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Overhead shot of leek and gruyère quiche with a serving spatula.

Leek and Gruyère Quiche

Marissa
A French-style leek and gruyère quiche made with a generous amount of sautéed leeks and a light crème fraîche custard cut with milk. Gruyère goes both under the leeks and on top, for a crisp, flavorful bottom crust. Serve warm or at room temperature for a lunch, dinner or a savory breakfast.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Brunch, Mains
Cuisine French
Servings 6 servings
Calories 394 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 9 inch (23 cm) tart pan
  • 1 Large sauté pan
  • 1 Mixing bowl and whisk
  • 1 Pie weights (or dried beans/rice) for blind baking

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pie crust store-bought or homemade pâte brisée, 9 inch (23 cm)
  • 3 medium leeks about 1.1 lbs or 500 grams, white and light green parts, sliced into rounds
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil or butter.
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 cup crème fraîche 180 ml
  • 1/4 cup whole milk 60 ml
  • 1 cup 100 g grated gruyère
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • pinch Nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Fit the pie crust into the tart pan, prick the base with a fork, and blind bake for 10 minutes with pie weights. Set aside.
  • Wash the leeks very well and slice them in thin slices, rinsing them again to make sure all the sand is removed.
  • Heat the olive oil or butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced leeks (white and light green parts of the leek only) and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender, not browned. Season lightly. Let cool slightly.
  • Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche, and milk together in a medium bowl until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  • Sprinkle about two-thirds of the gruyère cheese directly onto the blind-baked crust.
  • Spread the cooled leeks mixture evenly over the cheese. Make sure you fill the crust generously with the leek mixture, but don’t overstuff it. The custard needs to cover it completely, so leave enough room for that.
  • Pour the custard filling over the leeks. Scatter the remaining gruyère on top.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes, until just set with a slight wobble in the center and lightly golden brown on top. Don’t worry if it puffs up, that’s normal, it will drop down as it cools. To test if it’s done, you can insert a thin knife in the center. It should come out mostly clean, maybe with a very faint custard trace, not a wet egg mixture. Note: If the crust edges start browning too deeply partway through, loosely cover the edges with foil.
  • Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. After 10 minutes it will be still warm and mostly set for clean slicing.
  • Garnish with parsley or chopped chives.

Notes

Substitutions and Additions

  • Pastry - Shortcrust is the classic choice, but you can also use puff pastry. Skip the pie weights, just prick the base well and give it a short 5 minute pre-bake before filling.
  • Crème fraîche - You can mix 2/3 heavy cream with 1/3 full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream or use half and half or just use whole milk. You can also use plant-based cream.
  • Gruyère cheese- This is the cheese most French people use for quiche but they also sometimes use Comté or Emmental. You can also use any grated cheese of your choice - swiss cheese or cheddar cheese work well or a simple leek and cheese quiche. Or you can completely leave out the cheese altogether, though it won't taste the same and you'll lose the moisture barrier that the cheese forms with the crust and may want to blind bake a few extra minutes
  • Bacon - You can add some pre-cooked chopped up "lardons" or bacon, which the French often do, but then it's not vegetarian...

 

Tips

  • Make sure you wash the leeks really well. You do not want little bits of sand in your quiche.
  • Cook the leeks until properly soft. Undercooked leeks release water in the oven and your quiche may not set properly.
  • Let it rest before cutting for straight edges when cutting.

 

Storage and Make-Ahead

  • Keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, covered.
  • Reheat in a 320°F (160°C) oven or air fryer rather than the microwave, so the crust stays crisp.
  • Leeks can be sautéed a day ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble.
  • Freezing – This quiche can be frozen once fully baked and cooled, for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 14gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 724mgPotassium: 217mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1305IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 312mgIron: 2mg
Keyword leek and cheese quiche, leek and gruyère quiche, leek and gruyère tart, leek gruyère quiche, leek quiche with gruyère
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