Nov 2, 2015

Crustless vegan chickpea flour quiche

Chickpea flour quiche vegan gluten free

This dish is the perfect answer to the age-old question: “What can I make for a vegan and gluten-free brunch?” This quiche is not only vegan and gluten-free, it’s delicious – omnivores will love it, too. And worry not, tofu haters, there’s no soy. It’s all chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour, a truly magical ingredient.

I have to say, I’ve always been a bit skeptical when people say chickpea flour can mimic eggs. But I think my quiche is proof positive. It’s got just the right texture, and an eggy taste thanks to black salt. This Indian salt really does the trick, so it’s worth seeking out.

There more reasons to love this thing:

• “Crustless” means it goes together in no time.
• You can vary the vegetables to your liking.
• It’s great left over and eaten right out of the fridge.

Happy brunching!

Crustless Vegan Chickpea Flour Quiche

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise then sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1¼ cups chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
3 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt (preferably black salt – kala namak)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini and red pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garbanzo bean flour, baking powder, flax, vinegar and 1 cup water and set aside.

Add the remaining water to the pan with the vegetables, along with the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Whisk in the chickpea flour mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be very thick and heat should be high enough to keep it bubbling a bit.

Use a spatula to pour into a 9” pie plate (regular or deep dish). Smooth over the top with a spatula. Bake 30 minutes. Let cool before serving. May then be served at room temperature, or reheated.

See more recipes: Breakfast, Entrees, Gluten-free, Vegan

Comments

  • I’ll have to try this. I use besan all the time. Just made a socca with cremini shrooms that made it thicker like a quiche (but not this thick). I had bookmarked a recipe for a quiche similar to yours, so this is on my list! What is the nutritional yeast for? I’ve never quite figured that out, and I think it might not agree with me. I know it’s supposed to have nutrients and add an earthy flavor, but is it necessary?

  • whatwouldcathyeat

    Hi Adair. The nutritional yeast has a particular flavor which is really hard to describe. I fear that the quiche might be a bit bland without it. It may also help thicken the mixture, but I’m not sure. Maybe cut it down to 2 tablespoons and give it a try?

  • Donna McFarland

    Hi Cathy! I so appreciate your wonderful, healthful, delicious recipes! Please tell me where I can find garbanzo bean flour? Thank you so much! Looking forward to making this!

  • whatwouldcathyeat

    Hi Donna. You can find garbanzo bean flour almost anywhere now. Most grocery stores have a section for Bob’s Red Mill products.

  • Lynn S.

    I assume you mean 1/2 teaspoon of paprika?

  • whatwouldcathyeat

    Ha, yes Lynn, 1/2 teaspoon. I have corrected that in the recipe!

  • De Aun

    I’m curious as to the reasoning for precooking the garbanzo bean slurry when it’s all going into the oven anyway. It seems that causing it to thicken first would just complicate the process of filling the vessel. I like your recipe, but I wonder if you can you help me understand this step.

  • whatwouldcathyeat

    Thanks for the question De Aun, but I’m not sure I have a great answer. Most similar recipes have cooked fillings, so I went the same way. I’m not sure it would thicken quite the same way in the oven. If you try it without pre-cooking, let me know how it turns out!

  • Beth

    Hi Cathy,
    I just made this and I’m certain that I had the correct amount of dry vs. wet ingredients as called for in the recipe. Cooked it for 30 min at 375. Let cool for 20 minutes. Sliced to serve and it’s raw inside. It’s now back in the oven cooking more. The recipe calls for a total of 3 cups of water. Is that correct??
    Thanks. It smells good!

  • Beth

    Well, I cooked this for an additional 15 minutes. It didn’t help. Even after letting it sit around all night to cool it was still more like stew than quiche. Other recipes online cook at 500 degrees and also use much less water for the amount of chickpea flour. I also didn’t like the flavor of the cumin in the recipe. I’m afraid that I ended up throwing it out. Sorry, Cathy! This didn’t work out for me at all.

  • whatwouldcathyeat

    So sorry to hear that. I have made it many times and it works for me. Not sure what would cause it to fail!

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  • I will definitely try this recipe! Thank you for sharing!

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