This lentil quiche is a delicious savoury tart with a crisp olive oil pastry and a tasty lentil and red pepper filling. It's perfect for a healthy vegetarian lunch, and has plenty of protein and fibre.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- A delicious savoury vegetarian tart which is easy to make dairy-free and gluten-free
- Healthy lentil quiche is a great way to include more lentils in your diet. They are a good source of plant protein and are highly nutritious. (Read more about the nutrients in lentils.)
- A budget friendly quiche recipe which is good for meal prep
I have to say, this lentil tart is utterly delicious. Since making it a couple of days ago, I can hardly wait to have a slice for my lunch. I honestly think it's the best quiche I've ever made;)
Ingredients
This healthy lentil quiche is made with an olive oil pastry. Not only is it lower in saturated fat, but it is also much easier to make than pastry with butter (there's no rubbing in required). It's also delicious and crisp.
If you prefer, you can make the recipe with this oat flour pastry. Use certified oats to make it gluten free. Or you could also use the wholemeal pastry from these mini cheese and onion quiches.
You can also use the recipe to make a crustless lentil quiche - make sure that you oil the baking dish so that it's easier to remove the quiche.
To make olive oil pastry, you'll simply need plain flour and olive oil, as well as water and seasoning.
Filling ingredients
Lentils. You'll need either green or brown lentils which will have a good texture. Red lentils are too mushy for this recipe.
I cooked the lentils for the recipe, but if you prefer you can use a drained can of lentils which will save time.
Onion and red pepper both add sweetness, flavour and colour to this healthy lentil quiche. You can vary the vegetables if you like - maybe add leeks instead of onions, or try lentil and mushroom quiche.
Make sure that any additional vegetables that you use are well drained and precooked if needed so that they are not too crunchy.
Eggs and milk make the savoury custard for the quiche. You can use dairy free milk if required.
Cheddar cheese is optional in the recipe
Seasoning. I seasoned my quiche simply with salt and pepper, but you could also use spices such as nutmeg, or even a little curry powder if you prefer.
How to make lentil quiche
If you are using uncooked lentils, give them a rinse under the tap. Then pop them in a pan and cover them with boiling water. Bring up to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes.
They should be fully cooked through, but not mushy. Drain the lentils and set aside.
Pastry
Make the olive oil pastry whilst the lentils are cooking.
Place the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and make a dip in the centre. Add the water and olive oil to the flour, and mix with a fork. It should start to clump together.
Using your hands, bring the pastry together into a ball. If it seems too dry to stick together, sprinkle over a few drops more of water.
Place the pastry dough in a bag in the fridge whilst you get on with the rest of the recipe.
Lentil and red pepper filling
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Fry the chopped onions until lightly golden.
Add the sliced peppers and fry for a few more minutes until they are starting to soften.
Add the cooked lentils to the pan and mix together. Set aside.
Assembling and baking lentil quiche
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and place it on a floured board or work surface. Flatten it down with your fingers into a circle.
Roll out using a floured rolling pin. The pastry will need to be about 30cm in diameter to cover the base and sides of the quiche tin.
Transfer the pastry to the tin. Prick the base all over with the prongs of a fork. This will prevent the pastry from rising up in the heat of the oven.
I like to place the tin on a baking tray as it makes it easier to transfer the tart to the oven. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Whilst the pastry is in the oven, beat the eggs together. After 10 minutes, remove the pastry from the oven and brush it with a little of the beaten egg. This will help to seal the pastry so that it stays crisp (no soggy bottoms!)
Then bake the sealed pastry for another 3-4 minutes.
Remove the pie crust from the oven. Spread the lentil and pepper mixture over the base. Then add the grated cheese if using.
Add the milk to the remaining beaten egg and season well. Mix together with a whisk so that the eggs are fully incorporated into the milk. Pour the savoury custard over the lentils.
Return the filled quiche to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Your baked lentil quiche should be risen and golden. Leave for a few minutes before cutting to allow the quiche to finish setting.
