Easy "Vegetarian" Cauliflower Quiche with Mozzarella and Basil

So there I was, staring at an almost whole head of cauliflower just sitting in the fridge, looking back at me like, “seriously, is this it for me? just wasting awayyyyyy” And honestly, I couldn’t just let it go to waste like that… that would surely be a waste, so I rolled up my sleeves and decided to throw together a cauliflower quiche, and I have to say, it turned out way better than I expected. I mean, cream and cheese help pretty much everything, but cauliflower has this meaty, creamy texture that just works perfectly in a dish like this.

This one also happens to be a almost vegetarian recipe, which is always a nice bonus. I had some buffalo mozzarella leftover from a pizza I never got around to making, plus a handful of fresh basil leaves, so everything went in together and gave the whole thing this really lovely Italian veggie vibe. Not a single slice was left, and honestly, the cauliflower deserved this ending way more than the trash can.

If you’re looking for a recipe that uses up what you already have in the fridge, feels a little fancy without being a pain, and actually tastes incredible, this is it. Let’s get into it!

Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Quiche with Mozzarella and Basil

Servings: 12
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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How about a delicious vegetarian-friendly quiche with lightly sautéed cauliflower as the base, loaded with buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. Fair warning though, once you make this, just any old plain quiche won't cut it anymore. 🙂

Ingredients

Puff Pastry – 200g (1 roll)
Cauliflower – 1 small head or 1/2 large head
Tomato – 1 (peeled)
Onion – 1
Garlic – 2 cloves
Mozzarella Cheese – 120g (Buffalo Mozzarella)
Cream – 200ml
Eggs – 4
Olive Oil – A drizzle
Basil – A few leaves
Pepper – A pinch
Salt – A pinch

Directions

First, sauté the chopped onion and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil until the onion is golden brown.

Wash and break up the cauliflower and peel the tomato. Add the coarsely chopped cauliflower and tomato and sauté for about 8 minutes, until the cauliflower and tomato are almost fully cooked.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (392ºF or the temperature recommended on the puff pastry package) and line a tart tin with the puff pastry, pricking the bottom.

Then add the sautéed cauliflower.

Whip the cream and eggs, season with salt and pepper, and pour into the tart tin.

Finally, cover with slices of buffalo mozzarella cheese and a few basil leaves and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Like any quiche, you can swap and add ingredients however you like, if you have leftover veggies, cooked meats, or different cheeses hanging around, just throw them in, that’s kind of the beauty of it.

A couple of tips worth keeping in mind: if your cauliflower is releasing a lot of moisture during the sauté, don’t rush it, let it cook off properly or your quiche base might turn out a bit watery. Also, pricking the pastry bottom really does matter, it keeps it from puffing up unevenly under the filling.

If you want a bit more depth, a pinch of nutmeg in the cream and egg mixture is a classic quiche move and pairs really well with the cauliflower here.

One more thing worth mentioning, this recipe does use eggs and cream, so it’s not fully vegan or completely plant based, but i would say it is vegetarian friendly. It’s still incredibly wholesome, pretty healthy overall, and absolutely delicious, which is honestly what matters most.

This recipe for Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Quiche with Mozzarella and Basil was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Quiche de Couve-Flor e Mozzarella foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.