Take the quiche out when the middle has a modest wobble, not a liquid slosh. Residual heat finishes setting the eggs during the 10-minute rest, while the pastry gets time to hold its shape. Cut it immediately and you’ll turn a tidy tart into loose filling and broken crust—the culinary equivalent of opening a suitcase by jumping on it.
Main DishesChickpea, Spinach and Feta Quiche
A crisp shortcrust shell holds tender spinach, lightly browned chickpeas, and pockets of salty feta in a soft egg custard. The chickpeas give the filling more substance than a standard spinach quiche without making it heavy.
Ingredients
Preparation steps for Whole-Wheat Tart Pastry
Prep 15 minCook 22 minRest 50 minMix the dry ingredients
Put the Whole Wheat Flour and Salt in a large bowl. Drizzle in the Olive Oil and rub it through the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like damp sand.
Form the dough
Stir in the Unsweetened Applesauce, then add the Water gradually. Press the mixture together until no dry flour remains; knead only a few times, just until it forms a cohesive dough. If it feels dry or crumbly, keep pressing before adding any more liquid.
Chill
Flatten the dough into a disc, cover it, and refrigerate for 40 minutes, until firm. This gives the whole-wheat flour time to absorb the moisture and makes rolling easier.
Line the tart tin
Roll the chilled dough into a round large enough for a 28 cm tart tin, then press it into the base and sides. Trim the edge and prick the base several times with a fork. From here, you can add fillings for either quiches or tarts.
Preparation Steps
Blind bake the crust
Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a 23 cm tart tin with the shortcrust pastry, trim the edges, prick the base with a fork, and pre-bake for 10-15 minutes, until it looks dry and just begins to colour.
Cook the filling
Warm the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden, then add the chickpeas and cook for 4 minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted and the pan is nearly dry.
Mix the custard
Whisk the eggs, milk, ground nutmeg, and ground black pepper in a bowl until smooth. Let the spinach mixture cool for a few minutes, then stir it into the custard.
Fill and bake
Lower the oven to 180°C. Spoon the filling into the crust, scatter the feta cheese over the surface, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The centre should be set with only a slight wobble, and the exposed pastry should be deep golden.
Rest and slice
Leave the quiche in the tin for 10 minutes before slicing. This short rest lets the custard firm up and keeps the wedges intact.
Recipe insights
Set custard and clean wedges
A lower-dairy variation
Marinated firm tofu can replace the feta in the same quantity, though it will not convincingly impersonate cheese without putting in some work. Crumble it across the filling before baking, using a well-seasoned version to give the finished quiche some of feta’s sharper, salty contrast. Unsweetened soy milk can replace the milk directly in the egg custard.
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