Easy Salmon and Asparagus Quiche Recipe
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This easy salmon and asparagus quiche recipe is fresh and light, nothing like a heavy, cheesy quiche. Use fresh, smoked or canned salmon, and then whisk eggs with crème fraîche and a splash of milk, blanch the asparagus, and chop some dill and/or chives (fresh or dried).
If you use a store-bought base it’s ready to bake in about 20 minutes, or you can use my homemade shortcrust when you have more time.
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Asparagus and Salmon Quiche Quick Look
Prep: 20 min | Cook: 35-45 min plus blind baking | Serves: 6
- Tin: 23 cm (9 in) standard pie dish, not deep-dish
- Main ingredients: You can use fresh, smoked or canned salmon, asparagus, eggs, crème fraîche, dill, chives
- Flavor: mild and creamy, loaded with sweet asparagus, soft salmon and dill, chives or spring onions
- Tip: Slice the asparagus small, so you can eat a slice with only a fork
- Tested: in my own kitchen with shortcrust, puff pastry and phyllo, and eaten by my family 🙂
Table of contents
- Asparagus and Salmon Quiche Quick Look
- A French Quiche with Baltic Flavors
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- What Does Salmon and Asparagus Quiche Taste Like?
- Equipment
- Ingredients for the Filling
- Which Pastry to Use
- Substitutions (Including Canned and Leftover Salmon)
- How to Make Salmon and Asparagus Quiche
- Tips for the Best Salmon and Asparagus Quiche
- What to Serve with Salmon and Asparagus Quiche
- Storage and Make Ahead
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ
- More Quiche and Salmon Recipes
- Easy Salmon and Asparagus Quiche Recipe Card
A French Quiche with Baltic Flavors
Salmon quiches (“quiche au saumon” or “tarte au saumon”) are very popular in France, where I lived for 15 years. My mother in law made them often on weekends or in the summer, when she wanted to have something that she could easily make ahead and quickly warm up for lunch or dinner. And like this one, she often added whatever vegetable was in season.
This quiche has Baltic flavors. My family is Latvian, and salmon with dill is something I grew up with. Asparagus also goes really well with dill, like in my asparagus soup with dill. In Latvian cooking, dill pretty much goes with everything 😉
Plus, asparagus season has just started here in Australia, and I made this today with a large bunch that cost just $1.50 (AUD).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super easy. The salmon and asparagus are prepared while the pastry blind bakes, so they are ready at the same time. There’s no cheese to grate and no onions to soften in a pan first. One bowl to mix the custard and voila, that’s it!
- Bite-size asparagus. I like it lightly cooked, which means it isn’t soft enough to cut with the side of a fork. With long spears, you either pull the whole spear out of your slice or end up jabbing at it.
- No cheese. I love cheese in my leek and Gruyère quiche, but here it doesn’t quite go with the salmon and dill. And really, the original quiche from Lorraine didn’t have any cheese either 🙂
- Lots of asparagus and salmon. This quiche is loaded. The asparagus pops through the top of the filling and gets lightly roasted in the oven, giving you a nice roasted veggie flavor. You can use less asparagus or salmon if you prefer more custard in your quiche.
What Does Salmon and Asparagus Quiche Taste Like?
The custard is silky and soft, and it doesn’t feel heavy. Salmon is a mild tasting fish, and you get nice chunks of salmon with each bite. The asparagus tastes slightly sweet and still has some texture. It isn’t mushy, because you only blanch it for a minute or two.
The dill and chives are what make it taste fresh and a little Baltic. You can leave the herbs out, though. It’s not quite as Baltic that way, but it’s still a very nice, simple quiche, and a change from cheese-based quiches.
Equipment
- A 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish
- Pot to quickly boil the asparagus
- Veggie peeler, if your asparagus are large and woody
- Medium bowl to mix the egg custard and herbs
Ingredients for the Filling
Full ingredient amounts and instructions in recipe card below.
- Pastry – I prefer my homemade shortcrust, but you can use a store-bought quiche base, puff pastry or phyllo dough, in a 23 cm (9 in) standard pie dish. A deep-dish tin needs more filling than this recipe makes. More on the pastry options below.
- Salmon – I prefer fresh salmon, just make sure you take off the skin. You can also use leftover salmon, canned salmon or smoked salmon, which many people love because of its stronger flavor.
- Asparagus – thin or thick spears both work. Bend each spear and it will snap where the woody part starts. Peel the bottom few centimeters of thick spears too, or they’ll be tough and stringy. I like to bite the base of a raw spear. If it’s tough, I peel it a bit more. I don’t throw the ends away. They go into a bag in the freezer and later into soup, like my broccoli asparagus soup or asparagus sweet potato soup.
