Tomato quiche is a delightful vegetarian dish made with an easy pie crust, savory tomatoes, creamy cheese and a velvety egg custard filling. Keep this quiche recipe handy in the summertime when the garden is full of fresh tomatoes.
Tomato Quiche Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Quiche is such an underrated dish. I mean, what’s not to love about a flaky pie crust filled with velvety egg custard? There are many great quiche recipes, but the cheesy vegetarian versions are my favorite—especially the ones that showcase seasonal produce like this gorgeous tomato quiche.

This tomato quiche boasts a concentrated tomato flavor that’s created by cooking the tomatoes with onions and thyme until all the moisture evaporates. Buttery Monterey Jack cheese and a rich egg custard are added to make a deeply satisfying mouthfeel and flavor. You really won’t miss the meat!

Quiche doesn’t need to be piping hot to taste great, so feel free to make it in advance. You can let it stand on the countertop at room temp for up to two hours. Serve it for breakfast, brunch or lunch alongside fruit, roasted potatoes or an easy side salad.

Ingredients for Tomato Quiche

  • Pie crust dough: Store-bought premade pie crust works in a pinch, but you’ll get a flakier texture with a homemade pie crust. Our Test Kitchen developed an easy dough for single-crust deep-dish pie: Combine 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in 2/3 cup cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add 3 to 6 tablespoons ice water, tossing with a fork until the dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk. Wrap the dough, and refrigerate it for one hour. (Psst: Check out our Test Kitchen’s top tips on how to make pie crust from scratch.)
  • Tomatoes: The quiche filling is smooth and luscious because we peel and seed the tomatoes before using them. The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to blanch them in boiling water. After about a minute, the peels should glide right off. Once they’re cool enough to handle, cut the tomatoes in half, and gently squeeze to remove the seeds.
  • Monterey Jack cheese: Monterey Jack has a mild, creamy flavor that complements the tomatoes without overpowering them.
  • Eggs and half-and-half cream: These ingredients come together to make a rich egg custard. Room-temperature eggs make the smoothest quiche filling, so set the eggs on the counter 30 minutes before you get started (but no longer than two hours). The egg yolks will break more easily and whip better into the egg whites.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pie crust

Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 1/8-inch-thick circle. Transfer it to a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim the crust to 1/2 inch beyond the rim of the plate, and flute the edge. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Editor’s Tip: To flute the edge, position your index finger’s knuckle on the edge of the pie, facing inward. Then, place your other thumb and index finger on the inside edge. Press the crust towards the knuckle, and pinch to form a V. Continue around the pie crust until you reach the original flute.

Step 2: Prepare the tomato quiche filling

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onion in butter until tender. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is almost evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 3: Layer the tomato quiche

Remove the prepared pie crust from the refrigerator. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over the crust. Add the tomato quiche filling, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

In a small bowl, make the egg custard by beating the eggs until foamy. Whisk in the half-and-half cream. Pour the egg custard over the filling.

Step 4: Bake the tomato quiche

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 325°, and continue baking until the top of the quiche begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Quiche is finished once it’s puffy and set at the edges. It should have a slight wobble in the center. The quiche will set from the residual heat after you remove it from the oven. Overbaking the quiche can cause the eggs to curdle and make the filling separate.

Step 5: Let the tomato quiche rest

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Let the quiche stand for 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip the resting step! The quiche will cut more cleanly if it has time to set properly.

Recipe Variations

  • Use a potato crust: Make a gluten-free tomato quiche using this potato crust recipe.
  • Make it crustless: To make a crustless tomato quiche, generously grease a deep-dish pie pan with butter or cooking spray. Prepare the tomato filling as instructed. After beating the eggs and half-and-half cream, stir in the Monterey Jack cheese and tomato filling. Add the quiche filling directly to the prepared dish. Cook at 350° for 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean.
  • Use another cheese: We use Monterey Jack cheese, but you can substitute another cheese if desired. Try cheddar, Gruyere, feta or a mixture of your favorite cheeses.
  • Add meat: Salty cured meats such as bacon or ham would make a great addition to tomato quiche. Just reduce the amount of salt you use in the recipe to ensure it doesn’t turn out too salty.

How to Store Tomato Quiche

You can let the quiche stand at room temperature for up to two hours. After that, transfer it to the refrigerator. It keeps best if the dish is tightly covered, although you can also place leftover slices in an airtight container. The quiche will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator, but the crust may become soggy over time. It’s best to enjoy it within a day or two.

How to Freeze Tomato Quiche

Let the tomato quiche cool completely. Wrap it in a double layer of foil, and freeze for up to three months. To serve, thaw the quiche in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it in a 350° oven until the internal temperature reaches 165°.

Tomato Quiche Tips

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How do you make the bottom of tomato quiche crispy?

If you want to make the bottom of your quiche crispy, blind bake the pie crust before you add the tomato filling and egg custard. Learn more about how to blind bake pie crust.

Is heavy cream better than milk in tomato quiche?

You can make quiche with milk or cream, though the choice will impact the quiche’s flavor and texture. We use half-and-half in our tomato quiche recipe. It’s thick enough to create a robust egg custard but not so rich that it overpowers the fresh tomato flavor. If you substitute milk, the quiche will be thinner and less flavorful. We don’t recommend skim or fat-free milk. The custard needs the right amount of fat to set properly, and the quiche could become thin and runny.

What is the difference between quiche and frittata?

Quiche and frittata are both egg dishes served for breakfast or brunch, but they have a few subtle differences. Quiche is more custardy in texture. The filling typically contains milk, cream or half-and-half in addition to eggs. Most quiches are baked in a pie pan, and they often have a crust (although not always, because crustless quiche is a thing). On the other hand, frittata recipes typically call for very little dairy, so they have more of an omelet-like texture. Frittata recipes are always made without a crust, and they’re usually baked in an oven-safe skillet.

How do you prevent a watery tomato quiche?

Quiche can become watery or runny if the filling contains too much moisture. That moisture can come from the eggs, dairy or cheese, but uncooked vegetables are usually the culprit. Make sure to drain the tomatoes well after chopping them. Then, cook them for the full time described in the recipe to allow most of the liquid to evaporate.

Tomato Quiche

I first tried this recipe at a family gathering and loved it! It is a great meatless lunch or dinner for a warm day, served hot or cold. This is my most requested dish for parties and a fairly simple one to make. Enjoy! —Heidi Anne Quinn, West Kingston, Rhode Island
Tomato Quiche Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 50 min.

Makes

8 servings

Ingredients

  • Dough for single-crust deep-dish pie
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped and drained
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
    In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid is almost evaporated, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  2. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over crust. Cover with tomato mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. In a small bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Beat in cream. Pour over filling.
  3. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°. Bake until top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 484 calories, 35g fat (21g saturated fat), 191mg cholesterol, 757mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 15g protein.