Vegan Quiche Lorraine
This vegan quiche Lorraine recreates the classic French tart without eggs, dairy, or bacon. A flaky coconut-oil crust holds a savory chickpea-flour custard baked with smoked tofu, sauteed leeks, and spinach, then finished with vegan mozzarella. You get the cheesy, buttery comfort of the original in a fully plant-based version that slices cleanly and tastes good hot or cold.
It’s time to show you the savory French recipes I prepared for you as part of this month’s French cuisine challenge. Quiche Lorraine is one of the most recognized dishes in French cooking, and turning it vegan was the kind of puzzle I love: how do you keep that rich, set custard and smoky depth when you remove the eggs, cream, and bacon that define it? My answer is a chickpea-flour batter that bakes into a tender, sliceable custard, with smoked tofu cut into small bits standing in for the lardons.
I hope you’ll like my vegan version of this world-known recipe. I even made some crustless vegan quiche recipes if you want to try other varieties, like my asparagus quiche and bell pepper quiche. Give this one a try and tell me how it was.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A make-ahead brunch centerpiece that slices cleanly and tastes good warm or at room temperature.
- An egg-free, dairy-free version of a French classic for vegan or lactose-intolerant guests.
- A way to use up a big bag of spinach and a single leek before they wilt.
- A protein-rich savory bake, thanks to the chickpea flour and smoked tofu, that holds together for lunchboxes and picnics.
- A dish that looks impressive at the table but is built mostly on pantry staples like flour and chickpea flour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No eggs, no dairy, no compromise on texture. The chickpea-flour batter sets into a custard firm enough to slice yet soft in the middle, just like the original.
- Real smoky depth. Smoked tofu cut into small bits delivers the bacon-like flavor that makes quiche Lorraine what it is, with no meat involved.
- A flaky, buttery crust. Coconut oil pulsed into the flour creates pockets that puff into a crisp, tender pastry once baked.
- Pantry-friendly and budget-friendly. Most of the filling is built on flour, chickpea flour, leek, and spinach, with nutritional yeast and turmeric carrying the savory, golden character.
- Flexible serving. It is just as good warm from the oven as it is cold the next day, which makes it a reliable batch-cook dish.
Ingredient Notes
All-purpose flour forms the crust. Measure it by spooning it into the cup and leveling off rather than scooping straight from the bag, since packed flour makes a tough, dense pastry. The 2 ¼ cups here gives enough structure to support a wet custard filling without going soggy.
Coconut oil is the dairy-free stand-in for butter in the crust. Use it soft but not liquid, about the texture of soft putty. That state lets it stay in small solid pieces through the flour, and those pieces are what melt during baking to create flaky layers. If your kitchen is warm, chill the oil for a few minutes before pulsing.
Smoked tofu does the work of the bacon. Slice it and cut it into small bits, the same size you would use lardons in the classic version. Look for a firm, dense smoked tofu rather than a soft one, since it holds its shape and its smoke flavor through baking. Press out any excess water first if it feels wet.
Leek brings a mellow, oniony sweetness. Use only the white part, sliced thin, and rinse it well between the layers because grit likes to hide there. It softens fast, so about two minutes in the pan is enough before the spinach goes in.
Spinach looks like a lot at 10 cups, but it collapses to a fraction of that once it hits the heat. Saute it just until wilted so it keeps its color and does not release a flood of water into the filling.
Chickpea flour is the heart of the egg-free custard. Whisked with water, oil, and seasonings, it bakes into a set, sliceable layer because its proteins firm up with heat the way eggs do. Whisk it until completely smooth so there are no dry lumps in the finished slice.
Vegan mozzarella and nutritional yeast together build the cheesy note. The nutritional yeast adds a savory, umami background to the batter, while the shredded mozzarella, homemade or store-bought, gives those melty pockets on top. Half goes into the filling and half over the top before baking.
Turmeric and nutmeg are small but important. The turmeric tints the pale chickpea batter a warm golden color so it reads as a classic egg custard, and the pinch of nutmeg is the traditional quiche seasoning that ties the whole thing back to the original.
Tips
- Bake the crust blind first. Pricking the bottom with a fork and baking it empty for 15 minutes at 200C/400F sets the pastry before the wet filling goes in. Skip this and the bottom turns gummy under the custard.