- Eggs – 3 large or extra-large, or 4 if they’re small to medium.
- Crème fraîche or full fat heavy cream.
- Milk – a little bit, so the custard is not too rich.
- Dill and chives or scallions (green onions) – fresh if you can get them, but dried dill works too. Use about a third of the fresh amount, so 1 teaspoon of dried for 1 tablespoon of fresh. I keep the dill light so it doesn’t drown out the asparagus. You can also leave the herbs out completely.
Which Pastry to Use
I’ve made this quiche with shortcrust, puff pastry and phyllo dough.
- Homemade shortcrust is my favorite. It’s buttery and crisp, and it holds the custard well. You can make my handmade pâte brisée without a food processor. And you can just buy a store-bought shortcrust base if you prefer.
- Puff pastry gives you a lighter, flakier edge. Blind bake it with weights as well, because it puffs up more than shortcrust.
- Phyllo dough makes a lovely thin, crispy shell. Brush each sheet with melted butter as you layer it into the tin. I show you how I do it in my asparagus ricotta quiche with phyllo dough.
Substitutions (Including Canned and Leftover Salmon)
- Canned salmon – drain it well and take the skin off, since it doesn’t look very nice in a quiche. You do not need to pre-cook it.
- Smoked salmon – cut it into big pieces and add it as it is. It’s stronger and saltier than fresh salmon, so go easy on the salt.
- Leftover salmon – any plainly cooked salmon from the night before, with the skin removed. It’s one of my favorite ways to use up baked salmon. Just make sure it does not have any strong flavors that will conflict with the asparagus and egg custard.
- White asparagus – make sure you peel it properly and cook it until soft in the middle, as it is thicker than regular asparagus.
- Crème fraîche – you can mix 2/3 heavy cream with 1/3 full-fat Greek yogurt or just use heavy (pouring) cream or sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Fresh herbs – Use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs instead of fresh or leave them out.
How to Make Salmon and Asparagus Quiche
1. Blind bake the pastry. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). For homemade pastry, put the lined tin in the freezer for 30 minutes so it doesn’t shrink as much. Then line it with baking paper, fill it with baking beans or pie weights, and bake for about 15 minutes. Take out the paper and beans and bake it another 5 minutes, until the base looks dry and lightly golden. Don’t skip the blind bake, or the base will go soggy under the wet filling.
2. Cook the salmon. While the pastry is in the oven, air fry the salmon at 190°C (375°F) for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on thickness. In the oven, it takes 8 to 10 minutes at 200°C (400°F). Take it out when it’s just cooked through, because it cooks a little more in the quiche. Let it cool for a few minutes, then break it into big chunks.
3. Prepare the asparagus and herbs. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus and peel the bottom of any thick spears. Boil them for just 1 to 2 minutes, then put them straight into cold water so they stay green. Drain them really well and cut them into bite-sized pieces. You can set a few tips aside for the top but I usually don’t bother. Wash and chop the herbs.
4. Whisk the custard. Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche and milk until smooth.
5. Stir in salt, pepper, dill and chives.
6. Fill the pastry. Spread the salmon and asparagus over the base. I like to keep the asparagus on top so some of the spears can pop out on top and get a bit of a roasted flavor.
7. Pour the custard in slowly so it runs in around all the pieces. Stop pouring just below the rim. If you have custard left over, see the tips below.
8. Bake. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the middle still wobbles a little. To check, insert a knife just off-center. It should come out clean, or with only a little moist custard on it. Don’t freak out if it puffs up! Totally normal. It settles as it cools.
9. Leave it for 10 minutes before slicing, so the custard firms up and the slices hold together
Tips for the Best Salmon and Asparagus Quiche
- Buy asparagus in season. Look for firm spears with tight tips, all about the same thickness so they cook evenly.
- The amount of filling depends on how deep your dish is, and I often have some left over. I keep a few mini quiche bases in the freezer if this happens, and the extra makes a mini salmon and asparagus quiche. Otherwise, I cook it in a pan as a little omelette.
What to Serve with Salmon and Asparagus Quiche
This quiche is best served slightly warm either with a simple lettuce salad or with a few crudité salads alongside.
In France, the green salad usually comes after the quiche rather than on the same plate. It’s just lettuce with a simple dressing like my lemon shallot vinaigrette, to freshen things up before cheese or dessert. You can read more about the French way of eating here.
For a Baltic-style meal, put out a few small bowls of raw vegetable salads and let everyone help themselves. A creamy cucumber salad and a grated carrot salad are the two I make most often with this quiche. A red radish salad with dill is lovely too.
This quiche also makes a great savory breakfast item for weekend brunches.
