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Leek and Gruyere Quiche

This Leek and Gruyere Quiche highlights a classic flavor pairing in a perfectly custardy dish with a few shortcuts that make it even more enjoyable. With tender leeks and creamy gruyere cheese, it's an impressive brunch or even meal prep for the week.

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Ingredients

Ingredient quantities and full recipe can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Pie crust: When I have time and plan ahead, I like to make a homemade pie crust. But when I don’t (which is the more often scenario) I buy a frozen store-bought pie crust.
Leeks: The white and light green parts of about 3 large leeks sliced into half moons.
Gruyere cheese: One of my favorite cheeses. It’s mild, semi-hard, with a little funk. Similar to a cheddar cheese but less sharp.
- The closest substitution is Swiss cheese if you’re having trouble finding gruyere.
Eggs: Four large eggs. If you only have medium eggs, use five of them.
Heavy cream and whole milk: The combination of heavy cream and whole milk creates a perfect creamy consistency that helps result in a custardy moist egg mixture.
Salt and pepper: Always kosher salt and fresh black pepper, if you can.
Olive oil: To sauté the leeks before adding them to the quiche.

How to make a Leek and Gruyere Quiche

1. Par-bake your pie crust in a pie pan at 400°F for 10 minutes then remove. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

2. Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, once warm add the leeks and sauté until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Set them aside to get to room temperature.

Egg mixture with cream, milk, salt, and pepper.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, salt and pepper.

4. Place the pre-made pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet, put the sautéed leeks on the bottom.

5. Pour the egg mixture directly on top of the leeks.

6. Scatter the grated cheese overtop, allowing it to sink in a bit.

7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown and set. Remove and let the baked quiche cool for at least 15 minutes before digging in.

Tips and tricks

This leek and cheese quiche is one of the simpler ones to make, but with a ton of flavor.

Leeks are dirty, especially between their layers. Make sure you are cleaning them well after you cut them (by rinsing under cold water).
To par-bake your crust use a piece of parchment paper topped with pie weights or dried beans to help keep its shape. If you use dried beans, you should not use them for cooking in the future.
To know if your quiche is set and ready to take out of the oven, give it a gentle wiggle. If the center looks liquidy it is not set yet.
To get a flaky crust and to keep the bottom of the quiche crust from getting soggy, par-baking is crucial.
- Good to know: Par-baking and blind baking are two different things – par-baking bakes the crust only a little, whereas blind baking fully bakes the crust with no filling.
If you want to add some more veggies, sautéed spinach or mushrooms would be great.

How to make your own pie crust

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 tablespoon cold water (ice water preferred)

Combine the flour, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add 3 tablespoon water and pulse until you get moist crumbles that stick together when squeezed in your fist. If you need to add more water, do so a splash at a time. Turn it out onto a clean surface and form it into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to use, roll it out on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin until roughly ¼ inch thin.

Storage and reheating

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through or in an oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
To freeze, bake it until cooked through then wrap tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months, but eating it after 1 month is recommended.

What to serve alongside leek and gruyere quiche

Simple green salad
Berries or citrus fruit
Crispy maple bacon or breakfast sausage

FAQs

How are leeks different than onions?

They are in the same family (allium), but leeks are more mild than an onion.

Can I add meat?

Sure! Any meat you add, make sure it’s cooked before you bake everything.

Do I need to cook leeks before adding them to a quiche?

Yes, you do. They will not cook fully if added raw.

What’s the easiest way to cut leeks?

Trim off the root end and the dark green parts. Slice in half lengthwise, then cut thin slices of half moons.

Is heavy cream or milk better for a quiche?

Milk will give you a lighter quiche, and cream will give you a richer quiche - that’s why I use a combination of the two, light yet rich.

Can this be made in a tart pan?

No, there's too much filling it would overflow.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

4 eggs
¼ cup whole milk
¾ cup heavy cream
3 leeks sliced into half-moons, 2 cups
¾ cup shredded gruyere cheese
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 store bought pie crust

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400℉.
Par-bake your pie crust in a pie pan at 400°F for 10 minutes then remove. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, once warm add the leeks and sauté until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Set them aside to get to room temperature.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, salt and pepper.
Place the pre-made pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet, put the sautéed leeks on the bottom.
Pour the egg mixture directly on top of the leeks.
Scatter the grated cheese overtop, allowing it to sink in a bit.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown and set. Remove and let the baked quiche cool for at least 15 minutes before digging in.

