Gluten-free Asparagus Leek Quiche with Quinoa Crust

Gluten-free Asparagus Leek Quiche is a fantastic recipe for spring or Easter brunch. It is perfect for all sorts of guests because it is a gluten-free and dairy-free recipe. I love the fresh crunch of asparagus in this spring recipe. Asparagus is in season during the springtime which means it has a bright crispy flavour whereas winter asparagus tends to be a bit fibrous. Leeks are another classic spring veggie that I had to add to this gluten-free quiche. They have a subtle sweet onion flavour that pairs nicely with the eggs and asparagus. Keep reading for the recipe and my tips on how to clean leeks.

How to clean leeks

Leeks tend to be a really dirty veggie. The sandy soil likes to nestle between the tightly wound leaves and it can be hard to clean. It is important to clean them really well so you don’t end up with gritty soil in your gluten-free asparagus leek quiche. If your leeks don’t look too dirty, you can clean them by running them under cold water. If they look quite sandy, soak them for 15 minutes in cold water to loosen up the soil, then run it under cold water again to rinse off the dirt. For super sandy leeks, I like to cut them first before I soak them to remove the dirt, then I rinse them.

Gluten-free Asparagus Leek Quiche with Quinoa Crust Recipe

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 60 minutes | Serving Size: 4

Gluten-Free Quinoa Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Asparagus Leek Quiche Filling Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 leek, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 1 cup asparagus, sliced diagonally
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 5 eggs
• ⅓ cup milk of choice, I use almond milk
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl mix together cooked quinoa, 1 egg, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate and press into the sides to make a crust. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. Add avocado oil to a pan and heat to medium heat. Lightly sauté leeks for 5 minutes. Add asparagus and sauté until vibrant green for 2 minutes. Add peas and garlic stir until mixed and remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
5. Distribute the spring veggie mixture evenly over the quinoa crust. Top with the egg mixture. Bake for 40 minutes at 375F until the egg is set.

How I give this Gluten-free Asparagus Leek Quiche a cheesy flavour

I made this recipe dairy-free because I’m currently avoiding dairy. I find when I’m pregnant or nursing, I can eat all the dairy I want to without any issues. Now that my baby is totally weaned I find that dairy, with the exception of butter, agitates my digestion.

I used nutritional yeast in this recipe to give it a cheesy flavour. Nutritional Yeast is sometimes referred to as “nooch” and it is one of the few vegan sources of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is very important to include in our diet because it supports the production of red blood cells, prevents amenia, allows nerve cells to develop properly and helps your cells metabolize proteins, carbs and fats. Nutritional Yeast also contains notable amounts of thiamin (vitamin B1) which helps maintain your energy supplies.

Now that you know more about nutritional yeast, you can use it in my Crispy Chickpea Kale Salad recipe!

Easter Brunch Recipes

What is your family tradition around Easter? We like to start the morning with an Easter Egg hunt before eating brunch. Not ideal to start the day with chocolate, but it sure is delicious! I have some yummy Easter Brunch recipes you can make ahead of time so you aren’t in the kitchen during the morning Easter Egg hunt.

• Strawberry Banana Chia Pudding (pictured above) is a delicious and nourishing breakfast. It is so yummy it feels like you are having dessert for breakfast! Chia pudding has a fun texture, similar to tapioca pudding, and the strawberries and bananas give it juicy bursts of sweetness. Make it the night before and serve in wine glasses decorated with thinly sliced fruit for an Easter egg look. Get the recipe here. 
• Easter Eggie Bites quick and savoury breakfast or snack. They are the perfect breakfast for someone who is too busy in the morning to make a healthy breakfast. You can make them on the night before and they taste great straight out of the fridge. Get my Easter Eggie Bite recipe.
• Anti-inflammatory Carrot Muffins get their anti-inflammatory boost from turmeric. Turmeric gives these muffins and beautiful vibrant colour but the flavour is very subtle. They are moist due to the carrots and have a delicious texture thanks to the shredded coconut. I like to enjoy them two at a time with tahini and a cup of tea. Get the recipe here.

Easter Treats

Easter is all about the treats but why not make your own! These healthy Easter treats look super cute but they won’t spike your blood sugar the same way processed treats do.

• Almond Crispy Rice Easter Eggs are a fun and healthy way to celebrate this spring holiday. They are made with whole food ingredients like crispy brown rice, almond butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup. They taste great as is, but I like to top them with a little melted chocolate and naturally coloured sprinkles. I can also assure you that Almond Crispy Rice Easter Eggs are toddler and preschooler approved. My son said “So yummy, crunch!” when he first took a bite. Get my Almond Crispy Rice Easter Egg recipe.
• Chocolate Sunflower Butter Eggs (pictured above) are the perfect Easter treat. One of my favourite Easter treats is peanut butter eggs. I love peanut butter, but so many people are allergic so I decided to create a nut-free version using Sunflower seed butter. To make my chocolate eggs even better, I added puffed quinoa to add crunch to the creamy sunflower butter filling. And of course, they are coated in chocolate! Find my Chocolate Sunflowerbutter Eggs recipe here.
• Chocolate Coconut Easter Nests are the perfect way to celebrate Easter in a healthy way. Nothing beats the combination of chocolate and coconut, especially when they come together in this fudgy festive treat. Chocolate Coconut Easter Nests are packed with fibre and sweetened with honey so they won’t spike your blood sugar or your kid’s. They are also super easy to make because they don’t require any baking! Get this Easter treat recipe here. 

Other Gluten-free Quiche Recipes

I love quiche! It is such a versatile recipe and can be enjoyed at breakfast, brunch or lunch. If you like my Gluten-free Asparagus Leek Quiche you will love these other quiche recipes.

• Cheddar Broccoli Quiche with Quinoa Crust (pictured above) is a yummy classic turned gluten-free. Quiche is such a versatile meal. It makes a super filling breakfast or lunch. It can be enjoyed warm out of the oven or cold straight out of the fridge. This quiche has a quinoa crust making it even higher in protein than a regular quiche. Get my cheddar broccoli quiche recipe here. 
• Mini Mediterranean Gluten-Free Quiche is made with flaky gluten-free paleo crust and is filled with delicious Mediterranean flavours like sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and black olives. These mini quiches are dairy-free and make a perfect appetizer or brunch item. Get my mini Mediterranean quiche recipe here.
• Broccoli Cornbread Quiche is a fun twist on the traditional quiche. It has a moist gluten-free cornbread base topped with fluffy dairy-free broccoli quiche. The flavours are really simple letting the cornbread, eggs and broccoli shine through. Get my cornbread quiche recipe here.