Quinoa and Kale Crustless Quiche
Who stole that piece of quiche?
What you'll need: kale, quinoa, sharp cheddar, onion, cream cheese, garlic and eggs.
The quinoa gets a bath before cooking.
Time to sauté a whole mess of onions.
20 minutes later -- sweet and sultry.
The quinoa is ready at about the same time, which is convenient!
Shreds of cheddar -- they almost look like golden strands of hair.
As you can see, our kale was crisp and bright green.
It started as a mountain in the pot.
Very quickly, it softened into this beautiful emerald mass.
Adding the quinoa, cream cheese, cheddar and onions.
Time to stir!
Pre-baking.
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Author Notes: I first tried a version of this dish at a dinner party. I asked my host for the recipe, and she gave me a copy of her Vegetarian Times. I tried the recipe, "Quinoa and Greens Pie" and hated it! It called for chicory and cooked romaine, and it was nothing like the delicious spinach filled quiche that I had at the Wilson's house. I asked Mrs. Wilson if she made changes to the original recipe, only to find that she had changed nearly everything about it! - Hilarybee
I began my own experimentations on the recipe, keeping the premise of the greens and quinoa held together by eggs. I changed nearly everything else about the recipe, including the number of eggs. After a year, I have a recipe that I love and routinely use. For the greens, I always use kale, but I like to throw in some mustard greens when I have them. - Hilarybee
Food52 Review: Kale and quinoa are a match made in heaven, and it turns out they're even better when you throw some eggs and cheese into the mix. Hilarybee gently wilts the kale, tossing it with caramelized onions, cooked quinoa, cream cheese, sharp cheddar and garlic before folding in some beaten egg -- just enough to hold everything together as the quiche puffs and browns in the oven. If raw garlic isn't your thing, toss it in with the onions right before they're finished caramelizing -- we enjoyed the mild bite. - A&M - A&M
Makes about 8 slices
- 1/2 cup Quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 bunch Kale, stems removed and cut into ribbons
- 1 Vidalia Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 4 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9" pie dish (either butter the dish thoroughly or spray with baking spray). Rinse the quinoa. Combine the quinoa and water in a pan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer. This will take about twenty minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, start to caramelize the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large saute on medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Slowly cook until the onions are soft and browned.
- Remove the onions from the pan, and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the kale into the hot onion pan. On medium heat, cook until the kale is wilted and bright green, about two minutes.
- Allow the greens to cool. Squeeze out any extra liquid using a sieve or a clean dish towel.
- Add the kale, quinoa, garlic, cream cheese and cheddar to the mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients so that they are evenly distributed.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs so that they are well combined. Pour over the quinoa/kale mixture. Stir until the egg clings to the greens. Add salt and pepper.
- Pour the mixture in the prepared pie dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the pie has started to pull away from the edge of the baking dish. This dish is delightful hot, but even better at room temperature.
- Your Best Greens Contest Finalist!
Tags: breakfast, brunch or dinner, savory
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about 1 month ago Amandadp
Fantastic recipe! Definitely will be making this regularly. I had goat cheese on hand so used that instead of cream cheese and I added an extra egg because my mixture seemed a little dry. Thanks for sharing this Hilarybee!
about 1 month ago Hilarybee
glad you enjoyed it. I've found if you use red or black quinoa, they are drier and absorb more of the egg mixture--or you might have just had smaller eggs.
2 months ago kimber24
Do you think this would work subbing cream cheese with cottage cheese?
about 1 month ago Hilarybee
I'm not sure--it might if you strained the cottage cheese with a cheese cloth. I'd just skip it altogether if you don't want to use cream cheese.
