Tomato Basil Quiche with Almond Meal Crust
Are you a quiche person or a frittata person?
I love a good frittata but I’m quiche, all the way. That crust gets me every time!
Unfortunately my stomach is not always such a fan. Between the butter, the eggs, the cream, and the cheese, it can be a little on the heavy side.
Sure, I’d probably be fine eating it if I lived in France and ate teeny tiny portions and walked everywhere I needed to go but that’s not how it works here in the states. We like to eat really BIG portions and sit down aalllll day long.
I’ve actually been trying to work on the latter ever since I heard that it’s the new smoking. It’s not hard to believe; I can feel how bad it is for my body. If I sit too long, my back starts to hurt and by the end of the day, I feel exhausted.
It’s funny how that works, right? Doing nothing makes us more tired than if we were up and moving around all day.
Sitting less is definitely a work in progress but eating teeny tiny portions is a little less realistic for me. I rather make it easier on my stomach (and my appetite) by eating a lighter version of quiche.
So rather than using milk or heavy cream, I lightened it up with Almond Breeze Original Almondmilk which is not only lower in calories, but also free of saturated fat and cholesterol.
The best part is that you won’t even be able to tell the difference. It’s just as flavorful as a traditional quiche and by using just a small amount of goat cheese in the filling, it gives it that same creamy texture.
That creamy texture also happens to pair perfectly with a gluten-free almond meal crust. There might not be any butter in it but trust me, you won’t miss it! It’s made from a simple mixture of almond meal, fresh garlic, herbs and extra virgin olive oil and it is mind-blowing delicious!
The first time we tried the crust was for Brandon’s birthday when I made him Kate’s amazing Arugula and Cremini Quiche. That was a little over a month ago and I’ve made it at least three times since. It’s so easy and I think it blows any butter laden, white flour crust out of the water. Plus, between the lighter filling, the veggies, and the nutritious crust, it’s a quiche that you can feel good about eating.
I decided to try a version with tomatoes and basil because my basil plant is currently going nuts and I added kale because, well, I heart kale. :)
But feel free to play with the filling and use whatever veggies you have on hand- I’m sure there are a ton of different combinations that would taste great!
Ingredients
Almond Meal Crust
2 cups almond meal
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water
Tomato Basil Filling
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cups kale, finely chopped (optional)
2 large tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
6 whole eggs
1/2 cup Almond Breeze Original Almondmilk
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 400°F then grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or tart pan) with olive oil. Combine the almond meal, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme in a large bowl and stir together. Then pour in the olive oil and water and stir together until a dough forms.
- Transfer the dough into the center of the skillet and use your hands to firmly press it out and up the sides, by at least 1 and 1/4 of an inch. Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes, until light golden brown then set aside.
- Meanwhile warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and the kale and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until kale has softened. Transfer it to the crust then allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl (I used the same one that I made the crust in) whisk together the almond milk, eggs, basil, salt and goat cheese. Arrange the tomato slices in a circular pattern on top of the kale until the entire perimeter is covered then pour the egg mixture on top.
- Bake the quiche in the oven for 30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the center is firm and cooked through. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes then slice with a sharp knife and serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from Cookie + Kate
This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze Almondmilk but all opinions and text are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible!
This looks so delicious, Sarah! I love all quiche and frittatas. :) I’m going to totally make this with the basil from our garden, too! Thanks for the beautiful recipe.
Thanks Kelli! I hope you like it!
Made this tonight despite the high temps out and it was freaking delicious! I added some cream cheese in between the tomato slices since I had it leftover. David and I both loved this. The crust was amazing and the flavors worked wonderfully. We’ll definitely be eating this one again in the near future. Thanks, Sarah!
Yay! I’m so glad you guys liked it! Thanks for letting me know, Kelli! :)
This sounds amazing and I LOVE that you used both an almond meal crust AND goat cheese. Yum!
This looks delish!! I have been looking for recipes to use my fresh herbs (that I haven’t killed yet!) and this is the perfect summer meal, light but totally satisfying. And the leftovers would be great to bring to work for lunch – win win!!
Thanks Melissa! I ate it for lunch two days this week and it was just as good as it was fresh! :)
Your photos are just perfection <3 <3 <3
Oh gosh I’m working on the sitting all day thing too. It’s so hard with work! We were in the car for 9 hours yesterday traveling home and I felt awful by the end!
Love this quiche – regular quiche is also usually a little too heavy for my tummy so I love this version!
Oh yes, long road trips are the worst!
Hi Sarah! I don’t have it that often, but I’d choose quiche too. And little portions? Not a fan of those! This looks beautiful, as always! Brandon is a lucky guy!
Love the idea of an almond meal crust!
That pour shot! So good. I definitely need a good mixture of sitting/standing for sure… my back hurts if I sit too long or if I stand too long. I’m thankful that my job allows for a good mixture each and every day :) Pinning this for sure!
I’m right there with ya on the quiche front. I enjoy a nice slice of quiche so long as it’s dairy-less or dairy-light, because the cheese and cream-filled versions get my belly all in a rumble too. I’m loving this quiche you’ve got going on! The almond meal crust is brilliant and those tomatoes look fabulous! You’re making me crave breakfast for lunch!
Yummm I love quiche! I agree that sometimes the crust can get super heavy, so this sounds awesome. I totally want brunch now.
I’ve been in a yearlong battle trying to get a standing work station for my office *sigh* I spend soooo much of my day sitting because I have to. The crust on this quiche sounds delightful and I’m team quiche all the way, too. Fritatas are just like lazy omelets to me.
This looks to die for! Tomato and basil is such a lovely combination and I love your photos :) Pinning!
I love both quiches and frittatas but I agree with you on how the crust makes me feel. I am pinning this recipe for sure!
I love a good flakey, buttery quiche crust too! I haven’t experimented much with alternative crusts, but I love the look of this almond meal one. Yum!
Can I have both?? I haven’t made a good quiche in a long time, and I love that you made this with an almond meal crust!
You’re a genius. That is all.
oh yum! I can’t tell you how much I’m in love with this.
Oh my gosh, Sarah! That crust!!!! I’m completely in awe of it – it looks incredible! This quiche sounds so delicious. I definitely agree with you how heavy the original can be – so this is the perfect, lighter alternative! Love it!
Oh hi. I’d like to inhale this entire thing.
tonato and basil is the most perfect combo ever! This looks so good!
I definitely need to try this! This crust sounds awesome, and I actually just bought new almond meal.
And yes, sitting all day is no bueno for our booties….quite literally. Research is finding that sitting a ton actually changes the shape of your butt (and NOT in a good way!). I usually try to get up often, take a break to go for a walk with my pup, and work standing up at my kitchen counter for a bit each work day…. but, on extra busy days, it doesn’t always happen.
This, my dear, is the quiche of my dreams. I shall eat it in large portions and try to not sit for longer than 10 minutes at a time just so I have a damn good excuse to not eat these in teeny weeny portions. The thought alone makes me shudder. My daddio would love this for Father’s Day!