- Whisk the chickpea batter completely smooth. Lumps of dry flour show up as grainy spots in the baked custard, so keep whisking until the mixture is uniform before you add the oil and spices.
- Drain your vegetables well. The most common mistake here is a watery quiche. The sauteed leeks and spinach should look glossy, not swimming, before they go into the crust, or the extra liquid keeps the custard from firming up.
- Know when it is done. After about 30 minutes the top should be set and lightly golden, with the center no longer wobbly when you gently shake the pan. Let it rest a few minutes before slicing so the custard finishes firming.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the greens. Spinach can be traded for chard or kale, just cook the tougher greens a minute or two longer so they soften before baking.
- No smoked tofu? Use plain firm tofu and add a few drops of liquid smoke or a pinch of smoked paprika to bring back that smoky, bacon-like edge.
- Change the alliums. If you do not have a leek, a small sliced onion or a handful of shallots gives a similar sweet, savory base.
- Skip the crust entirely. Pour the filling straight into a greased pan for a crustless version. I made a few crustless vegan quiches for exactly this reason.
Storage and Make Ahead
This quiche keeps well, which is part of why I reach for it. Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It tastes good cold straight from the fridge, or reheat slices in a 180C/350F oven for about 10 minutes to bring back the crisp crust, since the microwave tends to soften the pastry. You can also bake the crust a day ahead and keep it covered at room temperature, then add the filling and finish baking when you need it. The whole quiche freezes too, wrapped well, for up to a month, and thaws best overnight in the fridge before reheating.
If you enjoy this one, take a look at my other vegetable quiche recipes, including a vegan crustless asparagus quiche and a simple vegan crustless quiche for the days you want to skip the pastry.
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Vegan Quiche Lorraine
Ingredients
For the quiche crust:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup coconut oil soft but not liquid
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ cup ice water
For the filling:
- 10 cups spinach leaves
- 1 cup smoked tofu sliced, cut it into small bits like you would use bacon in the original recipe
- 1 leek sliced (just the white part)
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
- ½ cup vegan mozzarella shredded (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the coconut oil and pulse a few times until the mixture is crumbly. Add the ice water and mix until the dough just comes together, so you can easily shape it into a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a flour-dusted surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a circle the size of your quiche pan.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Grease a quiche pan with a little oil and press the dough in evenly. Prick the bottom all over with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling.
- In a skillet, heat some oil over medium heat and add the sliced leek. Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the spinach leaves and saute for 3 minutes more, until wilted. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour and water until smooth and well combined.
- Whisk in the olive oil, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, turmeric, and thyme.
- Spread the sauteed veggies, sliced tofu, and half of the shredded vegan mozzarella into the baked quiche crust. Pour the chickpea mixture evenly over the top. Finish with the remaining shredded vegan mozzarella.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This vegan quiche Lorraine skips the eggs, cream, cheese, and bacon of the classic French version. The custard is made from a chickpea-flour batter instead of eggs, the crust uses coconut oil instead of butter, and smoked tofu replaces the bacon, so the whole dish is fully plant-based.
A batter of chickpea flour and water does the job. When baked, the proteins in chickpea flour firm up and set the way eggs do, giving a sliceable custard. Turmeric tints it a golden color so it looks like a traditional egg filling.
Smoked tofu cut into small bits, the same size you would use lardons in the original, brings the smoky, savory flavor. If you only have plain firm tofu, a few drops of liquid smoke or a pinch of smoked paprika recreates that bacon-like edge.
Yes. Pour the chickpea-flour filling straight into a greased pan and bake without the pastry. I also have separate crustless vegan quiche recipes, including a vegan crustless asparagus quiche, if you want to skip the crust entirely.
Both. Like a traditional quiche, it works hot from the oven, warm, or cold straight from the fridge. That flexibility makes it a reliable make-ahead dish for brunch, lunchboxes, picnics, and party food.
Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and reheat in a 180C/350F oven to crisp the crust back up. It also freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to a month, and thaws best overnight in the fridge before reheating.
I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing. I’ve made 3 times – just omitted leeks- added mushrooms and red& green peppers. Looking at the pictures shown, the texture looks just like quiche. How’d you get it to come out like that? Mine looks like pot pie until it’s been refrigerated.
Mine came out kind of like cake batter consistency! I followed recipe with aquafaba instead of oil and baked for well over 30 mins when i realized that it was still soupy. What do you think this could’ve been? I did it in a regular sized quiche pan but it almost seemed like there was too much batter.
