Tomato quiche with balsamic caramelized onions

A simple, but incredibly flavorful tomato quiche is one of the best things you can make with the abundance of end of summer tomatoes that are everywhere right now. Combine a creamy egg base with fresh tomatoes, a thick layer of caramelized balsamic onions, some herbs and parmesan cheese, and you've got a savory pie that is great for any time of the day.

There is just something about a quiche. I don't know if it is because pies are so often sweet, that a savory one comes along and you just love it extra, or what the deal is, but I love them. I love them so much in fact, that we eat a bacon, onion and cheddar quiche every Christmas morning. And it is amazing.

This quiche recipe is built around summer tomatoes. I have a million of them and am always using them in fun ways. They are super sweet and have a great texture during peak season and hold up so well to the custardy egg base. The balsamic caramelized onions, layered at the bottom of the quiche are like the best bonus you could ever get. Sweet, salty and savory balsamic caramelized onions are a perfect compliment to the sweet fresh tomatoes in the quiche.

Why you'll love this recipe

I mean, if I don't have you at tomato quiche with balsamic caramelized onions, then I guess here is a few other reasons you will love this recipe:

• It is super easy to make. This tomato quiche is simple with minimal ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand. You just need to prep your crust (or better yet use store-bought), caramelize the onions and tomato slices, whisk the egg mixture, assemble the quiche, and bake it.
• It is a super adaptable. You can customize it with different cheeses, extra veggies, meats, or herbs .
• It's a dish you can eat any time of day. Quiche makes a great breakfast or brunch it also makes a great lunch or dinner.
• It can totally be made ahead. In fact, you don't even need to eat this warm. Quiche is great served at room temperature.

What is the difference between a quiche and a frittata?

Main difference is a crust. Quiche has one, frittata doesn't. Quiche recipes also most commonly including cream or half and half in the egg base mixture, creating more of a custard-like filling, whereas frittata recipes usually do not, have only eggs in the base.

Ingredients

Here's what you need for the filling:

• Fresh tomatoes. You should use your favorite, ripe, slicing tomato. I used a mix of tomatoes that came out of my garden.
• Onions. Yellow, Vidalia or Red onions are just fine.
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Thyme
• Butter
• Eggs
• Cream
• Basil and/or sage
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

How to make balsamic caramelized onions

Caramelizing onions is one of the easiest things that gives you maximum flavor. They take a long time, but are cooked at a low temperature and are largely hands off. These are made by slow cooking the onions in a saute pan with butter, thyme and salt, covered, over low heat for about 25 minutes. They will cook down to be soft, sweet, salty and savory all at the same time. At the very end I turn up the heat and splash them with a bit of balsamic vinegar that adds sweetness and a gorgeous color. Then they are cooled to room temp (or refrigerated) before layering at the bottom of the quiche. Tomatoes and balsamic is kind of a no-brainer, goes-together thing, so it is the perfect addition to the caramelized onions.

Do I have to make my own pie crust?

So I will probably get roasted for this by some, but I don't care. I have four kids, three dogs, one husband and full time jobs...sometimes convenience wins the day and I am NEVER sorry about it. You shouldn't be either.

You absolutely do not have to make your own pie crust. While it isn't hard, and I sometimes make one for quiche, it is absolutely not necessary and I know that the idea of making pie crust is intimidating to a lot of people. SO I am here to tell you once and for that no matter what you are making, this tomato quiche or a dessert pie, USE STORE BOUGHT CRUST IF YOU LIKE.

All that being said, if you want to make one, here is the go to recipe I use for pie crust when making it, and here is the store bought I buy and use all the time. Any store bought will do. This quiche is about the tomatoes and balsamic caramelized onions, not so much the crust.

How to make and assemble the quiche

Once you have your crust pressed into the pie dish, making your filling is very simple. All the filling ingredients - minus the tomatoes - goes into a bowl and get whisked together to combine. Pro tip - blending the ingredients in a blender or with an immersion blender is WAY EASIER and creates a super light and creamy filling; however if you don't have either of those a whisk does the job or a stand or hand mixer.

The cooled onions get layered on the bottom followed by the sliced tomatoes and then the herbs. Pour the egg mixture over everything and bake it up.

You end up with a perfectly cooked gorgeous and delicious summer tomato quiche with the surprise balsamic caramelized onions on the bottom.

Ingredient swaps and variations

Quiche recipes are incredibly versatile and there is lots of additions and quick swaps to this recipe to mix it up every time you make it.

• Add meat. Cooked bacon or Italian sausage would be a really good addition to to tomato quiche.
• Use additional or different cheeses. A fresh mozzarella, swiss or sharp white cheddar would also be great in this quiche.
• Add an extra veggie like spinach. I love adding spinach to quiches, just a few leaves for color and extra veggie goodness.

Other end of summer seasonal recipes

There is so much great produce to be had at the end of summer, be sure to try some of these great recipe ideas:

Tomato quiche with balsamic caramelized onions

A simple, but flavorful tomato quiche is one of the best things you can make with the abundance of end of summer tomatoes.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: balsamic caramelized onions, tomato quiche

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Katie Beck

Equipment

• pie dish

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust homemade or store bought

For the balsamic caramelized onions

• 2 onions halved and sliced thin
• 3 tablespoon butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the tomato quiche filling

• 2-3 tomatoes depending on their size; sliced. I used one large heirloom and one regular sized yellow gold tomato.
• 8 eggs
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
• ½ cup parmesan cheese use a real parmesan if you can, not Kraft
• 2 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh sage chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 with a wrack mid to bottom of the oven. Prepare your crust in your pie dish and crimp the edges (however you crimp the edges is fine, see mine for an idea).

For the balsamic caramelized onions

• In a large sauté pan melt the butter. Add the onions and sprinkle with the salt. Stir to move around a bit, getting as much of the onions to have direct contact with the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to low and cover for about 45 minutes, stirring only three times throughout. Keep it covered the rest of the time. The onions should be deep golden brown and almost jammy. Turn the heat up to high and immediately add the balsamic vinegar to the pan. It should bubble up right away and reduce to glaze the onions. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cook completely.

For the quiche filling

• In a large bowl or blender pitcher, combine the eggs, cream salt, pepper, cayenne (if using) and parmesan cheese. Blend together with either a blender, immersion blender, hand mixer or whisk until totally combined and a little fluffy.
• To assemble the quiche layer the cooled balsamic caramelized onions on the bottom of the crust followed by a layer of the sliced tomatoes, and then a layer of the basil and sage.
• Slowly pour the custard base over the tomatoes, herbs and onions until it filled. Bake the quiche on a cookie sheet on the lower third of the oven for 45-55 minutes. The egg filling should be set in the center of the quiche, it can be jiggly but should not be runny at all.
• Place on a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing…this is important, DO NOT CUT RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN. The custard base need to set and it does this while cooling. You can gently rewarm each slice or slice it and rewarm them to eat, however quiche is delicious at room temperature or right out of the fridge.

Notes

You can keep this for up to four days covered or wrapped in the fridge.
Alternatively, after cooling completely to room temperature, you can wrap tightly and freeze the tomato quiche for up to three months. Thaw before enjoying.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Fat: 24g

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