Parmesan & Leek Quiche
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A variation on the classic French cheese quiche, this Parmesan and leek quiche is rich and flavorful.
When I was studying abroad in France, every day for lunch I would walk to the pastry shop near my university and treat myself to an individual quiche fromage — a delicious little habit that quickly cost me all my skinny jeans. Over 20 years later, it is still one of my favorite things to eat. This parmesan and leek quiche is a wonderful variation on the classic French cheese quiche; the leeks impart a mellow, almost sweet onion flavor while Parmesan cheese makes the custard filling extra flavorful.
What You’ll Need To Make Parmesan & Leek Quiche
I use a good-quality store-bought crust to save time but feel free to make your own if you prefer. The secret to success, whether you make the crust yourself or use pre-made, is to pre-bake it so it won’t be soggy.
For the cheese, it’s important to use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for this recipe. You can always tell if it’s authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”
Leeks are part of the onion family, but they have a milder flavor. They’re notoriously sandy and dirty (and very good at hiding it) so it’s important to wash them well. To clean them, cut off and discard the root ends and thick dark green parts, then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse each half under cold water, pulling apart the layers to remove any grit that’s tucked inside.
How To Make Parmesan & Leek Quiche
To begin, preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and thaw it until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork (10 to 20 minutes). Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork and bake on the center rack until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325°F.
While the crust bakes, melt the butter in small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Do not brown. Taste and adjust seasoning (they should be well-seasoned). Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, eggs, thyme, nutmeg, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Whisk well.
Spread the cooked leeks over the pre-baked pie shell, taking care not to puncture the crust. 
Pour the egg mixture over top.
Bake at 325°F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the custard is set and puffed.
The quiche will deflate as it cools. Slice into wedges and serve hot or warm.
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Parmesan & Leek Quiche
A variation on the classic French cheese quiche, this Parmesan and leek quiche is rich and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen deep-dish 9-inch pie shell
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- 1 cup finely chopped leeks, white and light green parts only, from 1-2 leeks
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 1¼ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and thaw it until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork (10 to 20 minutes). Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork and bake on the center rack until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Don't worry if the crust cracks while baking; see note below on how to fix it. Turn the oven down to 325°F.
- Melt the butter in small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Do not brown. Taste and adjust seasoning (they should be well-seasoned). Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, thyme, nutmeg, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
- Spread the cooked leeks over the pre-baked pie shell, taking care not to puncture the crust (it may be fragile around rim, or where there are air bubbles). Pour the egg mixture over top. Bake at 325°F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the custard is set and puffed. The quiche will deflate as it cools. Slice into wedges and serve hot or warm.
- Notes: Be sure to clean the leeks well, especially between leaves where there can be a lot of grit.
- Note: Don't panic if your crust cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This quiche can be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to serving and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 551
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Sodium: 553 mg
- Cholesterol: 229 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn,
When I switch this recipe from cups to metric, it remains in cups. I prefer to weigh everything. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks! Sue
Sorry about that Susan — I just fixed it. Hope you enjoy!
This is a fantastic quiche. I’ve made others including quiche Lorraine and this is the best. I usually don’t write reviews but this merits a comment. THis recipe does not need any changes or adjusrments or additions. It transported me back to a French cafe with every bite.
I just made this quiche again. It has become one of my favorites (although I also make the crustless broccoli and spinach quiche regularly). I love the technique for blind baking the crust and then baking the quiche at the lower temperature, it turns out so creamy. I was wondering if this would work using asparagus (and maybe gruyere or swiss)? Any recommendations for preparing the asparagus? I have your cookbook, which I love, and a folder full of printed onceuponachef recipes that I use all the time.
So glad you like this (and the broccoli quiche)! I do think you could use asparagus here; just cut them into small slices and sauté with the leeks. Please LMK how it turns out!
Who would have guessed that a leek, cousin of the simple onion, would kick a quiche up ten notches? The sweetness of the leeks as they saute’ filled the house with a delicious aroma. My husband came downstairs to see what was cooking for dinner and didn’t grumble about eating quiche at all! Using heavy cream, eggs, and the cheese as directed to make a custard that was poured over the leeks made my humble frozen crust sing as it went into the oven. The gentle flavor of the leeks combined with parm Reggiano was a winner at my table. This quiche is substantial and filling. Serving a salad and sliced fruit with it rounded out a delicious meal. It made us feel like we were sitting in a bistro in Paris or Provence instead of dining on our deck.
This quiche is fantastic! I always make it crustless, less calories. Instead of spreading the leeks in the base of the pie plate I mix it into the custard with the Parmesan.
What a delicious vegetarian quiche option. So easy to make. This is by far my favorite quiche recipe and will be my go to for a quick and easy supper or weekend brunch! Love it.
Love this recipe – the fresh thyme and parmesan make it very decadent; I made my own crust and served it with a green salad – beautiful presentation and delicious. I have made it a couple of times and it is always a hit. Note that I found I did not need all of the egg mixture – I may cut it down the next time by a quarter.
This is by far my FAVORITE quiche, and what got me hooked on Once Upon a Chef. It’s SO easy and delightful and I find the extra care that goes into making my own crust and using top-notch ingredients… I too feel like I am in France! I always add extra thyme and make sure the Parmigiano is authentic like she mentions. (You can add extra of that too.) A favorite in my house. Try this out, you won’t regret it. I’m a huge fan of all the “French-inspired” recipes here!
A great vegetarian quiche, savory and creamy. Using a frozen crust allows this to come together quickly. The most time consuming step is chopping the leeks. Delicious!
I don’t often review recipes, but I had to this time. My goodness girl that is good. My pie crust managed to puff badly and crack during the prebake even though I had pocked it. I used it anyway as it was too bad to repair. But it didn’t really matter. It still worked out.
I don’t cook with leeks very often. And there are probably a lot of people out there that do not. It would’ve been helpful to me to have a picture of a leek cut at the right place so I would know how much of that light green I could actually use.