Crustless Vegetable Quiche
on Dec 07, 2020, Updated Jul 08, 2024
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This Crustless Vegetable Quiche has everything you love about traditional quiche minus the hassle and extra calories from the crust! Made with broccoli, bell peppers, onion, sun dried tomatoes and plenty of cheese. It’s the perfect savory dish to serve for breakfast or even dinner!
If you love this crustless quiche, try my broccoli crustless quiche!
This recipe and photos has been updated since the original post on 3/22/2015
Why you’ll love it
No pie crust – Traditional quiche is delicious, but sometimes you either don’t have pie dough, forgot to pull it out of the freezer, or just don’t want to deal with rolling it out and worrying about if it will bake through.
Healthy quiche – Crustless quiche is a healthier alternative to traditional quiche. Omitting the crust cuts back on both calories and fat, but doesn’t sacrifice the flavor.
High protein breakfast – If you’re someone who likes to include a good amount of protein with their breakfast, then this crustless vegetarian quiche is for you! There’s 18 grams of protein in each serving.
Versatile filling – The vegetables used in this quiche can easily be swapped with what your family likes or what you have on hand. For suggestions, see below in the frequently asked questions section.
The ingredients
- Onion, bell pepper, broccoli florets – The veggies for the quiche.
- Sun dried tomatoes – I love the sweet, rich tomato flavor they add to the quiche.
- Garlic powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes – Dried spice blend that give the quiche lots of flavor.
- Eggs – Both whole eggs and egg whites are used.
- cottage cheese – Adds extra protein and cheesiness to the quiche and you won’t even know it’s there because it melts in with all the other ingredients.
- Milk – Low fat , whole milk, half and half, or cream can all be used.
- Cheese – Cheddar, mozzarella, Colby Jack are all good options.
How to Make Crustless Vegetable Quiche
Making this crustless quiche is the same as making traditional quiche, minus the pie dough. Start by sautéing the vegetables. Once they’re soft, set them aside while you prepare the rest of the filling.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, spices and half of the shredded cheese. Add the sautéed vegetables in with the mixture and stir everything together. Pour the filling into a deep pie dish or casserole dish and then top it with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until it’s set. Let the quiche cool for 10 minutes or so before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make the Quiche Ahead of Time?
Yes. You can prepare it the night before then let it sit out on the countertop for about an hour before baking it in the oven. It may require extra baking time if you put it into the oven ice cold.
Do I Have to Use Cottage Cheese?
I’m going to say yes to this. If you don’t you’ll have more of a frittata situation and it won’t be as cheesy. If you aren’t a fan of cottage cheese I promise you won’t even know it’s in this quiche. When it bakes the texture of the curds melts right in with the other ingredients.
Vegetable substitutions for crustless quiche
- Zucchini and/or summer squash
- Cauliflower florets
- Tomatoes, but remove the seeds or the filling will be soupy.
- Corn
- Spinach or kale, again squeeze out any excess liquid.
What size pie plate should I use to bake quiche in?
I used a 9 inch pie plate that is approximately 2 inches deep. It holds 1.4 quarts.
Can I make crustless quiche using only egg whites?
Yes, but your quiche will likely be smaller and not as thick as what you see in the pictures. Vice versa you can also make the quiche entirely with whole eggs.
More egg recipes
Did you make this crustless vegetable quiche? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Crustless Vegetable Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 5 eggs
- 3 egg whites
- 16 ounces low fat cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup low fat milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Colby Jack or Mozzarella can also be used
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking oil and set aside.
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes, and broccoli to the skillet. Season with the spices, salt and pepper and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the vegetables cool while you prepare the filling.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, milk and shredded cheese until the eggs are completely broken up and combined with the other ingredients. Pour in the vegetables and stir together.
- Pour the quiche filling into the prepared pie plate and bake for 45-55 minutes or until it's set. Test it by sticking a knife into the center and if it comes out clean it's ready. Let the quiche cool for several minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family would disown me if I didn’t make it for Mothers Day brunch annually!
Thanks so much for a Fantastic recipe!
Hi,
This looks absolutely delicious and I am planning on making it as part of a mother’s day brunch.
I read through the recipe and I couldn’t find any instruction on when or how to add the sun dried tomatoes.
Thank you. 😊
Someone mentioned flour in the comments and I don’t see it listed in the ingredients and the directions.
What a beautiful job that you’ve done with this healthy quiche recipe. I’m especially intrigued by your use of cottage cheese in it, what a fantastic idea! Looking forward to trying this version, soon!
Would it be possible to substitute non- or low-fat Greek yogurt for the cottage cheese?
This quiche was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I didn’t have any asparagus, so I used spinach instead… turned out great. I plan on slicing it and freezing individual servings. Thanks so much for such a wonderful recipe.
Thank you and I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the quiche Paige!