2 months ago Eliana A. Dotson
Well, I calculated after I sent my question and this is more or less what I got :
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138.9
Total Fat 6.7 g
Saturated Fat 3.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g
Cholesterol 87.9 mg
Sodium 108.9 mg
Potassium 93.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 11.9 g
Dietary Fiber 1.1 g
Sugars 0.1 g
Protein 7.8 g
Vitamin A 22.6 %
Vitamin B-12 5.6 %
Vitamin B-6 3.2 %
Vitamin C 11.2 %
Vitamin D 4.1 %
Vitamin E 0.1 %
Calcium 6.0 %
Copper 1.1 %
Folate 3.8 %
Iron 10.7 %
Magnesium 1.0 %
Manganese 2.2 %
Niacin 0.4 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.1 %
Phosphorus 8.4 %
Riboflavin 8.2 %
Selenium 1.7 %
Thiamin 0.7 %
Zinc 3.2 %
2 months ago Eliana A. Dotson
Do you know more or less how many calories this is? is delicious though
2 months ago Tracey Marshall
Best Kale recipie Ive eaten. Thanks for sharing. Love it. 5 Stars
about 1 month ago Hilarybee
thank you so much! glad you enjoyed it.
2 months ago Eliana A. Dotson
thank you Hillary =) , my hubby and I loved it! thank you so much for sharing
2 months ago Eliana A. Dotson
this was super delicious and easy to make, thank you so very much!! love the recipe
about 1 month ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for giving it a try and calculating out the calories.
4 months ago Irene Van Nostrand
I really enjoyed this recipe. I liked it because it was less eggy and cheesy. I had some rainbow chard that I needed to use so I mixed it in with the kale. I think I am going to try to add roasted sweet potato cubes in one and see how it turns out.
4 months ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for giving it a try.
4 months ago beachpoet
Very good - but I don't know if I'd call this a quiche. It has a much more loaf-like consistency. In fact, baked in a loaf pan, it would make a great veggie loaf! Highly adaptable, it's a great base recipe for just about anything you want to add to it. Will make again!
4 months ago Hilarybee
Glad you can adapt it to suit your needs. Enjoy!
4 months ago Jenn Trott-Bopp
This was awesome! I used egg whites, red onion, yellow cheddar cheese and the lower fat cream cheese. MOPS group loved it :-) Thanks!
4 months ago Hilarybee
You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed it and could adapt the recipe to your needs.
5 months ago Angela Parsons
Found this on Yoyomama and look forward to making it!
4 months ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you found us, thanks for checking it out!
6 months ago VGCooks
Thanks for such a great (and highly adaptable) recipe! I make it frequently with spinach. It has become my go to dish for pot-lucks, dinners for friends who've had a baby and me whenever I want a quick and delish breakfast, lunch or dinner.
5 months ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you are enjoying it!
about 1 month ago AlexisK
When made with spinach - about how much spinach did you use? Thanks!
5 days ago Hilarybee
Alexis, if you are using baby spinach, I'd use about three cups. If you are using large leaf spinach, I'd say about 2 1/2 cups well chopped.
8 months ago SusanMarie
How about using the fairly new cooking creamed cheese instead of the block? I am going to try this recipe. Sounds like!
8 months ago Hilarybee
Susan, not sure, but I don't see why not. I've never worked with it before but let us know what happens if you try it out!
8 months ago fearlessem
Hilary -- Do you know how this freezes once its baked? Could I just wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and then freeze them in a freezer bag?
8 months ago Hilarybee
Yep, I've done it. I've also frozen it whole and rebaked at a lower temperature.
9 months ago Terrijean
Had a bunch of kale in fridge that was threatening to go bad and had lotsa quinoa. Googled "kale quinoa" and luckily happened upon this recipe. All other ingredients were staples which I always had on hand so I went for it, skeptically. Wasn't at all sure a crustless kale quiche would be edible. I worried for nothing: it was really good and everyone else loved it too. Added extra cheese (about 3/4 c. total).....it was yellow, not white and did just fine. Also, cut up your cream cheese in very small pieces as it doesn't melt into mixture. For those whining about wanting to replace cream cheese with something else: don't do it. The cream cheese is such a small amount and adds yummy, necessary flavor. Make it, you won't be sorry.
