Gruyère and Leek Quiche Recipe: Classic Savory Tart

This Leek Quiche with Gruyère is a flavorful vegetarian tart suitable for breakfast, brunch, lunch or a light dinner. A buttery, flaky shortcrust pastry holds a silky egg-and-cream custard studded with tender, sautéed leeks and melted Gruyère.

Why we love this recipe

This recipe pairs a homemade savoury shortcrust pastry with a light, cheesy custard and gently cooked leeks for a quiche that’s comforting and elegant. The combination of Gruyère and leeks gives a rich, savory flavor that appeals to both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

It works for every meal of the day, and the finished quiche can be prepared ahead, refrigerated for a few days or frozen, making it a great choice for entertaining or meal planning.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact quantities

Main components:

• Quiche pastry: plain / all-purpose flour, fine salt, very cold unsalted butter and very cold water.
• Leeks: use the white and most of the green parts; they’re briefly sautéed in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper until tender.
• Custard: a classic mix of eggs and thickened (heavy) cream for a smooth, tender set.
• Seasoning: salt, cracked black pepper and a dried herb mix (or your preferred spices).
• Cheese: grated Gruyère is used here; Comté, cheddar or Parmesan work well too, or swap for feta or goat cheese for a different profile.

How to make Leek Quiche step-by-step

Quiche pastry

Make the pastry in a food processor for speed, or by hand if you prefer. Mix flour and salt, then add very cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add very cold water gradually until the dough just comes together; avoid overworking the dough. Press the crumbs to check — they should hold together when pressed.

• Shape the dough into a disk between two sheets of parchment, roll to about 4 mm (1/6 inch) thickness, then chill on a tray for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Allow the pastry to soften 5 minutes at room temperature before lining a 24 cm / 9.5-inch quiche pan with removable bottom. Trim excess and press the pastry into the sides and base. Chill again for at least 1 hour (longer is better).
• Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Dock the base with a fork, line with parchment and baking weights (or rice/dried beans). Par-bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and paper, then bake another 10–15 minutes until the base is dry. Cool slightly.

Leek filling

• Trim and wash the leek thoroughly to remove grit. Slice in half lengthwise, then thinly slice.
• Sauté the leek in olive oil with salt and pepper over medium heat for a couple of minutes, add minced garlic and cook another 4–6 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Remove from heat.
• In a bowl whisk together eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper and dried herbs. Fold in grated Gruyère.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Scatter the cooked leeks over the par-baked crust, pour the custard over the top and sprinkle extra grated cheese if desired.
• Bake 30–40 minutes until the custard is set and the top is golden. The center should not jiggle noticeably when the pan is gently shaken.
• Let the quiche rest 15–20 minutes before slicing to ensure a clean set.

Recipe FAQs

Tips & Troubleshooting

• Chill the pastry twice: rest it after rolling and again after lining the pan; overnight chilling gives the best result and reduces shrinkage during baking.
• Check doneness: a slight wobble in the center is fine because the filling continues to set while cooling. If the crust browns too quickly, cover the edges with foil.
• Prevent soggy bottoms: blind-bake the crust with and then without weights to dry the base thoroughly before adding the custard.

Storing & Freezing

Store the quiche covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (best within 24 hours). Reheat the whole quiche wrapped in foil at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes; individual slices need 10–15 minutes. Microwaving can soften the pastry and is less recommended.

To freeze, wrap the whole quiche or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Recipe

Leek Quiche with Gruyère

A buttery shortcrust filled with a creamy egg and cream custard, sautéed leeks and Gruyère.

Servings: 8

Author: Sylvie

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Resting Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins

Equipment

• 24 cm / 9.5-inch quiche pan with removable bottom

Ingredients

Quiche Pastry

• 200 g plain / all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
• 100 g unsalted butter, cubed (very cold)
• 65 ml very cold water

Leek Filling

• 1 large leek (about 200 g sliced)
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
• 1/3 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Custard Filling

• 4 large eggs
• 300 ml thickened / heavy cream (30% fat min.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried herb mix
• 40 g Gruyère, grated

Instructions

Quiche Pastry

1. In a food processor, pulse flour, salt and very cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add very cold water slowly and blend until a rough dough forms. Press crumbs in your hand—if they hold together, the dough is ready. If too dry, add a touch more water.
3. Form into a disk between parchment sheets and roll to about 4 mm (1/6 in). Chill on a tray for at least 1 hour.
4. Line a 24 cm quiche pan, trim excess and chill again for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Dock the base, line with parchment and baking weights, bake 15 minutes, remove weights and bake 10–15 minutes more. Cool.

Leek Filling

1. Trim, wash and slice the leek. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and sauté leek with salt and pepper for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 4–6 minutes until soft and lightly caramelized. Remove from heat.

Custard Filling

1. Whisk eggs, cream, salt, pepper and dried herbs until just combined. Fold in grated Gruyère.

Assembling the Quiche

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Scatter cooked leeks in the par-baked crust, pour over the custard and top with extra cheese if desired.
3. Bake 30–40 minutes until the filling is mostly set and the top is golden. Cool 15–20 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. If you don’t have a food processor, make the pastry by hand following standard shortcrust techniques.
2. Larger butter pieces create flakier pastry but increase the risk of collapse during baking.
3. Chilling the pastry twice prevents shrinking and helps the butter remain cold, producing a better crust.
4. To check doneness, shake the pan gently—the center should not jiggle. Cover edges with foil if they brown too quickly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 379 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 29 g | Saturated Fat: 17 g

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