Storage and Make Ahead
- This quiche is good warm or at room temperature, so you can bake it a few hours ahead or even the day before and reheat it. Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- It’s best to reheat slices in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave, because the pastry stays crisp.
Troubleshooting
- Watery quiche – it’s really important to drain the asparagus well and pat it dry before adding to the quiche.
- Soggy base – the pastry needed longer in the oven before filling. It should look dry and lightly golden.
- Rubbery custard – it was baked too long, or there was too much egg for the amount of cream. Take it out while the middle still wobbles a tiny, tiny bit.
- Custard spilling over the pie crust – Not the end of the world, but next time stop pouring just under the rim and bake the rest in a mini quiche base or as an omelet.
- Tough, stringy asparagus – Make sure you break the bottom part of the asparagus off and peel the remaining bottoms if they are hard. What I usually do is take a bite out of the base of a raw asparagus spear. If I can bite it off easily, its fine to go in my quiche. Otherwise, I need to peel it back a bit more.
FAQ
Yes! Both are mild, and complement each other.
If I am using fresh salmon, I do, but only until it’s just cooked through, because it finishes cooking in the quiche. Some people say you don’t have to, but ever since I did a safe food handling unit with my TAFE certificate in commercial cookery, I am a bit more careful about properly cooking fish. Canned and smoked salmon go in without cooking.
Yes, a quick couple of minutes in boiling water will soften them up otherwise they may be too hard in the quiche.
Yes. Drain it well, take off the skin, remove the bones, and add it without cooking it.
Yes. It’s stronger and saltier than fresh, so add it uncooked and use less salt in the custard.
Yes, I’ve made it with both. Puff pastry gives a flakier edge, and phyllo a thin, crisp one. I still prefer homemade shortcrust.
Yes to both. Use 1 teaspoon of dried dill for 1 tablespoon of fresh, or leave the herbs out for a plainer quiche.
More Quiche and Salmon Recipes
- Salmon spinach quiche
- Asparagus ricotta quiche with phyllo dough
- Leek and Gruyère quiche
- Authentic French Quiche Lorraine
- French Bacon and Mushroom Quiche
If you are looking for more recipes using salmon, you can try my easy salmon quinoa salad or my canned salmon and cream cheese toast recipe.
Made this Asparagus and Salmon Quiche? Leave a rating below. It helps other home cooks find it. Every recipe on this blog is made and tested in my own kitchen. You can read more about how I develop and test recipes here. 🙂
Easy Salmon and Asparagus Quiche Recipe Card
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Easy Salmon and Asparagus Quiche
Equipment
- 1 Vegetable peeler to peel the asparagus
- 1 medium pot to blanch the asparagus
- 1 medium bowl to mix the custard mixture
Ingredients
- 1 × 23 cm 9 in pastry case: homemade shortcrust or store-bought quiche base, puff pastry or phyllo
- 10 oz skinless fresh salmon fillet 300 grams
- 9 oz asparagus 250 grams
- 3 large or extra-large eggs or 4 small to medium
- 3/4 cup full-fat crème fraîche or heavy cream 180 ml
- 1/4 cup whole milk 60 ml
- 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped (or 1 tsp dried dill), optional
- 1 tbsp fresh chives chopped, optional
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Blind bake the pastry until the base is dry and lightly golden.
- Remove any skin and bones, then air fry the fresh salmon at 190°C (375°F) for 5 to 7 minutes, or bake it at 200°C (400°F) for 8 to 10 minutes, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and break into large chunks.
- Snap off the woody asparagus ends and peel the base of any thick spears. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to cold water. Drain well, pat dry and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche and milk until smooth. Stir in the salt, pepper, dill and chives.
- Spread the salmon and asparagus in the pastry case, with some asparagus on top. Pour the custard in slowly, stopping just below the rim.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set, the middle has a slight wobble, and a knife inserted just off-center comes out clean.
- Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Pastry: homemade shortcrust, puff pastry or phyllo dough (for phyllo dough, brush each sheet with melted butter as you layer it)
- Remove the skin from fresh, leftover or canned salmon.
- Smoked or canned salmon can be added uncooked. Reduce the salt.
- Dried dill works well. Use 1 tsp dried for 1 tbsp fresh.
- To replace the crème fraîche, mix 2/3 heavy cream with 1/3 full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, and reheat in the oven or air fryer.
- Best served slightly warm.
This sounds so tasty. I always make the same old quiche. I’m excited to try a new one!
Thanks so much Beck. I hope you enjoy it. It’s got a really nice, fresh flavor!
I love quiche, and this one with salmon and asparagus looks really good. Do you have any recommendations for other vegetables that would work in place of asparagus? Just wondering.
Thanks Deborah 🙂 Yes, spinach also goes really well with salmon. You can check out my salmon and spinach quiche recipe for details.