Vegetarian Mediterranean Quiche makes for a super impressive, elegant, and absolutely delicious brunch! It's full of veggies and comforting flavors, including a mix of zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, thyme, gruyere, and feta cheese.
Homemade Pie Crust (optional): Sift together flour and salt. Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender until small pea-sized crumbles form. Slowly pour in ice water until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork the dough. Transfer the dough to a surface or clean countertop and form it into a round disk shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Par-Bake Crust: Once the dough is chilled, or if using storebought dough that's thawed, preheat the oven to 375°. Place the dough disk on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. Fold the rolled dough in half, then again in quarters to easily transfer it to the pie pan. Place dough in a 9-inch (or 9.5) pie pan, trim the edges and crimp if desired. You will just need to place a storebought crust in the pan, and crimp the edges.
Line the crust with parchment paper and add dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Blind bake the crust for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden brown. As it bakes, prepare the filling. Once it's done, reduce the oven heat to 350°F.
Saute the Veggies: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add the diced onion and zucchini and saute for 4-6 minutes until tender, adding a generous pinch of salt and red pepper flakes, if using. Add the garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped basil, thyme, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
Egg Filling: Whisk together the eggs, then whisk in the half-and-half and shredded gruyere cheese, along with the salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper.
Spread the vegetable mix along the bottom of the par-baked pie crust. Pour the egg mixture into the crust and sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese on top.
Bake the quiche at 350°F for 32-36 minutes until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the quiche is set around the edges - it's ok if the center jiggles a little bit. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. Let the quiche cool and set for at least 30 minutes; the longer the better for the cleanest slices.
Notes
Look for cheese specifically labeled 'vegetarian' if needed.