and 1. Any feedback?
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Hi Paula! I haven't tried making the pie crust gluten-free, but I have heard good things about Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. If you make the crust gluten-free, I would love to hear how it turned out! Otherwise, if you have a good gluten-free crust recipe that you like, you could go that route but double it since this is a deep dish quiche. I hope that helps!
Pamela Dudkiewicz says
Would there be any problem using a ready to bake pie crust?
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Pamela, you can definitely use a store-bought pie crust! I recommend buying a deep dish crust or rolling the crust out a bit more since this is a deep dish quiche. Hope that helps!
Stacy says
Soooo good! The only thing I might try differently next time is subbing real lard for the butter flavor crisco.
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Stacy, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for trying the recipe. Lard would be a great swap or more butter!
Carlie says
Hi! I made this for Mother’s Day last year and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it. Do you think I would be able to make this into small quiches in a muffin pan? If so, I’d love any tips you have. Thank you!
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Carlie, I'm so glad you love the recipe! You can definitely make the quiche in a muffin tin. I recommend baking at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Ellen says
When making the pie crust, you say to add an egg with the vinegar and water. So is that 9 eggs total? You don't list an egg in the ingredients for the pie dough?
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Hi Ellen, sorry about that! I missed the egg when typing up the pie crust ingredients. Thank you for bringing it to my attention! The recipe is now updated. Yes, you are correct - it is 9 eggs total.
Christine Reustle says
Just a quick question...all of your pictures show sprigs of thyme, but I don't see thyme mentioned in the recipe. Is it supposed to be in there? Thanks!
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Hi Christine! I only used the fresh thyme as a garnish 🙂