This Leek Quiche is built around par-baking the crust first and then filling the crust with a custard of softened leeks and goat cheese. It is a two-ingredient filling on purpose, making it the perfect match for brunch alongside other egg dishes like the Smoked Salmon Frittata. This quiche takes about an hour to make; the custard sets soft but sliceable, and it is freezer-friendly.
Leek Quiche At A Glance
- 🕐 Total Time: 50 minutes (15 min prep + 35 min cook)
- 🍽️ Servings: 8
- 🍅 Cuisine Type: French, Mediterranean
- 🧀 Flavor Profile: Savory and delicate, with butter-softened leeks bringing mild sweetness and goat cheese adding tang against a nutmeg-flecked custard
- 🥛 Dietary Info: Contains dairy (butter, whole milk, heavy cream, goat cheese), eggs, and gluten (pie shell); can be adapted gluten-free with a gluten-free crust
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; can be made ahead and frozen, then thawed in the refrigerator before reheating
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A classic French-style quiche with just leeks and goat cheese in the filling, no extras crowding the flavor, a custard that sets soft but holds a clean slice, and a dairy dish that fits naturally into a Shavuot spread.
Save And Summarize This Recipe
This quiche comes together with just a quick sauté, assembly, and baking, which is great for a relaxed weekend brunch or a no-fuss weeknight meal. Feel free to riff with fresh herbs or a handful of baby spinach, but keep those jammy leeks and tangy goat cheese front and center. Leftovers are good at room temperature, making this quiche your new go-to for effortless entertaining.
If you like this style of savory, custard-based cooking, you'll want to try my Bacon and Gruyère Egg Bites. These bites use the same technique in individual portions, which are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast. This Egg Soufflé roll takes the same egg-and-cheese pairing and turns it into something a little more dramatic for a brunch table.
Jump to:
A slice of this quiche wants something bright alongside it to cut the richness. My warm Cauliflower Salad or Beet Salad with Goat Cheese both do that job well, and the beet salad's goat cheese echoes what's already in the quiche without repeating it.If you're setting up a full spread, add my Feta Dip as a starter while the quiche is still warm from the oven.
Key Ingredients
- Leeks - Leeks are a mild, slightly sweet member of the onion family, and they're what keep this quiche from tasting like an oniony custard. To get a clean dice, slice the leeks lengthwise into strips, then slice across those strips. You can run them through a food processor if you're short on time, but a hand dice holds its shape better and looks nicer once it's baked into the custard. It's a small step that pays off in the finished slice.
- Goat Cheese - Use a mild goat cheese from a log rather than pre-crumbled. Log-style goat cheese usually has no added starches or anti-caking ingredients, so it melts into cleaner, creamier pockets throughout the custard. Goat cheese brings the tang that plays against the savory leeks, but this quiche is meant to complement a spread, not dominate it. A sharper, more aggressive cheese would throw that balance off. If you like what goat cheese does here, it shows up again in my Salmon Frittata, paired with a completely different flavor profile.
- Pie Crust - This recipe uses a store-bought pie shell, blind baked before the filling goes in. Line the shell with pie weights and bake at 375°F for about 5 minutes, until it's set enough to hold the filling without getting soggy underneath. If you need a gluten-free version, I have tested this with a store-bought gluten-free crust.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Do You Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from A Sweet Thyme
Variations
- Swap in feta - For a tangier, more assertive filling, swap the mild goat cheese for crumbled feta. It leans further into Mediterranean flavor territory and holds up well against the leeks.
- Fold in fresh thyme - A tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves stirred into the custard adds an herby note that plays nicely with the goat cheese without overwhelming it.
- Add a protein - A few tablespoons of cooked, crumbled bacon or pancetta turns this into a heartier main course. Add it in with the leeks and goat cheese before the custard goes in.
- Try a dairy-free version - Swap the whole milk and heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk. The flavor shifts slightly, but the custard still sets. I have also tested this with almond milk and it holds up fine.
