Crustless Chickpea & Veggie Quiche

I have been making this quiche since Covid. My old boss showed it to me and the team on a Zoom call — sweet memories in a very uncertain time. Back then it had eggs, and a sheet of puff pastry underneath, which I carried on using for a long time.

Then recently I made it for my parents-in-law, and my mother-in-law said it was not good nor healthy. Which made me think. I had always had the instinct not to serve Samuel the puff pastry — so why was I giving it to myself?

So I created this version. It is pretty much the same delicious, and now I can share it with Samuel without a second thought.

Why This Recipe Is Great For Little Ones

The batter here is built on gram (chickpea) flour, which quietly brings plant protein, fibre and a little iron to the table — without anyone at the table noticing they are eating something wholesome.

There is no added salt in the base, which matters for babies and younger toddlers, and every vegetable in it is soft, easy to gum, and friendly for little hands.

Tip: the broccoli and tomatoes bring vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the iron from the chickpea flour — a nice little pairing without trying.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No pastry, no eggs, no fuss — nothing to roll out, nothing to blind-bake.
• One bowl of veg, one bowl of batter — it comes together fast.
• Genuinely shareable — the base is mild enough for the baby and you can dress up your own slice.
• Lovely hot or cold — it is brilliant straight from the oven and just as good cold in a lunchbox the next day.

Ingredients

Gram (chickpea) flour

The heart of the recipe. Sift it — it really does make the difference between a smooth batter and a lumpy one.

Cold vegetable broth

Cold is non-negotiable. Warm broth makes the chickpea flour seize and go lumpy, so keep it properly cold when you whisk it in.

Nutritional yeast

Brings a savoury, almost cheesy depth that does a lot of the flavour work now that there is no feta in the base.

Kala namak (optional)

A pinch gives that sulphury, “eggy” note if you want it. It is still salt, though, so keep it light or skip it altogether for the youngest eaters.

Courgette, broccoli, cherry tomatoes & onion

Soft summer veg that bake down sweet and tender. Use the broccoli stem too — no waste.

Thyme & olive oil

A little oil to soften the onion and courgette, and a teaspoon of thyme to lift the whole thing.

What is a crustless chickpea quiche?

It is a baked savoury tart with no pastry case and no eggs. Instead of an egg custard, a thin batter of chickpea flour and broth is poured over the vegetables and bakes into a soft, sliceable set — naturally plant-based, and much lighter than the puff-pastry original.

How To Make Crustless Chickpea Quiche

Prep the veg

Cut the broccoli small and steam it for 2–3 minutes until just tender. Slice the courgette and soften it with the onion in a little oil over low heat for 3–4 minutes, then stir through the thyme. Quarter the cherry tomatoes — quartering rather than halving keeps them a safe shape for little ones.

Make the batter

Sift the gram flour into a bowl and whisk in the cold broth a little at a time until completely smooth. Stir in the nutritional yeast, and the kala namak if you are using it.

Assemble & bake

Spread the veg evenly in a greased dish, pour the batter over the top, and bake at 180°C / 350°F for 30–40 minutes until set and golden.

Rest before slicing

Let it sit for 15 minutes out of the oven. This is the bit people skip and regret — the rest is what lets it firm up so it slices cleanly instead of sliding apart.

Variations

• Grown-up version with feta: crumble a block of Violife feta over the veg before the batter goes on for a salty, tangy lift. Leave it out for babies and toddlers, or scoop their portion before you add it, since it adds salt.
• Other veg: this is a brilliant fridge-clear-out bake — spinach, peas, roasted peppers or mushrooms all work. Just keep the total amount of veg roughly the same so the batter still has enough to hold.

Tips For Little Ones

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days. It firms up further once chilled and is genuinely lovely cold, which makes it a great make-ahead lunch.

Serve With

A simple green salad for the grown-ups, or alongside some soft roasted veg for the little ones. It also travels well for a picnic.

Chickpea & Veggie Quiche

A crustless, egg-free quiche set with a simple chickpea-flour batter and packed with soft summer veg. Mild enough to share with the baby, golden and savoury enough for the grown-ups. No pastry, no eggs, no fuss.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean, Plant-based, Vegan

Servings 8

Calories 93 kcal

Equipment

• 20 cm baking or pie dish
• 2 mixing bowls
• Sieve
• Whisk
• Frying pan
• Steamer or microwave-safe bowl

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• For the batter
• 120 g gram chickpea flour, sifted
• 350 ml cold vegetable broth soy-free
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp kala namak optional
• For the veg
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ onion diced
• 1 large courgette zucchini, sliced
• ½ broccoli including stem, cut small
• 10 cherry tomatoes quartered
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and lightly grease a ~20 cm baking or pie dish.
• Cut the broccoli small and steam for 2–3 minutes until just tender.
• Slice the courgette and soften it with the onion in the oil over low heat for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the thyme.
• Combine the broccoli, courgette and onion, and quartered tomatoes in a bowl, then spread evenly in the dish.
• Sift the gram flour into a bowl and whisk in the cold broth a little at a time until smooth. Stir in the nutritional yeast and kala namak if using.
• Pour the batter evenly over the veg.
• Bake 30–40 minutes until set and golden.
• Rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Cold broth is essential — warm broth makes the chickpea flour seize and go lumpy.
Quarter the cherry tomatoes rather than halving — round halves are a choking shape for little ones.
Grown-up version: crumble a block of Violife feta over the veg before the batter goes on. Leave it out (or scoop the baby's portion first) for little ones, as it adds salt.
Kala namak adds an "eggy" note but is still salt — keep it light or skip for the youngest.
Keeps 2–3 days in the fridge; lovely cold in a lunchbox.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 5.5gFat: 2gFiber: 3.4gSugar: 3gVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1.2mg

Keyword crustless quiche, Eggless quiche, vegan quiche

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