What is a good side dish for quiche?

We love pairing a rich asparagus and salmon quiche with a light side salad (like our easy lemon arugula salad !) or some crusty homemade bread . If you're making a big brunch and want to add a few sweet options alongside this savory quiche, try our overnight cinnamon buns or lemon poppyseed scones - both are easy to make in advance!

Can I reheat leftovers?

Yes! Let any leftover asparagus and smoked salmon quiche cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you're ready to eat, transfer a quiche slice to a sheet pan or small baking dish and reheat in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes until the eggs are warmed through. (For another meal-prep friendly recipe, try adding a bit of smoked salmon to our spinach frittata !)

Can I use puff pastry instead of pie crust?

While we haven't tested this recipe with puff pastry, we expect it would work: Just be diligent about pricking plenty of holes in the dough before par-baking, or use pie weights to help the puff pastry keep its shape (you can see a few other puff pastry baking ideas in our puff pastry baked eggs recipe!)

Smoked Salmon Quiche with Asparagus

Description

This rich and cozy smoked salmon quiche is perfect for an elegant holiday brunch!

Ingredients

Scale

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (see recipe notes)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
2 ounces smoked salmon (about ¼ cup)
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (3 ounces)
1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 375°F.
Parbake the crust. Press pie dough into a 9-inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Place the pie pan on a large baking sheet (this will make it easier to move in and out of the oven when you add your filling). Prick the pie crust with a fork, then bake for 8-10 minutes at 375°F. Your crust is ready when it has mainly "dry" spots, where the crust has begun to set but is not yet browning.
Prep the eggs. Whisk eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper together in a large measuring cup.
Add the filling. Remove parbaked pie crust from the oven. Gently flake the smoked salmon into pieces; reserve a few pieces of fish and asparagus for topping the quiche. Spread a thin layer of smoked salmon across the bottom of the pie crust, then add a layer of asparagus pieces and a layer of shredded gruyere. Repeat over two or three layers for even distribution. Pour the egg mixture over the filling, then top with remaining salmon and asparagus. Remember to work carefully here, as the pan will be HOT!
Bake quiche for an additional 35-50 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and eggs have set in the middle. If the edges of the crust start to brown too much, cover with a piece of foil or a pie crust shield until the eggs are done.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes, add garnishes, then slice and serve.

Notes

What pie crust should I use? We use a store-bought 9-inch pie crust here to keep things simple (we've tested this recipe with both Pillsbury and Aldi varieties). Use homemade pastry dough if you prefer (we share our go-to dough in our tomato galette recipe. The quick version: use a food processor to cut 1 stick cold, cubed butter into a mix of 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, then add ice water slowly until the dough comes together).

To trim asparagus, place spears in a single layer on a cutting board; align the bottoms of the stems in a straight line. Cut off the bottom inch or two of each asparagus stalk to remove the tough, woody ends. Learn more: How to trim asparagus.

Substitutions. This is a very forgiving recipe: Feel free to play with the exact ratios. Swap some or all of the asparagus for sliced leeks (we recommend sautéeing them first), greens (fresh kale, spinach, or arugula), sautéed mushrooms, or caramelized onions to make this quiche a bit heartier. Add cooked, crispy bacon or pancetta pieces for a smokey note. Add an extra egg or two if you like (depending on the size of your pie pan, extra eggs can help the quiche feel more "full").

Do I have to par bake the pie crust? We really do recommend it. This step helps the crust set and solidify a bit before adding fillings, which protects it from the moisture of the egg mixture and yields a firmer crust. You can even parbake the pie crust a bit longer if you like (this will give you an even crispier crust, but you'll need to use a pie shield to prevent the edges from burning as the quiche bakes). In our testing, the timing we've provided here gave us the best crispy crust quality for the least amount of additional effort.