Serve hot, warm or cold.
Serving and storage
Lentil quiche is ideal for meal prep. You can make the quiche and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to serve it hot, reheat it in a preheated oven (180 degrees) for 15 minutes.
You can also partly make the quiche ahead of time and bake it later. You can store both the uncooked pastry dough and the cooked lentil and pepper mixture in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This healthy savoury lentil tart can also be frozen. Wrap well and either freeze the whole tart, or individual slices.
Lentil quiche is delicious as a vegetarian lunch dish, or as a light summer dinner. I like it with this healthy waldorf salad. Or serve a slice of quiche with a bowl of healthy soup.
Once chilled, the lentil quiche is pretty robust. So it's suitable for lunch boxes and picnics.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, canned lentils are cooked. So if you want to save time making this lentil quiche, you can add a drained can of lentils to the mixture.
I like to prebake a quiche pie crust for 10 minutes in a preheated oven. Partially cooking the crust before you add the filling helps to keep the pastry crisp. In addition, I seal the bottom of the pie crust with beaten egg and pop it back in the oven for a couple more minutes.
Yes, this recipe is ideal for making a dairy-free quiche. Simply switch the milk in the recipe to non-dairy milk. Any type of unflavoured, unsweetened milk will work fine. Omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese if you prefer.
Other healthy lentil recipes you might like
I love cooking with lentils! They are a great source of plant protein and fibre, and they've got a good flavour and texture. Even if you eat meat sometimes, lentils make a change and they are healthy and low in saturated fat.
You can even eat lentils cold in a salad, like this quick and easy lentil and carrot salad recipe.
Here are some of my other favourite lentil recipes that you might like to try.
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Recipe
Lentil Quiche
Equipment
- 24 inch tart tin
Ingredients
- 160 g plain flour
- 70 ml olive oil plus a drizzle for frying
- 50 ml water
- 100 g green or brown lentils or 240g cooked lentils
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 red pepper deseeded and sliced
- 3 eggs
- 180 ml milk
- 50 g cheddar cheese grated (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold water. Add the lentils to a pan and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes until tender. Drain and leave aside.
- Add the flour to a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Make a dip in the middle and add the olive oil and water.
- Mix the flour and oil/water together with a fork. The mixture will start to clump together. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl and leave the pastry dough to rest in the fridge.
- Place a frying pan on a medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and fry the onions for 3-4 minutes until starting to brown. Add the peppers and fry for another couple of minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the drained lentils.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan).
- Flour a pastry board or worktop. Place the pastry on the floured surface and gently flatten it into a circle with your fingers. Then, using a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry into a circle to fit the base and sides of your tart tin.
- Transfer the pastry to the tart tin. Push down into the corners and trim the top if necessary. Prick the base with a fork to stop the pastry from rising in the heat.
- Bake the pastry case in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk until mixed. Remove the pastry case from the oven and brush the bottom with a little of the beaten eggs. Return the pastry to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the milk to the remaining beaten egg and season well. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Remove the tart case from the oven. Add the lentil mixture and sprinkle over the grated cheese if using. Pour over the egg custard.
- Return the quiche to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until risen and golden.
Notes
- If you prefer to use a can of lentils, omit the first step in the recipe. Drain the canned lentils well and add to the onion/pepper mixture.
- For more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make olive oil pastry, see this dairy-free pastry recipe.
- I like to place the tart tin on a baking tray. It's easier to lift in and out of the oven, and if there are any spillages, they'll be caught on the tray.
- For a quick low-calorie lentil quiche, make the recipe crustless. Simply bake the filling ingredients in a well-oiled tin.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Caroline says
Made this today, I used your oat pastry recipe instead of the one in this recipe, I also added garlic in with the onions, smoked cheese, smoked paprika on the top. Served with salad. Delicious
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Your additions sound delicious.
Eva says
This sounds really tasty, I like the idea of the olive oil pastry toođź‘Ť