Leek and Squash Quiche

Name: Leek and Squash Quiche
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 store-bought 9" pie crust; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes; 1 cup thinly sliced leeks; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 8 large eggs; ¾ cup milk or heavy cream; ¾ tsp kosher salt; ¼ tsp pepper; ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

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With sautéed leeks, butternut squash and feta cheese, this Leek and Squash Quiche is a delicious vegetarian breakfast or light lunch! Best of all, it's an easy-to-follow recipe with just 10 ingredients.

Overhead view of leek and squash quiche cut into slices. — Packed with leeks and butternut squash, this quiche is the perfect breakfast for any occasion.

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Why We Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Step-by-step Instructions
How to Freeze a Quiche
Expert Tips and FAQs
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

Why We Love This Recipe

Easy recipe: Just cook the veggies, mix everything together, pour into a pre-made pie crust and bake. It's super quick and easy, but looks so impressive!
Nutritious: Since it's packed with vegetables and protein, this quiche is a great breakfast or lunch for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
Meal prep friendly: This leek and squash quiche tastes just as great as leftovers (even straight from the fridge!). You can make it on Sunday and enjoy for a nutritious on-the-go breakfast or lunch all week.
Dairy free optional: You can substitute regular milk for nondairy milk of choice (like oat milk), swap out the cheese for a vegan option, and use a dairy free crust. It's super easy to adapt! You can also make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free pie crust.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this leek and squash quiche:

Ingredient Notes

Pie crust: Really any store-bought option will work. You can either purchase a pie crust that's already in an aluminum pan, or purchase pie dough and roll out it to fit your own pie dish. You can use gluten free if needed.
Milk: Really any variety of milk will work in this quiche, but for a creamier, fluffier quiche, use whole milk or even half and half or heavy cream. You can also substitute regular milk with a dairy free alternative. We like to use full fat oat milk, or a heavy cream substitute. We don't suggest using a super thin milk (like almond milk or skim milk).
Squash: We used butternut squash, but you can really use any variety of squash you have on hand. Acorn, kabocha or delicata squash are all great options. You can also sub out butternut squash for sweet potato or even regular potato if preferred.
- It's important to cut the squash into small ½" cubes, otherwise it will take too long to soften when sautéed.
Leeks: Although you technically can use the entire leek, we suggest using just the white and light green section at the bottom of the leek. This part is softer and cooks much more quickly, while the dark green part is tough and takes longer to break down. Since the leeks only cook for a few minutes, you don't want any tough dark green pieces.
- If you don't like leeks or can't find any, you can sub with onion or shallot.
Feta: Feel free to substitute with goat cheese, parmesan or another cheese of choice. You can also use a nondairy alternative (like this vegan feta).
Olive oil: You can also use butter or another oil of choice.

Overhead view of leek and squash quiche cut into slices in pie pan. — Make it ahead of time and enjoy all week for an on-the-go breakfast.

Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C. Par bake pie crust for 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

(1) Heat a skillet over medium and add olive oil. Add squash and sauté for 6-8 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon.

(2) Add leeks to pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add in garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

On the left: cooking butternut squash. On the right: cooking leeks. — Sauté squash and leeks until tender.

(3) Add eggs, milk, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

(4) Stir in feta and cooked squash/leek and garlic mixture.

On the left: mixture before being whisked together. Middle: after whisking. Right: after adding vegetables. — Whisk the eggs, milk, and spices, and then add in the feta and cooked vegetables.

(5) Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the eggs are set. The center should still be a little jiggly, but not runny. If the pie crust is browning too much, cover with aluminum foil.

On the left: quiche before cooking. On the right: quiche after cooking. — Bake at 375˚F for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Overhead view of finished leek and squash quiche. — Voilà - the finished quiche is a breakfast showstopper!

How to Freeze a Quiche

Freeze before baking: Assemble the entire quiche, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil and/or several layers of plastic wrap. You can also use a pie dish with a lid. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Freeze after baking: Let cool completely, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil and/or several layers of plastic wrap. You can also use a pie dish with a lid. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to defrost a frozen quiche: Remove from the freezer and let defrost overnight (or at least 12 hours) in the refrigerator.
- If the quiche is not baked: Preheat oven to 375˚F and bake for 35-40 minute.
- If the quiche is already baked: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the quiche is warmed through. The internal temperature should be around 165˚F.

Close up view of leek and squash quiche cut into slices in pie pan. — Freezer friendly, meal prep friendly...what can't this quiche do?

Expert Tips and FAQs

If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the quiche will aluminum foil. It will still cook at the same rate, but it will prevent the crust from getting too browned.
Make it gluten free: Simply use your favorite store-bought gluten free crust. Otherwise, all of the ingredients are naturally gluten free.
Make it dairy free: Use nondairy milk (we prefer full fat oat milk) and sub in vegan cheese for the feta, or leave it out completely. Make sure to check your store-bought pie crust ingredients for dairy, too.
Let it cool: It might be tempting to slice into your quiche right away, but it will slice better (and actually taste better) if you let it cool. We actually prefer to let ours cool for several hours (in the refrigerator – don't leave it at room temp for more than 2 hours) or even overnight.

How do you know when a quiche is finished cooking?

The quiche should still jiggle slightly, but should not be runny in the center. It's better to pull it out of the oven a little earlier than you might think, as it will continue to cook slightly after removing it from the oven.

How do you clean leeks?

Leeks are a notoriously dirty vegetable, since a ton of dirt gets trapped between the layers. To properly clean them, slice the leek in half lengthwise, then run the leek under water, pulling the leaves apart to release any dirt trapped within. You can also soak them in a bowl of water and then rinse before using.

What part of the leek should you use?

In most traditional culinary preparations, you should remove the tough, dark green leaves and just use the light green and white bulb. The dark green section tends to be much tougher and more bitter, which is why it's often not used. (However, you can use it in homemade vegetable broth!)

That being said, it's not unsafe to eat the dark green section – it just needs a little extra cooking time to soften. If you decide to use it, you'll just need to sauté the leeks for longer (probably 15+ minutes).

Overhead view of leek and squash quiche with a forkful taken out. — Feta, vegetables, and a crispy crust make this quiche perfectly balanced.

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