9 months ago Hilarybee
Thanks for giving it a try, Terrijean. I tried so many soft cheeses (goat cheese, feta, I even tried a very soft sheep's cheese) before settling on cream cheese. It's accessible to everyone and it just adds a layer of creaminess that I enjoy. I'm glad it works for you!
9 months ago Terrijean
Thanx, Hilary....I'm making it again tonight!
10 months ago joyce.ciotti
I "googled" quinoa + kale ingredients. You won my heart as soon as I saw the picture. I made this today (for tomorrow's breakfast) using red quinoa, and i used a handful of red & orange sweet peppers rather than the onion. It is gorgeous, gorgeous looking. I can't wait for morning! Truthfully, I think I need to cut out a slice to make it match your perfect picture. And, this site is great :)
9 months ago Hilarybee
Alas, I cannot take any credit for the picture! Thank the nice folks at @Food52 for that. But thank you for trying my recipe and welcome to the Food52 community!
10 months ago SKK
Made this recipe for my daughter's wedding breakfast for her and her girls. Tripled it and it was all gone. We had people over doing hair and make-up and they loved it also. I am mad for this recipe! Thank you for sharing it. Made all the components ahead of time so just mixed it up for baking. Made the kale mixture and froze it, made the quinoa and froze it, shredded the cheese.
9 months ago Hilarybee
I'm honored that you chose my recipe for your daughter's special day. It really is fast with advanced prep. I like to freeze the kale in the summer, and then break it out in the winter.
11 days ago SKK
How do you freeze your kale? Do you blanch it first?
11 days ago Hilarybee
Yes, I do. I cut the kale into pieces, then blanch the kale, then I put the kale plus about 1/4 cup of the blanching water in freezer bags. It'll last about 4 months that way.
12 months ago Tess Danesi
Returned from the farm market with fiddleheads and ramps and queso. Again proving how versatile this recipe is, I used sauteed fiddleheads and just folded in the raw ramps. It's amazing. Thank you so much for a gluten-free quiche that just keeps on giving!
9 months ago Hilarybee
Tess, I'm so glad that you are able to use the recipe over and over! Puts a smile on my face!
12 months ago Tess Danesi
Returned from the farm market with fiddleheads and ramps and queso. Again proving how versatile this recipe is, I used sauteed fiddleheads and just folded in the raw ramps. It's amazing. Thank you so much for a gluten-free quiche that just keeps on giving!
12 months ago Hilarybee
You are very welcome. I'm glad that the recipe has proven useful for you!
about 1 year ago fearlessem
Had to come back to sing the praises of this flexible recipe again. I recently made it with cooked broccoli instead of kale, and it was still killer!
12 months ago Hilarybee
So glad! Do you like mustard greens? I sometimes like to make it with mustard greens and broccoli rob.
about 1 year ago Tess Danesi
This is fantastic. I admit I improvised a bit because I had a quinoa mix from Whole Foods that was spiced with smoked paprika, as well as two different cheeses, feta and a bit of greek yogurt too and instead of kale, I used rainbow chard. Apparently, not only is the recipe great, it's versatile too!
Thank you for such an easy and fabulous and healthy dish!
about 1 year ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
about 1 year ago Tess Danesi
This is fantastic. I admit I improvised a bit because I had a quinoa mix from Whole Foods that was spiced with smoked paprika, as well as two different cheeses, feta and a bit of greek yogurt too and instead of kale, I used rainbow chard. Apparently, not only is the recipe great, it's versatile too!
