Q Is for Chickpea Quiche

Nothing beats a slice of quiche encased in a flaky crust. That is, unless, you’re vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-intolerant — in which case, it’s far harder to pull off. But yes, a custardy quiche without the eggs and milk does exist, and it exists because of chickpeas. All it takes is a bit of chickpea flour and a little ingenunity.

If you haven’t played around with chickpea flour yet, it’s about time you do. It’s a gluten-free substitute for wheat flours that can be used for dredging, thickening soup, making pancakes, and more.

For quiche, however, it’s cooked like polenta — stirred and simmered with water over the stove until it thickens into a creamy paste. It’s then poured into a pie pan along with the quiche fillings of your choice, like roasted vegetables, and baked until it firms up and gets just a little crispy on the outside. The result is as custardy and rich as classic quiche, and also hearty enough that it doesn’t need any kind of crust.