Leek-Tofu Quiche

Leeks - This week's 1-in-3

The first time I bought leeks, I neither knew what they were nor how to cook them. Well, most of the times, I buy vegetables without knowing how to cook them. This comes out of frustration of mundane use of the usual vegetables – cauliflower, carrot, cabbage. Sporadic availability of the Indian vegetables is also part of the reason.

Since I learnt that they belong to the onion family, I decided to substitute them for onions in a soup. Even while I was sautéing, I knew I will love this vegetable. And I did. Though it wouldn’t hurt substituting leeks for onions in most of the recipes, their subtle, but sweet flavour will stand out without overpowering the other flavours. Leeks are more apt for people who hate the strong taste of onions. More about cleaning leeks here.

Leek-Tofu Quiche

The moment I laid my eyes on this recipe in Vegetarian Times, I knew I had to try it. I did tweak the recipe a little bit. But one bite was enough to win over my heart. This one is a keeper.

Ingredients

Crust

All purpose flour – 1 cup
Egg – 1
Soymilk – ¼ cup
Dried thyme leaves – ¼ tsp
Baking powder – ¼ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Pepper
Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Filling

Leek – 1, cleaned and chopped
Firm or extra-firm tofu – ½ lb.
Garlic – 2 cloves
Green chillies - 2
Sun-dried tomato – 4
Walnuts – few, roasted and chopped
Bread crumbs – 1 cup
Juice of 1 lemon
Cilantro, chopped
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

Make the crust by mixing all the ingredients together and pressing down into a springform pan. I used two 4.5 inch mini springform pans. Bake them for 8 mins.

Reconstitute sun-dried tomatoes in hot water, if they are not packed in oil.

To make the filling, heat oil in a pan, sauté leeks, garlic and chillies until softened. Mash tofu with a fork in a separate bowl. Add salt, sun-dried tomatoes, bread crumbs, walnuts, cilantro, lime juice and sautéed leeks. Spoon the filling into the crust and bake ‘em for 40 mins. Cool and serve with a side salad.

Leek-Tofu quiche with garden salad and mango lemonade

Vegan-friendly tip: For the crust, use 1/3 cup of soymilk and omit the egg.