Spinach & Roasted Hazelnut Quiche with Caramelised Onions

utter comfort

I still remember making my very first quiche in my early twenties - the mere thought of making a quiche charmed me. (What was I thinking: a romantic French countryside house? Possibly..)

I didn’t make the pastry from scratch but gave all my love to the mushroom, spinach & goats cheese filling. Ever since, I’ve made many quiches, they’ve sort of become one of my signature dishes. Whether with a buckwheat, spelt or pumpkinseed crust, filled with roasted sweet potatoes, beetroots or caramelised onion - quiche to me means comfort and craft and committing to a single dish for an hour or two.

This caramelised onion, spinach and hazelnut one is one of my absolute favourites!

Servings: 4

Total time: 1 hr

For the dough

Ingredients

70g oat flour 

110g whole spelt flour 

3/4 tsp salt 

1/3 cup water (plus 1 - 2 tbsp more) 

2 tbsp olive oil 

For the filling

Ingredients

6 eggs

splash of oat milk, about 1/4 cup 

1 tsp mustard 

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 onions, cut into thin rings

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 handfuls of spinach 

1/3 cup roasted and chopped hazelnuts 

salt and pepper to taste

soft goats cheese to top

Instructions

1. For the quiche dough, combine all ingredients in a big bowl, stir with a wooden spoon and then knead for about 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, grease a pie baking dish with some olive oil and flour the surface. Roll the rough out (not too thin), but so that you can lift it into the pie dish. Use your fingers to fold up the rims so that the filling does not leak into the dish. Prick a few holes into the dough with a fork, then pre-bake it at 180°C for 5 minutes.

2. In the meantime, slice the onion into thin rings. Heat some olive oil in a pan, then fry the onion. Once they turn soft, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, then season with some salt. Allow them to caramelise on low heat for about 5 minutes with occasional stirring. Once the onions are done, add in the spinach and allow it to wilt along with the onion mixture. Add the roasted and chopped hazelnuts to the pan and set aside.

3. To prepare the rest of the filling, crack the eggs into a bowl, add a splash of oat milk , the mustard, grated parmesan, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Transfer the onion, spinach and hazelnut mix onto the pre-baked dough, then pour the egg-filling on top. Evenly distribute some soft goat cheese on top, then bake the quiche for another 25 - 30 minutes. Once it’s done baking (you can insert a knife to check if the filling has set), remove the quiche from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

4. I highly recommend a fresh salad and some more mustard to go with it - enjoy!