What a way to show off your summer garden tomato harvest than with this delicious and nutritious kale and heirloom tomato crustless quiche.
Some say tomato, others say frittata. Huh? Or is this a crustless quiche? In farsi, we call these egg dishes, kookoo. I tend to over think things when I’m naming a new recipe. Remember my not-too-long-away slushy-icee-cooler dilemma?
Although I do have Italian flavors in this egg dish, including parmesan cheese, I decided to name this dish with my first choice, the crustless quiche. No rhyme or reason, it just felt right.
Why this recipe is so awesome
The Italian frittata is made with mostly eggs with little to no milk or cream. It is traditionally prepared in a cast iron pan, started on the stove and then finished in the oven. The Spanish tortilla is also prepared similarly to the Italian frittata. A quiche contains cream and is completely baked in the oven.
Now quiche’s come in all flavors and textures. Some are silky smooth and others are more rustic. This crustless quiche is more on the rustic side, which I think pairs beautifully with my garden kale and heirloom tomatoes.
It is very easy to make and is a fabulous way to show off your gorgeous summer tomatoes.
Persians also have a similar crustless quiche called kuku. Persian kookoo have less eggs and always have another vegetable mixed in with it. There’s Kuku Sabzi (made with herbs) and even Kuku Sib Zamini (made with potatoes).
You should also try my crustless quiche with sausage and vegetables – so hearty and delcious!
Ingredients you need
- Kale: Other greens you can use include chard and spinach.
- Fresh basil: Fresh herbs give so much more flavor than dried herbs. You can also use oregano or chives.
- Tomatoes: Be sure to choose use fresh tomatoes that are in season and have flavor. The more colorful tomatoes make a bigger impact in presentation.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in this recipe. You can use extra large eggs, it will just have a thicker egg layer.
- Heavy cream: You could use whole milk, but heavy cream makes the dish richer and fluffier.
- Parmesan cheese: Use grated parmesan cheese instead of shredded as it will melt more evenly while it bakes.
- Pantry staples: Baking soda, salt and black pepper
Step-by-step directions
1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, cheese, salt, black pepper and baking soda.
2. Wash and remove stems from kale. Finely chop kale and basil then mix in with the eggs.
3. Pour egg mixture into a 9-inch cast iron skillet. You can also use a lightly greased pie plate.
4. Cut tomatoes into ¼-inch rounds then layer the tomato slices over the top of the egg mixture, slightly overlapping them. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper.
5. Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 40 minutes, or until the center of the quiche is set.
Recipe tips and FAQs
You can make any variety of crustless quiches depending on the flavors you love. You can take any quiche recipe, omit the crust and bake the filling using the directions I provide below.
When I make a crustless quiche, many people ask, well, why? Why omit the crust of the quiche? Well, if you are counting carbs, this crustless quiche is the best way to enjoy a quiche.
Also, I never really cared for the crust of the quiche. Many times it is soggy and flavorless, so removing it from the dish completely only improves the meal. Well, that’s my opinion.
Got too many tomatoes and need more tomato inspiration? How about a Whole Wheat Pizza with Pesto, Tomatoes and Brie or an even simpler Tomato and Brie Tart made with puff pastry? Oven Roasted Tomato Salsa is so easy to make and even more delicious when you use homegrown tomatoes!
Yes, a crustless quiche can be frozen after it has been baked and cooled. If you want to freeze the crustless quiche as a whole, bake it in a metal pie pan because it is freezer safe. To reheat your frozen crustless quiche, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then bake it in the oven at 400ºF for about 20-30 minutes.
You can also freeze individual slices of your crustless quiche. Wrap each slice tightly in foil and freeze. To reheat, unwrap from foil, place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 1-2 minutes. You also reheat the individual slice of crustless quiche in a toaster oven.
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Kale and Heirloom Tomato Crustless Quiche
What a way to show off your summer garden tomato harvest than with this delicious and nutritious kale and heirloom tomato crustless quiche.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 leaves of kale
- ½ cup fresh basil, loosely packed
- 5 medium-sized tomatoes, various colors
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and baking soda.
- Wash and remove stems from kale.
- Finely chop kale and basil then mix in with the eggs.
- Pour egg mixture into a 9-inch cast iron skillet. You can also use a lightly greased pie plate.
- Cut tomatoes into ¼-inch rounds then layer the tomato slices over the top of the egg mixture, slightly overlapping them.
- Season tomatoes with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the center of the quiche is set.
- Optional: Heat the quiche on broil for 5 minutes to brown the top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 266mgSodium: 793mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g
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