Thank you for such an easy and fabulous and healthy dish!
about 1 year ago sheredel
any chance I might use plain greek yogurt for cream cheese in this recipe? AND what about grain other than quinoa?
about 1 year ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
I've used Greek yogurt, it's fine. I haven't tried any other grains.
about 1 year ago Hilarybee
Greek yogurt should be fine, I would strain it a bit before adding it. As for other grains, it is possible, but I'm not confident. Quinoa is really special because it expands, has such a high protein content and is really springy! Potentially whole millet could work, but it wouldn't be a 1:1 substitute. I've tried to make rice work, with epic fails the two times I have tried it. On the other hand, I have actually used cooked spaghetti and that has worked well.
about 1 year ago EmilyLapo
This recipe looks great! When substituting greek yogurt for the cream cheese, any tips on how much to use? I think it should be 1:1, but I'm not sure what the conversion would be of 3 ounces in tablespoons.
about 1 year ago amymills
I just made this and it is really fantastic. And here I thought it would be one of those healthy recipes that tastes good but is mostly just tasty by how virtuous you feel by eating it--nope! It is really delicious in itself. I added a little more white cheddar and some feta, but reduced the cream cheese. Perfect! I'm excited to keep this as a stand-by recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
about 1 year ago Hilarybee
Glad you enjoyed it! I like to play with the cheese levels myself, mostly based on what is in the fridge at the time!
over 1 year ago EmilyC
Made this over the weekend and loved it! Thanks for a great recipe!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you gave it a try! Thanks!
over 1 year ago Mianna
Thank you Hilarybee! Sooo good. Added a red pepper to the slowly cooking onions for color and subbed goat cheese - no cream cheese, the other options were gruyere or parm. Could be fun experimenting. Loved it with the goat. This is a keeper.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you so much! I'm glad it was enjoyed.
over 1 year ago Decibellie
So easy and SO delicious! My gluten-free friend was also grateful for the recipe, and my boyfriend counted up the calories to be <200 a slice (a slice being 1/8 of the quiche). Thanks!
over 1 year ago Decibellie
- we used reduced fat mozz. and feta mixed with reduced fat cream cheese, which brought a slice down to something like 125 calories...ridiculously nutritious and yummy for the calorie exchange!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
I frequently use 2% mozzarella and neufatchel cream cheese. It isn't quite as rich, but is still lovely and satisfying.
over 1 year ago kckimchi
Healthy & delicious vegetarian meal! Subbed feta for the cream cheese like some reviewers suggested. Enjoyed the unique texture. Great for brunch, lunch or dinner. Will make again.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
over 1 year ago Victoria in VA
Delicious! What a wonderful way to incorporate kale and quinoa together. And we loved the texture of the quiche. This is a winner in our kitchen!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you! The original vegetarian times recipe had the quinoa in a quiche with chicory and romaine. I never thought that was a good idea because quinoa and kale are made for each other!
over 1 year ago Victoria in VA
Delicious! What a wonderful way to incorporate kale and quinoa together. And we loved the texture of the quiche. This is a winner in our kitchen!
over 1 year ago pitadavis
This is FABULOUS! The only change I made was to add 1T of white truffle oil to the mixture before I poured it into the pie pan. It is hard to believe that you did not win. Thank you for all of your work and sharing this wonderful dish with us!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you so much! I'm glad that you liked the recipe! Truffle oil sounds like a special (and tasty!) addition!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe. Truffle oil sounds like a special (and tasty!) addition.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thanks, @gingerroot! I'm struggling to get the reply button to work, but I'm glad you tried it and will use the recipe again!
over 1 year ago ColoradoCook
This was wonderful! I too used feta since I had it on hand, and tossed in a handful of toasted pine nuts I had laying around from my last batch of pesto. Thanks for the inspiration!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
over 1 year ago gingerroot
I made this last night to share with friends for dinner; it was delicious and enjoyed by all. Thanks for a great recipe I will be sure to make again!
over 1 year ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
I made this over the weekend, using black quinoa because I had just bought a pound of the stuff (the only way it's sold at the only store that sells black quinoa) for an EP test. And I added one Italian sausage which I'd broken up and sauteed with the onions. It was delicious, but the black quinoa made it a bit odd looking. Leftovers were terrific, but with sausage in it, this is better warm than room temperature. ;o)
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
I bet it was terrific! I wondered how the color would be with a darker quinoa. Would you make it with black/red quinoa again?
over 1 year ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
I'd probably use the lighter quinoa, if I had it. And I really like the idea of putting feta in this! I tested a quinoa + feta + winter squash warm salad last year for an EP review and it was fantastic. So many possibilities. Great, great recipe. ;o)
over 1 year ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
I love this recipe--I'm going to make it this morning with spinach and gruyere. I only have red quinoa in the house so I've used that, and I love the way it looks with the little red dots against the creaminess of the quiche and the green vegetable--could be a vegetarian dish for Christmas, no?
