Kale and Mushroom Quiche

Want an easy, foolproof vegetarian quiche recipe that the whole family loves? This kale and mushroom quiche delivers. It’s packed with fresh fresh vegetables and gruyere cheese, with an quick, egg custard filling. Use a ready made pie crust to keep the prep simple and enjoy this tasty, cheesy kale quiche for weekend brunches or even a light dinner. This easy quiche dish can be made ahead and it freezes well too!

This post has been updated for recipe, content and photography since its original publication in 2014.

Quiche is a family favorite brunch dish

Quiche has always been a favorite savory brunch item in our family. When we’ve got visiting friends or relatives who are staying overnight, it’s an easy make-ahead brunch item with a little more polish than a dump-and-go egg casserole and it will easily serve 6 hungry diners or 8 as part of a larger meal.

Ingredients for kale mushroom quiche

• 9″ Pie Pastry
• Button Mushrooms
• Onions
• Curly Kale
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Fresh Thyme
• Kosher Salt
• Eggs
• Milk
• Cream
• Nutmeg
• Black Pepper
• Gruyere Cheese

Sweat the vegetables

This savory vegetarian quiche recipe starts with the mushrooms, which naturally contain a lot of water. In fact, if you heat a dry pan over a medium high heat and add sliced buttons or creminis to it, within a minute or so, they’ll actually start to give up their liquid and you’ll find them wet with their own juices – despite the fact that the pan was dry to start.

I’m saying this because the amount of oil may seem like it’s not enough, and the mushrooms will automatically soak up what’s there — and you’ll think, “Geez, I need to add more oil”.

Don’t. Just give them a few minutes and they’ll release the liquid.  That’s when you add the onions, red pepper flakes and bundle of thyme.

Curly kale is a great way to add fiber to this this quiche dish, but it does need to be wilted before mixing it with the other vegetables.

Prepping kale for quiche

1. Remove the tough stems from the kale and discard.
2. Roughly chop the kale and transfer to the sauté pan, stirring while the kale sizzles.
3. Stir in the water and cover the pan to give the kale a brief steam, which will wilt the leaves. 
4. When the kale is softened, add the ‘shroom and onion mixture and stir to combine.

You can customize this vegetarian kale quiche recipe with just about any cheese that you have on hand. My personal favorite is Gruyere, but any of the ones listed below will be deliciously balanced in this kale and mushroom quiche. When you’re shredding the cheese, use the fine side of the box grater, so that the shreds are whisper thin and melt easily into the quiche custard.

Recommended cheeses for this recipe

• Gruyere
• Swiss
• Emmental
• Fontina
• Monterey Jack
• White Cheddar

Assembling quiche filling

Nutmeg is a classic ingredient that elevates everything from classic white sauce (béchamel) to egg custards for quiche recipes. You don’t need a lot, but it adds an interesting (not sweet) flavor that enhances the gruyere, swiss or emmental cheese in any quiche recipe, including this mushroom and kale quiche.

Pro-Tip: Don’t buy nutmeg that’s already been ground. Instead use whole nutmeg and grate it yourself using a microplane. The flavor is much more pronounced when it’s freshly grated and the spice will last much longer.

Just whisk the custard ingredients and grated nutmeg together until well combined and then fold in the sautéed vegetables and grated cheese.

Fill & bake

1. Fill the par-baked 9 inch pie crust with the kale and egg custard filling.
2. Sprinkle a little extra cheese over the top and bake the kale quiche until the filling is set.
3. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.

I love the way the house smells while the kale and mushroom quiche is baking. Its savory aroma will make your tummy rumble. It takes about an hour (maybe a little more) to bake and while it does, you can make some bacon or sausage to go with it and you’ll definitely want to pour some mimosas or bloody marys too.

Swaps & variations

• If you don’t have kale for the quiche, swap it out for about 6 ounces of fresh spinach leaves or 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, that’s been thawed and squeezed of all its excess moisture.
• You can add other veggies to the kale quiche to amp up the nutrition. Try adding leftover roasted butternut squash or diced roasted red bell peppers from a jar (just make sure to blot them dry with a paper towel before adding them to the custard to prevent weeping.
• For a heartier mushroom kale quiche, stir in cooked, chopped bacon, ham or sausage.

One of the best things about kale quiche is that you can make it ahead of time and reheat it just before serving. It even freezes well and can be kept for up to a month.

For a make ahead quiche dish

1. Make the quiche as directed and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Cover and refrigerate.
3. When you’re ready to serve it, remove the quiche from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for about half an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 325° and heat the quiche for 20-25 minutes or until warmed through.
5. If the crust starts to brown too much, rest a piece of foil over it.

Reader comments on mushroom kale quiche:

From Cassie: “Amazing flavor! Thanks!”

From Karen: “Very good! Was easy to make and the whole family loved it!”

Betsy says: “Added this delicious kale quiche to my Mother’s Day brunch! Soooo good!”

What to serve with kale and mushroom quiche:

• Homemade Applewood Smoked Bacon
• Winter Citrus Salad with Sherry Vinegar Dressing
• Homemade Ham with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze
• Glazed Cherry Almond Coffee Cake
• Simple Citrus Almond Salad
• Cardamom Orange Sweet Rolls
• Simple Applesauce Muffins
• Tropical Fruit Salad

More vegetarian quiche recipes:

• Roasted Bell Pepper and Artichoke Quiche
• Fresh Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche
• Quick and Easy Crustless Vegetable Quiche
• Homemade Spinach Gruyere Quiche
• Caramelized Onion and Thyme Quiche
• Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Quiche
• Tasty Ratatouille Quiche
• Spinach Artichoke Quiche

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