If you haven’t seen any of my quiche recipes before, the first thing you need to know is I don’t make them with shortcrust pastry. I know – controversial! Instead, I have long preferred making a pizza dough base as it gets beautifully crisp and it is much, much lighter against the classic creamy and cheesy fillings.

And I do like to maximise the main ingredient:egg, cream and cheese ratio so you aren’t playing hunt the filling. Being as it is Spring (the weather is somewhat belying the calendar here in the UK right now) I have lightened it up even further and the result is my Salmon, Asparagus & Pea Quiche.

Salmon, Asparagus and Pea Quiche

For a change, instead of using straight up strong white bread flour for the base, I used a lovely eight-grain mix I get from a local mill. Granary flour would be a lovely substitution too.  It gives a wholesome nuttiness which sits well against the rich grilled salmon.

With the focus being light and bright Spring flavours, I used lower fat cream cheese (another wonderful pairing for salmon) and lower fat creme fraîche, along with just enough lemon zest in the filling to cut through the oily fish.

You definitely don’t want too much but a little citrus works very well indeed.  Alongside the fish, I grill some asparagus stalks and before baking, I stir in a good measure of frozen peas for a vegetable primavera sort of feel to the quiche, which always makes me smile as I had a primavera risotto as my main meal at mine and Hungry Hubby’s wedding 7 years ago this summer.

Salmon, Asparagus and Pea Quiche

To finish the seasoning, I use a little dried mint which brings out the sweetness of the peas and if I don’t have dried, know that I use a teaspoon of mint sauce instead with great success.  Mint sauce is a British institution – don’t knock it ’till you try it!

Normally with quiches, I do go for double cream and plenty of cheese but for this one, there is just light cream cheese (and I use Philadelphia Light) to bind the fish and vegetables together with a mere whisper of grated Double Gloucester on top, not mixed into the mix.

It gives a lightly salted finish to the quiche and all in all, you’re left with a well seasoned, light and fresh savoury tart that would make any Spring lunch special. Try serving it with a green salad dressed in a lemon vinaigrette or with some freshly made new potato salad. And a nicely chilled glass of white of course, too!

Salmon, Asparagus and Pea Quiche
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Salmon, Asparagus & Pea Quiche

Made with a pizza base, this is the lightest way to enjoy quiche. Use seeded or granary flour for their nutty wholesomeness, and enjoy this light and fresh quiche for lunch this Spring

Course: Main Course
Servings: 6 servings
: 348 kcal
Author: Just Jo
Ingredients
For the pizza dough base:
  • 160 g seeded or granary bread flour (if you can't find them, ordinary strong white bread flour works perfectly)
  • 7 g fast action dried yeast
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 110 g water
For the filling:
  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 170-200 g asparagus, trimmed then cut in half
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 180 g light cream cheese
  • 100 g lower fat creme fraîche
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (plus 2 tsp juice)
  • 1 tsp dried mint (mint sauce is a good substitute)
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 100 g frozen peas (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tbsp Double Gloucester or medium cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
  1. Mix the dough ingredients together and beat with a dough hook in a stand mixer for 5-10 minutes until you have a soft and slightly tacky dough. Bring together into a ball, grease the bowl and cover, leaving to prove for at least one hour but you can leave it 24 hours in the fridge.

  2. Place the salmon fillets on a large and lightly oiled baking tray and then rub the asparagus with the a little olive oil and place next to the fish. Season with salt and pepper then squeeze over a little lemon juice (reserve the lemon to grate later). Grill (broil) on high for 8 minutes then allow to cool.

  3. Preheat oven to 180˚C with either a bakestone or a baking tray on the middle shelf to heat up.

  4. Prepare the filling by beating all of the remaining ingredients together apart from the Double Gloucester. Fold in the cooled asparagus and flake in the salmon - use a fork to do this and keep the chunks bite size, no smaller. 

  5. Pat the proved dough out into a round and transfer into a 23 cm loose bottomed tart tin. Press it into the corners and up the sides of the tin - you will curse my name, especially when using seeded flour as it is thin and will tear a little but just keep on going! Oil your hands if necessary and just push any holes that form back together. It does look too little but trust me - it rises a lot on baking. 

  6. Scoop the filling in, scatter over the grated cheese and cook for 40 minutes. The top will barely have coloured but the dough will be cooked around the edges and the centre of the quiche should have the barest of wibble wobbles. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving whilst still warm. 

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