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
I think so! It could also make a nice Christmas or Boxing Day brunch.
over 1 year ago ashleypiersonchasesdinner
Hi Hilarybee,
Congratulations to you! Where did you grow up in Michigan? I live in MI, and I love supporting local farmers too! This is a delicious recipe, tried it tonight! Good luck!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you! I am from Grand Rapids and darn proud of it! I miss G-Rap a lot, especially this time of year when the apples and maple syrup are coming into season.
over 1 year ago fearlessem
Just made this tonight and it was really delicious! The only change I made was to brown and crumble a few slices of bacon (adding them into the eggs), and then to cook the onion in the bacon fat. This is a real winner, and will be my go-to recipe for when gluten-free friends come over for brunch! Thanks Hillarybee :-)
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Bacon sounds wonderful! I never really thought about adding meat to it. I'll give it a try!
over 1 year ago SnoopyKitchen
I made it last night and found it delicious! My only changes for next time will be to chop the kale a bit finer - I think my "ribbons" were too big and I would try feta instead of cream cheese. I didn't think the cream cheese added a whole lot to the overall flavor. Feta would be great with those vidalias. Loved the recipe!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I do cut my ribbons pretty fine- about 1/2 inch wide and an inch long.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
The reason I add cream cheese is because I think it adds a bit of sweetness- not necessarily a cheesy flavor- to the recipe. But Feta is good, and I think goat cheese is really great in the recipe, too.
over 1 year ago susan g
And yes, crustless is the way to go -- for me, anyway.
over 1 year ago susan g
I had to check to be sure, but it's true -- I also made it when it appeared in VT. Now, I know I wouldn't have used chicory or romaine, so I must have used another green, but whatever changes it took, it was good. Looks like you've made the best of it, and it's time to try it your way.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Susan, it is nice to see other VT readers out there. I hope you give it a try! I really hacked away at the recipe. Mostly because I was frustrated that the VT recipe had so much potential...but the original recipe annoyed me to no end! I hope you give this a try and let me know what you think!
over 1 year ago deanna1001
I clipped that vegetarian times recipe and have made it using all kinds of greens. I like it but find it is a lot of bother to prepare. Your adaptation looks both tasty and much more streamlined, and therefore more likely to be made on a regular basis. Thanks! I'm trying this for meatless Monday.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
thanks deanna! I tried to streamline it, removing extra steps and parse it down to ingredients that I could always find.
over 1 year ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Mmm! This looks like a such a wonderful meal - for any time of day. Congrats on being a finalist!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you fiveandspice! It is really versatile, I think I've had it for every meal, including as a good afternoon snack.
over 1 year ago TiggyBee
Congratulation!s What a great recipe!!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
thank you!
over 1 year ago gingerroot
Congratulations! Love kale and quinoa and will definitely be making this soon.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you!
over 1 year ago healthierkitchen
Congratulations - sounds delicious!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thanks so much!
over 1 year ago Bevi
Congrats! such a nice recipe
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you, Bevi.
over 1 year ago apartmentcooker
This looks delicious! I think I might make it for dinner tonight!!!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Please do! I hope you'll love it. It goes really great with a nice biscuit or croissant.
over 1 year ago Midge
Congrats Hilarybee!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you!
over 1 year ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Congratulations on being a finalist, lovely recipe. Sounds delicious.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thanks so much!
over 1 year ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
Congrats! This sounds delicious.
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thank you!
over 1 year ago EmilyC
Congrats on being a finalist -- this looks divine! Can't wait to try it!
over 1 year ago Hilarybee
Thanks, I hope you do!