This zucchini mushroom quiche is perfect for lunch with friends. You can prepare all the ingredients the day before and bake them just a few minutes before your friends arrive. It is full of healthy vegetables, enriched by eggs, stringy swiss cheese, and crunchy bacon.
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Why this quiche is always successful
I haven't yet met anyone who doesn't love this quiche. I often make it for my girlfriends when they come over for lunch, which is always a great success.
The combination of flavors is perfectly balanced; the light flavor of the zucchini combines well with the earthy flavor of the mushrooms.
The stringy cheese and the eggs add richness to the vegetables, and the crispy bacon gives an extra crunch.
It is very tasty, but the abundance of vegetables keeps it light and fresh.
If a vegetarian friend is joining us, I wouldn't add the bacon to make everyone happy.
The base is a thin layer of buttery, flaky pastry made from scratch
How to choose the vegetables
No need to say that you really need to use fresh vegetables for this quiche. They are the star of this dish!
The best zucchini to buy
To make this quiche, I use regular small zucchini I grow in my garden during the summer.
However, when I buy zucchini, I ensure they are small and thin as the large and big zucchini are usually very watery and full of seeds.
If the zucchini trombetta from Albenga are in season, I use them for this quiche. They are a variety of zucchini you find in the Ligurian region.
They take their name from the city of Albenga. Their flavor is so much better than the normal zucchini but they are not easy to find if you are not in the region.
Zucchini flowers
During the summer, zucchini flowers are abundant in my vegetable patch. They do not last very long and are best used the same day they blossom.
If I am making this quiche during the summer, I add to the quiche the zucchini flowers that have blossomed that day.
Don't worry if you cannot find them, they are an optional ingredient, but if you do have them they are a great addition to this quiche.
You can read more about the zucchini flowers, how to choose them, how to clean them, and how to use them in the article: Fried zucchini flowers.
The mushrooms
For this quiche, I use regular white fresh mushrooms, which are easy to find at the supermarket any time of the year.
You can also use cremini mushrooms or even better wild mushrooms like Porcini or Chantarelle. If they are not in season, you can use dried porcini mushrooms.
Even a mix of wild mushrooms will go very well.
Although, I wouldn't use teriyaki mushrooms as you need to taste a nice chunk of mushroom flesh.
As the mushrooms tend to release a lot of water when cooking, ensure you drain the quiche vegetable filling once it is cooled down and before you pour it over the pastry.
The juices from the mushrooms can make the quiche crust very soggy.
Regular onion, red onion, or leeks
I usually use red onions for this recipe as they have a sweeter flavor; however, you can use a regular yellow onion, leeks or shallots.
They don't have a predominant flavor in this quiche, so whatever you use it okay.
Although do not skip it as they do add a nice flavor to the mix.
The pastry base
I use shortcrust pastry for this quiche and make it from scratch. It does make a big difference to the final result.
However, if you don't have time or want to make it easy, you can use store-bought pie crust you find at the supermarket.
This is the beauty of this recipe, you can make it as easy as you want.
This quiche doesn't require a blind bake; you bake it all at once.
Pasta frolla can be sweet or savory. To find out more, you can read the recipe: savory and sweet pasta frolla
Step by step instructions with images
Making the pastry base
The ingredients are:
- 1 ½ cup - 200 gr of flour
- ½ cup - 100 gr of butter at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoon of water
This quantity is enough for a 9 ½ in - 24 cm baking pan.
- Mix all ingredients in the mixer.
- Wrap the dough with cling foil and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the butter re-solidifies.
- Roll into the shape desired over a lightly floured surface
- Butter and cover the bottom of the baking tin with a baking sheet
- Lay over the short pastry and pierce it with a fork so it will not rise while cooking
- Put it back in the fridge for at least 15 minutes while the oven is warming up to 355 F - 180C temperature
Making the filling
The ingredients for this quiche are:
- 3 zucchini
- 1 leek
- 1 red onion
- 14 oz - 300 gr of mushrooms
- ¼ cup bacon cubes or shredded ham
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese or swiss cheese. You can also add some parmesan cheese, but it is optional
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup- 50g butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
To make the filling:
- Wash and cut the onion, leeks, and zucchini into thin slices
- Stir the onion and leeks at medium heat with the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Once the onion becomes translucent, add the bacon and the zucchini, and stir fry until they begin to brown. Add salt.
- Once the zucchini are soft and brownish, add the mushrooms and cut in quarters.
- And zucchini flowers if you have them.
- Cook until the mushrooms are slightly brown but still chunky.
Cooking the quiche
- Move the ingredients into a large bowl and let them cool down for at least 30 minutes. Adjust for salt.
- Once cold, discharge any excess liquid released by the mushrooms. Add the eggs, the gruyere cheese or swiss cheese Emmental, and mix.
- Pour the mix into the short pastry.
- Cook in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 35 minutes. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
20 Tips for making the best pie dough
To make a nice buttery, crunchy quiche pastry base without a soggy bottom, it is very important to follow these rules:
- The butter must be at room temperature but not melted when you mix the ingredients.
