Asparagus Quiche with Caramelised Onions, Mint and Dill

Ingredients

• 1 pack (approx. 180 g/12-14 spears) asparagus
• 1 large white onion
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 250 g frozen garden peas/petit pois
• 1 pack (approx. 320 g) shortcrust pastry, ready-rolled sheet
• 1 teaspoon white or brown sugar
• 15 g dill, finely chopped
• a small handful of mint leaves, finely chopped

For the creamy quiche filling

• 1 pack (approx. 300 g) silken tofu
• 2 heaped tablespoons plant-based crème fraiche or a thick, plant-based Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder or granules
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or cornflour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 heaped tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and black pepper, to season

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 (or fan oven 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4).

Slice the onion and add the pieces to a medium-sized frying pan with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Sauté on a medium heat until they begin to soften while you prepare the asparagus.

Chop the tough woody ends of the asparagus and take the peas out of the freezer.

Once the onions have been sautéing for 10-15 minutes and have started to lightly brown, add a scant teaspoon of sugar and stir well. Allow the onions to caramelise and stir them every couple of minutes. If you want the onions really deeply caramelised, move on to making the creamy quiche filling while they’re cooking. Once the onions have caramelised, take them out of the pan, add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Add the prepped asparagus to the same frying pan and cook over a medium-high heat. If the spears don’t fit, cut them in half. Add a splash of water, a pinch of salt, cover with a large saucepan lid or frying pan lid and allow to steam for 3-4 minutes until bright green and just starting to soften. Add the frozen peas and allow these to defrost in the heat of the pan for a minute. Drain the excess water and set the asparagus and peas aside.

To make the creamy quiche filling: To a high-speed blender add the silken tofu and rest of the quiche filling ingredients and blend until you have a thick and smooth filling. Note: to make sure the final mixture is nice and thick, if the plant-based yoghurt you are using is quite loose or runny, leave it out of the blending stage. Then, only if the mixture looks really thick and firm once you have finished blending, add the yoghurt and stir through by hand. It’s much easier to make the mixture looser at the end than it is to thicken it.

Take the shortcrust pastry from the fridge. Grease a flan or tart tin lightly with a little plant-based spread. Unroll the pastry sheet and line the tart tin, gently pressing it into the corners of the tin and allowing any excess to hang over the edges – you can trim this off later or leave it for a more rustic look. Prick the bottom of the pastry case with a fork a few times to allow any steam that gets trapped underneath the pastry to escape.

Cut a big enough sheet of baking parchment or greaseproof paper to line the tart tin and scrunch up the baking parchment into a ball before stretching it back out again, this will help it to be more malleable. Next, add the sheet of baking parchment over the top of the pastry and then fill the pastry case with baking beans (or rice). Bake the pastry case filled with the beans (or rice) in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry starts to go golden and is firm to the touch.

Take the cooked asparagus and chop off the pointy spear ends, setting these aside for the topping later. Chop the remaining part of the asparagus spears into small rounds and add to the mixing bowl with the caramelised onions, peas, finely chopped dill and mint. Pour over the creamy filling from the blender and mix well.

Once the pastry case has finished cooking, carefully remove the baking beans (or rice) and the baking parchment. Spoon in the quiche mixture until the pastry case is full and top with the reserved asparagus spears.

Bake the quiche immediately in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is set and golden with just a tiny bit of wobble.

Ideally, leave the quiche at room temperature (or in the fridge for a firmer set) for a few hours to cool down and finish setting before serving. If you can’t resist eating the quiche straight away, the texture may just be looser, creamier and a little harder to slice – but definitely not a deal breaker!