When the hens are laying well, eggs end up in everything. Cakes, breads, frittatas, quiches - the kitchen becomes a testing ground. These little quiches came out of exactly that kind of week.
Classic quiche Lorraine means bacon, crème fraîche, and pastry dough. Good as it is, this version takes a different direction. Bacon becomes sun-dried tomatoes, which bring the same concentrated salty bite without the meat. Crème fraîche becomes yogurt: still creamy, noticeably lighter. Shortcrust pastry becomes phyllo, layered four sheets deep in a cupcake tin so it bakes into something crisp and golden with edges that curl and crunch.
Three substitutions, one coherent result. I served these at a cooking workshop. They were gone before I turned around.
Jump to:
Easy Vegetarian Mini Quiche Lorraine (Phyllo Cups, No Pastry)
You'll want to make these mini quiche Lorraines because the phyllo shell changes everything about how this quiche feels. Regular puff pastry is heavier. Four layers of phyllo brushed with butter bake into something light and crisp, with a thin base and edges that caramelize at the tips. You get the structure of a pastry cup without the weight.
And because you're working in a cupcake tin, each quiche is already a single portion. No slicing, no mess.
The filling is also genuinely simpler than traditional quiche Lorraine. No pre-cooking the filling, no blind baking the crust. You layer the shallot, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese into the phyllo cups, pour the egg-yogurt mixture over the top, and bake for 18 minutes. That's it. The result is a firm, savory filling with the sun-dried tomatoes providing delicious bites of flavor throughout.
When to serve
This is the right recipe for a a brunch table, grazing plate or an appetizer before dinner.
It works hot from the oven or at room temperature, which makes it practical for entertaining - you're not scrambling to serve them the instant they come out of the oven. It also works as a weeknight lunch or a light dinner alongside a green salad. Five quiches for four people, 33 minutes total. No fuss.
What You'll Need
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Phyllo dough: Much thinner than puff pastry. When layered and buttered, it bakes into a light, crisp shell. You'll find it in the freezer aisle of most supermarkets. Thaw it in the fridge before using. Keep unused sheets covered with a slightly damp tea towel while you work, or they'll dry out and become brittle.
- Butter: Melted, for greasing the tin and brushing between the phyllo layers. The butter between layers is what creates the crisp, flaky texture. Don't skip it.
- Shallot: Milder and sweeter than regular onion.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: These are the substitute for bacon in the original quiche Lorraine. They have bite, concentrated sweetness, and a slightly salty depth that works in exactly the same way. Look for the kind packed in oil - they're softer and easier to work with. Pat them dry before chopping so excess oil doesn't make the filling greasy.
- Eggs: The backbone of the filling.They set the custard as the quiches bake.
- Yogurt: Used instead of crème fraîche. Full-fat plain yogurt gives a creamy, slightly tangy filling that is noticeably lighter. Don't use low-fat yogurt - it can make the filling watery.
- Cheese: Grated Gouda is a natural choice. Gruyère or Parmesan also work well.
- Nutmeg: Just a pinch, grated fresh if possible. Classic in egg-based fillings.
How to Make It
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe card below.
- Step 1: Grease five holes of a cupcake tin with melted butter. Cut each phyllo sheet in half to make squares. Press one square into each hole. Brush with melted butter, add a second square, brush again, and repeat until each cup has 4 layers. The edges will fan out - that's correct.
- Step 2: Finely chop the shallot. Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Divide the shallot, tomatoes, and grated cheese evenly among the five cups.
- Step 3: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Step 4: Pour the mixture into each phyllo cup, filling to just below the rim. Bake for 18 minutes (430 °F) until the filling is set and the phyllo edges are golden and crisp. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before removing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Top Tips
- Keep unused phyllo covered. It dries out fast once the package is open. Keep the unused sheets under a clean, slightly damp tea towel and work as quickly as you can.
- Four layers is the minimum. One or two sheets of phyllo will tear and won't give you enough structure. Four layers, buttered between each, is what gives the cup its crispness and body.
- Don't overfill the cups. The egg mixture puffs slightly as it bakes. Fill to just below the rim to avoid spillover.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil are easier. If you only have the dry kind, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes first. Drain and pat dry before chopping.
- Cook's Note: The convection oven runs hotter. If using a fan-assisted oven, reduce the temperature by 30°F (20°C). Check the quiches at 15 minutes - the filling should be just set, not cracked or puffed high.
Serve with
A simple green salad with a mustard honey dressing. A tomato salad with pesto and basil. They don't need much - the quiches are already self-contained.
Yes. Bake completely, cool, and refrigerate. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, covered with aluminum foil. The phyllo softens slightly in the fridge but crisps back up in the oven.
Yes, but the result will be heavier. Cut puff pastry into squares, press into the cupcake holes, and bake as directed. Blind baking is not necessary for this recipe since the filling bakes quickly.
Gouda is the natural Dutch choice. Gruyère gives a nuttier, more classic French flavor. Parmesan works for a sharper, more intense result. Avoid mild or very young cheeses - they don't add enough flavor.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, for greasing and brushing
- 10 sheets phyllo dough
- ½ shallot, finely chopped
- 10 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, drained and roughly chopped
- 3½ oz. grated cheese, Gouda finely grated
- 5 eggs, size L
- ¾ cup yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly grated
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
430 °F (convection oven) or 400 °F (fan oven). Brush five holes of a cupcake tin generously with melted butter.3 tablespoons butter - Cut each phyllo sheet in half.10 sheets phyllo dough
- Press one halved sheet into each buttered hole. Brush with melted butter. Repeat until each cup has 4 layers of phyllo. Let the edges fan out naturally.
- Divide the finely chopped shallot, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and grated cheese evenly among the five cups.½ shallot, 10 sun-dried tomatoes, 3½ oz. grated cheese
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.5 eggs, ¾ cup yogurt, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pour the egg mixture into each cup, filling to just below the rim.
- Bake for 18 minutes until the filling is set and the phyllo edges are golden and crisp.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before removing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Up to 3 days, in an airtight container. Wrap in aluminum foil. Reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes or until warm.
- Freezer: Up to 1 month, fully baked and cooled.
- Reheat from frozen at 320°F (160°C) for 15 minutes. The phyllo crisps back up on reheating but will never be quite as light as straight from the oven.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply