This cheesy eggplant and onion quiche is simple and easy to make. It uses homemade pie crust, grilled eggplant and caramelized grilled onions topped with cheese. It's a great make-ahead dish, almost all components can be made the day before.
Table of Content
Have you realized that the eggplant is quite a neglected vegetable? Especially, considering that it has so much nutrition and benefits. And the kids? Gosh, try giving the kids an eggplant to eat.
As kids, I remember my mom would make us eggplant and I had fun eating it. My favorite was Indian Baigan Bhartha. Unlike today, when vegetables are available all year, back then, they use to be seasonal. Eggplants would grow during the months of August through October. And, I think that's exactly why kids in those times appreciated their vegetables better than now. It wasn't available for them all the time. So, when it was in season everybody would make all those delicious dinners to rave about. My mom spoke of grandma making curries, salads, spreads, tarts, and bakes. All wonderful combinations with this eggplant.
About this quiche
You must like eggplants and caramelized onions to enjoy this homemade quiche. If not, please check out some of my other quiche recipes.
This is a very versatile recipe and so many ways to make it your own. There are many ways to cook the eggplants or onions from stovetop, oven, or grill. Similarly, you can use any cheese that you think will work well with eggplant and onions. We love goat cheese.
The best part is everything in this recipe can be made ahead of time. So, if you have guests coming over on a busy weekday or any day, this is a great dish to make ahead of time. You can grill the eggplant and onions up to three days in advance and leave them in the fridge. On the day of the party, just put it all together.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Pie Crust - I would love to lie and tell you this is homemade pie crust just so you can use my no-fail pie crust recipe. But, it's not. It was one of those days when I was short on time and I had to use store-bought pie crust dough.
- Eggplant - If possible, use a seedless variety. I used a regular long eggplant and sliced it. Keep the slices about ¼ inch thick. Never wash eggplant after it's cut. It is like a sponge and it will soak up water and the resulting dish will be soggy.
- Onions - Use red onions, these caramelize and become sweet, which is what we want. It's what makes this quiche so wonderful.
- Cheese - Use your favorite cheese that melts easily. I like parmesan for that nutty flavor, cheddar for its sharpness and mozzarella to make it melting heaven.
Step by step instructions
Pie crust
- Make sure the butter is chilled so it can be cut into cubes. When cold, cut into small cubes.
- Measure the ingredients – place flour and salt in a metal bowl.
- Use a fork, pastry blender (I prefer my finger-tips) to cut the butter into the flour.
- Squish the butter and flour between your fingers until you have a fine bread crumb consistency.
- Add the chilled water in three batches – only as much as you need.
- Gather all the crumbs into a ball.
- Wrap in parchment paper and chill for at least an hour or until firm enough to roll.
Eggplant
- Wash the eggplant and cut into slices about ½ inch thick.
- Place them in a plastic or stainless steel colander (not aluminum)
- Sprinkle salt and let stand for 10 minutes.
- The salt will draw out the bitter juices.
- Use a paper towel to pat dry all the slices.
- Place the slices on an oiled baking tray and bake them in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes on each side.
- Alternatively, grill them until cooked.
Onions
- Clean and cut the onion into round slices.
- Sprinkle the slices with salt to release the juice
- Cook in a non-stick frying pan on the stovetop on medium to low heat until soft and caramelized.
- Alternatively, place them in an oiled baking tray and bake at 160 C / 320 F for about 10 to 20 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can grill them on a BBQ.
Assemble
- Preheat the oven to 190 C / 370 F.
- Roll and line a 9″ quiche pan or tart pan with the pie dough.
- Let chill for 15 minutes then line with parchment paper and pour some baking beans or pie weights
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes with pie weight. Then remove pie weights and bake 7 minutes without pie weight
- Reduce the oven temperature to 170 C / 340 F.
- Spread the red pesto evenly on the base of the pie crust
- Layer grilled onion slices, followed by the eggplant slices.
- Grate the three kinds of cheeses over
- Continue baking for about 30 minutes or until golden on the top.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Never be embarrassed to use store-bought pâte brisée. Just roll store-bought pie crust same as I have done with the homemade pie crust. Dock it, chill it and blind-bake just as the recipe says above.
This quiche will keep in the fridge well wrapped for up to 4 days. You can even freeze it for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge for best results.
I usually serve all my quiches warm because I don't like fridge-cold quiche. And yet, oven-hot quiche won't make impressive wedges either. As a guide, I let the quiche cool for a good half hour before serving.
Yes, place the slices on an oiled baking tray and bake them in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes on each side.
1. Cook in a non-stick frying pan on the stovetop on medium to low heat until soft and caramelized.
2. Alternatively, place them in an oiled baking tray and bake at 160 C / 320 F for about 10 minutes.
3. Or, you can grill them on a BBQ.
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Printable Recipe
Cheesy Eggplant and Onion Quiche
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Ingredients
Homemade Pie Dough
- 1 ½ cup (200 g) All-purpose flour
- 4 oz (113 g) Butter unsalted
- ½ tsp Salt
- 4 tablespoon (60 ml) Water chilled
For the Eggplant
- 2 Eggplants
For the Onions
- 2 Onions
For the quiche
- ¼ cup Red pesto (2 oz)
- 1 Grilled eggplant
- 2 Grilled red onions
- ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (60 g) Cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (60 g) Mozzarella
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Make sure the butter is chilled so it can be cut into cubes. When cold, cut into small cubes.
- Measure the ingredients – place flour and salt in a metal bowl.
- Use a fork, pastry blender (I prefer my finger-tips) to cut the butter into the flour.
- Squish the butter and flour between your fingers until you have a fine bread crumb consistency.
- Add the chilled water in three batches – only as much as you need.
- Gather all the crumbs into a ball.
- Wrap in parchment paper and chill for at least an hour or until firm enough to roll.
Eggplant
- Wash the eggplant and cut into slices about ½ inch thick.
- Place them in a plastic or stainless steel colander (not aluminum)
- Sprinkle salt and let stand for 10 minutes.
- The salt will draw out the bitter juices.
- Use a paper towel to pat dry all the slices.
- Place the slices on an oiled baking tray and bake them in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes on each side.
- Alternatively, grill them until cooked.
Onions
- Clean and cut the onion into round slices.
- Sprinkle the slices with salt to release the juice
- Cook in a non-stick frying pan on the stovetop on medium to low heat until soft and caramelized.
- Alternatively, place them in an oiled baking tray and bake at 160 C / 320 F for about 10 to 20 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can grill them on a BBQ.
Assemble
- Preheat the oven to 190 C / 374 F
- Roll and line a 9″ quiche pan or tart pan with the pie dough.
- Let chill for 15 minutes then line with parchment paper and pour some baking beans or pie weights
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes with pie weight. Then remove pie weights and bake 7 minutes without pie weight
- Reduce the oven temperature to 170 C / 356 F
- Spread the red pesto evenly on the base of the pie crust
- Layer grilled onion slices, followed by the eggplant slices.
- Grate the three kinds of cheeses over
- Continue baking for about 30 minutes or until golden on the top.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Red Pesto
I used store-bought red pesto but you can also make it yourself. In a food processor these ingredients until smooth.- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ cup roasted red peppers
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Pine nuts
- 4 basil leaves
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper as required
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Valerie
I see the red pesto but I do not see it in the list of ingredients or how to make it. How much do you use and how do you make it?
Veena Azmanov
Valerie, I used store-bought red pesto. You can buy red pesto from any supermarket.
If you want to make it yourself, I have put my recipe in the notes section of the recipe card. I hope you find it useful.