Yes, that might have been the cause. The dry-wet ingredients ration in this recipe is very important so keep this in mind when making substitutions.
Hi, I’m so glad that this morning I was looking for a recipe for vegan and gluten-free quiche and I found your site. I hope to find more great menus. I have 2 questions. Is 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast normal yeast, the kind you bake yeast cakes with? What is their role in the filling of the quiche? And another question, my problem is with the vegan cheeses that are like plastic and not like normal cheeses, how do you know what good cheese is? Do you have a recipe for homemade mozzarella? Thanks
Thank you Rona! No, nutritional yeast is different from bakers yeast. It is also called inactive dry yeast flakes. Its role is to provide a cheesy flavor. I use it all the time in my vegan recipes to give them that cheesy, umami flavor. It also acts like a mild binding agent. Check out my homemade mozzarella recipe here: https://gourmandelle.com/how-to-make-stretchy-vegan-mozzarella-cheese/ I tend to avoid store-bought cheeses from the exact same reason. Most of them are not that healthy so it’s better to make them at home if you can. I have a few other vegan cheese recipes on my blog.
Could I use all purpose flour in place of the chickpea flour? We don’t have rice flour or chickpea flour.
Sure!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit with even the free-range eaters in my house. I made a few very small changes. Bob’s red mill 1-1 GF flour in the crust, couldn’t find smoked tofu but found smoked tempeh. Used 1/4 of each sea salt and indian black salt for an eggy flavor. And topped it with sliced cherry tomatoes! Thank you for this recipe my 14 year old asked for it to be added to the rotation!
Ps. It says rate this recipe below but there are no stars showing, not sure why so here ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you so much, Amy! I’m happy to hear you and your family liked the recipe! 😀
I forgot to rate the recipe 🙂
I have to say, I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it several times, including today where I did it crustless and omitted the oil but added some aquafaba. I only had regular tofu today as the pandemic has made tofu, especially the smoked, scarce. I did add liquid smoke and it was still delicious, but better with the smoked tofu. At Christmas, I made this and added homemade coconut bacon and filled a mini muffin tin with store bought puff pasty rolled thin and made mini quiche Lorraine. They were to die for. I’ve made these in unsweetened tart shells as well. Amazing.
Thank you! I’m so happy you liked it! 😀 Great idea with the coconut bacon.
Lovely recipe. I cheated a bit and used readymade puff pastry.
Thank you, Lynette! Great idea, it’s faster this way. 😉
Can you give me an idea of where I might find smoked tofu? What brand do you use? Or can I just add some liquid smoke to the mixture?
I use Inedit, but that is a Romanian brand. Adding liquid smoke should do the trick. Alternatively, you can use some smoked paprika too.
Great recipe, so delicious warm or cold! Thank you!
Thank you! Happy to hear you liked the recipe!
I don’t use coconut oil. Can I replace the coconut oil with olive oil or groundnut oil n still get the same taste n texture for the quiche ?
Sure!
hi Ruxandra
Spotted your quiche and want to make it for my daughter. In the mixing bowl you say to place ( garlic power, nutritional yeast and salt ). I am unable to see these items nor quantities in your list of ingredients……… Please help.
Regard Keith.
H, Kieth. I just checked and these are the last items on the ingredients list.
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp salt
Can you make ahead and freeze.
Never tried it, but I guess it could work.
I did this when I made it for Christmas. I baked it and froze it , then on the day I covered it with foil and reheated it in the oven. Turned out great.
Loved it! Made it yesterday and it turned out perfect, just like in your photos. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
This looks amazing.. I am thinking of using organic almond flour instead .. what do you think ? … thanks., Sheryl
It should work! 😀
Making this ASAP! Thanks
Let me know how it turned out! 😀
This is the most visually appealing vegan quiche I’ve ever seen. Bravo!
Thank you, Lauren! Hope you’ll give it a try! 😀
can i use chick pea flour to make the pastry ?
I have no idea, but you can test and see how it turns out. It may be too crumbly though. If you want it gluten-free, maybe use a mix of flours, like Schar for example.
This recipe sounds really tasty. I don’t like chickpea flour, it has a very strong raw taste. Can I subsititue it for another kind of flour? Can you suggest what kind?
You can use rice flour. 😉