- Take the butter out of the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking
- If you forgot to take it out of the fridge, cut it into small chunks and wait a few minutes. Mix it with the electrical mix for a longer time, making sure there are no chunks of butter left in the mix
- Don't forget to add a pinch of salt; it adds to the flavor
- Don't forget to add 2 tablespoon of water. It makes the dough perfectly smooth and reduces the cracking of the edges when rolling it
- Once the dough is nice and smooth, wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes (you can also make it the day before)
- Use a pan with removable bottom
- Do not use a silicon pan, and the crust will not come out as crunchy
- Cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, as it will be much easier to remove the quiche from the pan to serve it
- Coat the pan with butter and flour
- Roll the pastry, still chilled with a rolling pin on a well-floured surface
- Make sure the size of the pastry is large enough to cover the pan and the edges
- Roll the pastry around the rolling pin to lift it from the table and lay it inside the pan
- When you lay the pastry inside the pan, make sure there are no pockets of air between the pastry and the pan
- Pierce the entire pastry with a fork, so the air can be released while cooking and the pastry doesn't lift from the pan
- Before filling it with the vegetable mix, put the dough in the pan back in the fridge so the butter resolidifies. This is what makes a flaky crust when it cooks
- The filling should be at room temperature before pouring it over the pastry
- When you pour the filling over the pastry, make sure there is no excess water that will make the pastry soggy
- Heat up the oven at the desired temperature (usually 355 F - 180C) before you put the quiche in to bake
- Once cooked, wait 10 minutes before removing the quiche from the pan
How to serve it
This quiche should be served warm but not necessarily piping hot.
As it is a complete meal, it only needs a side salad. A fresh salad simply seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and salt.
This zucchini mushroom quiche will keep in the fridge for several days, and I like it better the next day once the flavors had the time to mix.
Store it in an airtight container.
Do not warm it up in the microwave, as the pastry will become soggy. I warm it up in a mildly hot oven or just take it out of the fridge for 1 hour before eating it.
Other vegetables you can use
While the vegetables I use for this quiche filling give it the right balance of flavor, you can also add other vegetables you may want to use in your fridge.
I often add other summer vegetables like red peppers and eggplants; however, I do not add vegetables that can overpower the flavors of the zucchini or the mushrooms.
So I would add one red pepper but not more than that; otherwise, its flavor will be too overwhelming.
If you want to add spinach or carrots, I would recommend checking out this other quiche recipe I usually make during the winter:
- Spinach and caramelized squash quiche
- Hiedi pie with French Chevre
More Pie Ideas
If you are interested in more pie recipes, here is a selection:
- Beef Pie With Marsala Sauce
- Chicken and Mushroom Pie Recipe
- Chelsea Market Heidi Pie
- Caramelized Squash Ricotta Spinach Bacon Quiche
- Beef Sausage Hand Pie Recipe
- Torta verde Ligure Green pie
If you are using this Zucchini Mushroom Quiche Recipe to make a recipe, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Zucchini Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients (Commissions Earned)
For the short crust pastry
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 fresh eggs
- 2 tablespoon fresh water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the filling
- 3 zucchini
- 3 zucchini flowers optionals
- 1 leek
- 1 red onion
- 14 oz mushrooms
- ½ cup bacon cubes or shredded ham
- 1 cup shredded Emmental cheese
- 3 fresh eggs
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper
Equipment (Commissions Earned)
Instructions
Making the pastry
- Prepare the shortcrust pastry mixing all the ingredients1 ½ cup flour, ½ cup butter at room temperature, 2 tablespoon fresh water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 fresh eggs
- Let it rest in the fridge covered with cling foil.
Make the filling
- Wash and cut the onion, leeks and zucchini into small cubes3 zucchini
- Stir fry the onion and the leeks at medium heat with the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Once the onion becomes translucent add the ham, the zucchini and stir fry until they begin to brown. Add salt.1 teaspoon salt
- Once the zucchini are cooked, add the mushrooms cut in quarters.
- And zucchini flowers if you have them.3 zucchini flowers
- Cook until the mushrooms are slightly brown.
- Move the ingredients into a large container and let them cool down for at least 30 minutes. Adjust for salt.
Roll the pastry
- In the meantime, roll the shortcrust pastry
- Cover the base of a baking pan with parchment paper. Butter the base and the sides.
- Cover with the pastry and pierce it with a fork. This stops the pastry from rising while cooking.
- Put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes
Compose and cook the quiche
- Returning back to the vegetable filling, discharge any excess liquid released by the mushrooms. Add the eggs, the Emmental and mix.
- Pour the mix into the short pastry and fold over the edges.
- Cook in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 35 minutes.
- Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Remove from the pan and place it into a serving dish
Video
Notes
- Always buy small zucchini as they have fewer seeds
- If you want a vegetarian version you don't have to use bacon or ham, but they do add flavour to the quiche
- Once the filling cools down, it will release some liquid. If it is too much remove some
- Make sure the pastry is cold from the fridge when you put the quiche in the oven
- Best if the filling is at room temperature when you fill in the pastry
Deanna
I love mushroom and zucchini!! This is a great recipe
Mary // chattavore
I always love a great quiche. The ingredients in this one look fabulous! I'll have to give it a try.
Christie
We love quiche. This is a delicious one for the summer.
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
I always forget about quiche! Such a great way to use up some extra zucchini 🙂
Natalia
I love mushroom and zucchini and a quiche including these two must be amazing!