Nutrition Estimate

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Eggs, quiche

Author: Haley

Chicken Tomato and Rice Soup

Chicken Tomato and Rice Soup is so easy to throw together and such a cozy meal. It uses rotisserie chicken and passata to keep it simple, and a mirepoix, garlic, and oregano give it more flavor. It's a more hearty soup than a classic tomato soup, and just as cozy – bonus points for filling up the whole family.

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Ingredients

This tomato rice soup recipe uses some simple ingredients that combine to make something so flavorful. Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Passata: strained puréed uncooked tomatoes. Tomato purée also can be used, I just prefer the texture of the strained tomatoes (they're also a great base for tomato sauce).
Mirepoix: a combination of ingredients that makes up the flavor base for the soup.
- Onion: one small yellow onion, minced.
- Celery: one stalk, finely chopped.
- Carrot: one large carrot, chopped as fine as you can get it.
Garlic: four garlic cloves minced.
Rotisserie chicken: store bought rotisserie chicken works just fine. You can alternatively roast your own whole chicken, or use leftover chicken from another recipe (just make sure it wasn't cooked in a strong marinade or anything).
Broth: chicken stock, chicken broth, vegetable stock, vegetable broth, all work.
White rice: basmati rice, jasmine rice, or long grain white rice all work. Dried oregano: adds a nice herbaceousness.
Salt: kosher salt, always.
Pepper: fresh cracked black pepper is best if you can use it.

How to make chicken tomato and rice soup

1. Warm a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle in olive oil and add the mirepoix – onion, carrot and celery – cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.

3. Pour in the passata and chicken stock, bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat.

4. Add the uncooked rinsed rice. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring a few times.

5. Stir in the cut up rotisserie chicken. Let that simmer in with everything for a few minutes until warmed through and the rice is finished cooking.

Tips and tricks

Rinse the rice well before you add it to the pot. It’s important to rinse off the excess starch so the soup doesn’t become too thick.
This recipe calls for shredded chicken or cubed, honestly I just do whatever is easiest at the time for getting it off the bone, it usually falls as a mixture of both.
If you want to use brown rice, you’ll need to cook it for longer and add more broth as needed. Brown rice takes around 30 minutes to cook, as opposed to white rice which is around 10-15 minutes. I would not recommend wild rice because its cook time is too long (45 minutes).
You can use cooked rice if you’d like or have some left over from another recipe, but then reduce the amount of broth you add by 1 cup.
A great way to get the most use out of the whole chicken is by making stock once you pick off the meat. Put the carcass in a large pot, cover it with water, and put any cooking scraps you have in with it such as onion peel, garlic, carrot tops, etc. Simmer for a few hours and strain. Save in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 3-4 months.
I like to serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and fresh herbs – I used thyme, but parsley would be great.
Always taste for salt and add more if needed based on your preference.

Storage and reheating

Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat, warm in a saucepan on medium heat or in the microwave for a few minutes.
- The rice may continue to absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to add another splash of broth or water to get it back to its original soupy consistency.

Instant pot instructions

Follow the recipe instructions but when you add the rice, cover the pot and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes, then natural release for 8 minutes. Add the chicken when the rice is done cooking to warm it through.

FAQs

Is white rice healthy?

It is good for you in moderation. However, with a higher glycemic index, brown rice is a healthier alternative.

What are the health benefits of tomatoes?

Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and are low in carbs. Read more about their nutrition information here.

Should I cook the rice before adding it to the soup?

Not for this recipe, no. The rice will cook in with the broth and passata, giving it even more flavor as it absorbs them. If you have leftover rice though it is totally fine to use.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!

📖 Recipe

Chicken Tomato and Rice Soup

Chicken Tomato and Rice Soup is so easy to throw together and such a cozy meal. It uses rotisserie chicken and passata to keep it simple, and a mirepoix, garlic, and oregano give it more flavor. It's a more hearty soup than a classic tomato soup, and just as cozy – bonus points for filling up the whole family.

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 23

Total Time: 43

Servings: servings