How To Make A Leek Quiche: Step-By-Step
Step 1: Adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven. Saute' the leeks in butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan until soft.
Step 2: Whisk all the remaining ingredients except the goat cheese in a medium bowl. Spread the goat cheese and leek mixture evenly over the bottom of the warm pie crust.
Step 3: Set the shell on a baking sheet in the oven. Pour the custard mixture over the leeks.
Step 4: Bake until lightly golden brown and a knife comes out clean.
Helpful Tips
- Wash your leeks thoroughly - Leeks trap grit and sand between their layers as they grow, so rinse the sliced pieces well before cooking. A quick swirl in a bowl of water works better than rinsing under the tap alone.
- Fill the crust while it's still warm - Spreading the goat cheese and leeks into a warm shell, right out of its partial bake, helps the bottom set instead of turning soggy once the custard goes in.
- Don't skip the pinch of nutmeg - It's a small amount, but nutmeg is what rounds out a dairy-based custard like this one. Leave it out and the filling tastes flatter than it should.
Gwen's Pro Tip
Look for a center that's set but soft like gelatin when you check for doneness, not fully firm. A knife inserted an inch from the edge should come out clean while the very center still has a slight give. It firms up more as it cools, so pulling it from the oven at that stage keeps the custard from turning rubbery.
Serving Suggestions
This quiche is easy to build a full spread around, whether you're keeping it simple or setting a table for guests.
- Side Dishes - Pair it with something bright to cut the richness, my Asparagus Salad or Quinoa Salad with Lemon both do the job well.
- Drinks - A dry white wine works with the tang of the goat cheese, or keep it non-alcoholic with sparkling water and citrus for a daytime brunch.
- Desserts - Keep dessert light after a rich quiche. Something fruit-forward like the Berry Pavlova rather than another cream-based dish rounds out the meal without piling on more richness.
- Occasions - This is a strong make-ahead option for brunch, a ladies' lunch, or any gathering where you want something that looks like more effort than it takes.
- Holidays - Because this is a fully dairy dish, it's a natural fit for Shavuot, when dairy meals are traditional. It also works well for Mother's Day or Easter brunch, where a French-style quiche fits the occasion without feeling out of place.
Leek Quiche FAQ's
Yes. Partially baking the crust first keeps it from turning soggy once the custard goes in. Skip this step and you'll end up with a wet bottom layer no matter how long you bake the finished quiche.
Leeks grow underground in layers that trap sand and grit, so a quick rinse isn't enough. Slice them first, then swirl the pieces in a bowl of water and let the grit settle to the bottom before lifting the leeks out. Skipping this step is the most common reason people end up with a gritty bite..
Yes, swap the whole milk and heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk. The custard still sets, though the flavor shifts slightly toward coconut. Goat cheese doesn't have a great dairy-free substitute that holds the same texture, so this adaptation works best if you're comfortable losing some of that tang.
More Egg Dishes
Let me know your thoughts on this Leek Quiche by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Leek Quiche With Goat Cheese
Do You Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from A Sweet Thyme
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch pie shell partially baked until light golden brown, 5-6 minutes
- 2 leeks medium, washed thouroughly and cut into ½ inch dice (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- pinch of nutmeg
- 4 ounces mild goat cheese broken into ½ inch pieces
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the center position.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Par-bake a pre-bought pie shell by placing weights on the bottom of the shell. Place it on a baking sheet and in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the shell starts to turn golden.1 9 inch pie shell
- Saute' the white parts of the leeks in butter over medium heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes.2 leeks, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.2 large eggs, ¾ cup whole milk, ¾ cup heavy cream, ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp ground white pepper, pinch of nutmeg
- Spread the goat cheese and leeks evenly over the bottom of the warm pie shell and set the shell on an oven rack.4 ounces mild goat cheese
- Pour in the custard mixture to ½ inch below the crust rim.
- Bake until lightly golden brown. A knife inserted about one inch from the edge should come out clean and the center feels set but soft, about 32-35 minutes.
- Transfer the quiche to a rack and cool.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Gwen says
x