Gluten-free Spinach Quiche: Easy, Light And Very Tasty

Both for day-to-day and special occasions: quiches are a simple, tasty and very helpful option that solves lunch or dinner and that both adults and children tend to like. However, the traditional recipe is not suitable for celiacs nor, it must be admitted, especially light.

We propose here a gluten-free version of a classic quiche, spinach. For the filling we suggest the traditional recipe with egg, but substituting the cream for a vegetable cream to make it lighter.

If you want, you can also make it completely vegetable using just firm tofu instead of the egg and cream.

The potato: a very tasty gluten-free quiche base

It is true that there are gluten-free versions of the shortbread, usually made with rice and corn flour, and with butter or oil. They are found in some supermarkets and specialty stores, or we can make them at home. However, another very simple option is to make the base with potato.

You simply have to cut it very finely, superimpose the sheets and, if you wish, paint them in oil. The potato will thus form a “dough” that will give a different touch to the quiche without making it heavier. In fact, it will be a base with hardly any fat, apart from the one you put in the mold so that it does not stick and, if you put it, the thin layer of oil to paint the potato.

In addition, just like when you make it with shortcrust dough, once the quiche with the potato base is made, you can consume it hot, fresh from the oven, or cold, letting the quiche cool.

If you consume it the next day, that potato will have developed resistant starch, a type of fiber that helps to strengthen the intestinal microbiota.

The recipe: Potato-based spinach quiche

You can actually prepare the potato quiche filling with any vegetable you like. Here we have chosen spinach, a very nutritious classic filling, but you can put mushrooms and onion, garlic, aubergine and roasted peppers, artichokes, leeks and cherries … the options are numerous.

Spinach, rich in iron and antioxidant vitamins, is ideal for filling savory cakes. Not only does it lighten the recipe, but it also helps to make it creamy and delicious. In our recipe we combine it with raisins, which provide a sweet touch.

As for the cream that accompanies the spinach in the filling, the eggs provide you with quality proteins and, when curdled with a vegetable cream, they provide a very creamy and nutritious filling much lighter than that of the traditional recipe with liquid cream.

If you opt for tofu to avoid the egg, the filling will be equally rich in protein and light.

As for the cheese, it may surprise you, but the traditional quiche recipe does not use cheese. If you like the flavor it gives, you can add a little on top, or sprinkle the filling with nutritional yeast, a much lighter option that not only gives the quiche a cheese-like flavor but also enriches it with its B vitamins. and its minerals.

And now let’s go with the recipe:

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 3 potatoes
• 800 grams of fresh spinach
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 eggs (or 1 package of firm tofu if you opt for the egg-free version)
• 200 ml of soy or oat cream
• 75 g of raisins
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• a pinch of salt
• A pinch of nutmeg

preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180 ° C.
2. Peel the potatoes, wash them and with a suitable mandolin cut them into very thin slices. Line a removable round mold with parchment paper, paint it with a very thin layer of oil to be able to remove the paper more easily later. Once prepared, cover the bottom and the walls with the potato slices and bake for about 20 minutes at 180 ° C.
3. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Also mince the garlic clove. Sauté them together with a little olive oil, until the onion is translucent or very lightly browned.
4. Clean and wash fresh spinach well, making sure to remove any traces of soil. Add them to the onion as is along with the raisins and cook for about 5 more minutes. The spinach, in the heat, will release water. Wait for it to evaporate and remove from heat.
5. Beat the eggs and mix them with the vegetable cream. Add salt, black pepper and, if desired, a touch of nutmeg. Slowly stir in the spinach mixture. If you want to add cheese or nutritional yeast, do it now and spread them on top.
6. Take the mold out of the oven and see if the potatoes are almost tender; if not, leave them a little longer. Then pour the spinach filling into the pan and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Let it temper, unmold and serve.

You can consume it hot or cold. A salad with green leaves and raw vegetables will accompany you well .

If you are using frozen spinach instead of fresh, cook it lightly and drain it well before adding it to the skillet with the garlic and onion.

How to substitute egg for tofu:

To veganize the quiche, pass the firm tofu through the blender and then add it to the sautéed spinach, mixing it well. If it is very dense, you can add a little milk or vegetable cream, when beating or, little by little, in the same pan.