It’s time for this summer’s calabacitas recipe – Calabacitas Quiche. For those who aren’t familiar with calabacitas it is a traditional New Mexican dish made with summer squash, roasted green chile, and corn. To learn more about it, click on the previous link. There are many variations of this traditional dish, but what I have found over the years, is that there are also many dishes in which one can incorporate the basic calabacitas ingredients.
In previous years I have shared my calabacitas tacos, cornbread, macaroni & cheese, chowder, and enchiladas. All are great ideas for using up an abundance of summer squash and even better during green chile season when you can use freshly roasted green chile. This year, I’m sharing a calabacitas quiche recipe. It uses my standard basic quiche crust and egg/milk mixture, but the vegetables are yellow squash, green chile, and corn. Don’t hesitate to use zucchini or other summer squash or a combination of. There are also choices in the cheese you use. I’ve provided a few suggestions in the Kitchen Notes of the recipe.
As with most of my other calabacitas recipes, this quiche is vegetarian and makes a wonderful entrée with a simple side like some slices of tomatoes and cucumbers, or any complementary side salad (see gallery at end of post). I hope you enjoy this calabacitas quiche as well as some of my other calabacitas recipes.
Calabacitas Quiche is a vegetarian's delight. Quiche filled with summer squash, corn, and roasted green chile, complemented with feta and cheddar cheese makes a mouthwatering meal.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information, substitutions, and related links.
- ¼ cold water
- ¼ Olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup unbleached AP flour
- ¼ tsp. oregano
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ½ pound squash (yellow or zucchini), sliced and coarsely chopped
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup diced onion
- ¼ – ½ cup green/red roasted chile*, diced
- ½ tsp. Mexican oregano
- Dash or two of salt and pepper
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup half and half
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tsp. mustard powder
- dash or two of salt
- ½ cup feta, cotija, or queso fresco, crumbled
- ½ cup cheddar cheese (mild or sharp), grated
Preheat oven to 375°F.
For the crust, combine the flour, salt and oregano in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Whisk together the oil and water. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Using your hand, work the dough to combine all of the ingredients and form into a ball.
Press the dough into the pie/quiche pan. (I use a large rubber spatula to spread across the bottom and my fingers to press to the sides of the pan). Make sure there are no holes in the crust to prevent leakage under the crust. Place in refrigerator until ready to assemble.
- In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the squash and onion, and saute’ over medium heat for about 1 minute.
Add the garlic, chile, and corn and continue to sauté. After a couple of minutes, turn up the heat to evaporate most of the moisture in the skillet*. Your onions should be translucent and the squash somewhat soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, milk, salt and ground mustard. Whisk to combine well.
- Spread the feta evenly across the bottom of the pie crust.
Spread the vegetable mixture evenly on top of the feta. Top with the cheddar cheese.
- Pour the egg/cream mixture over ingredients.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or the center is firm to the touch or a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving. The quiche can be cut into 4 – 6 servings.
Roasted Green Chile – The amount you use depends on how hot the chile is and how hot you want the quiche. I use a medium spiced chile, allowing for 1/2 cup.
The Cheese – The first time I made this I used Monterey Jack for the base cheese, but found that this quiche needed something with a little more bite to it. I made it again with feta which was so much better. It added the bite and a little saltiness that complementary the vegetables nicely. Cotija or queso fresco also works.
Evaporation of liquid – Too much liquid in a quiche leads to runny results. So try to evaporate most of the moisture from the cooked vegetables, but don’t let the squash get mushy. You want them soft so that the moisture is extracted, but there is a fine line between soft and mushy IMO.
Below are some nice side dishes to serve with this quiche. You can also serve with slices of fresh tomatoes, or apples, or wedges of orange.
Thanks for introducing me to calabacitas!
You are most welcome! Enjoy!
looks like some great flavours here MJ. I do love me a nice quiche:)
Thanks Sherry!
This might be the best calabacitas recipe yet. I wish I had grown yellow squash! Happy Labor Day, M.J.
thanks Debra! It is quite yummy!
Appreciate your detailed recipe; I would try it using feta when making it for the first time. Since this is so comforting yet light, it will become an autumn staple in out house and perfect to try with Monterey jack later….. Thank you MJ !
Thanks Davorka! I’m glad you like the recipe. I hope you get a chance to make it.
This is a delicious looking quiche! Perfect for any meal of the day!
Thanks Amy!
I would love to have that on my breakfast table! That looks like a good way to start my day
Thanks Raymund! I’m with you – quiche is not just for dinner. 🙂
A lovely Sunday brunch quiche and one we shall soon try. We’ll be trying it with a Hungarian pepper we’ve found that taste similar to your New Mexico green peppers. Thanks for yet another fine calabacitas recipe…
Thanks Ron! So glad you were able to find a chile similar to New Mexico’s. A good chile is always a must! 🙂
Who doesn’t just love quiche? And who needs a new, creative quiche recipe? I DO !!! The flavors in this are so interesting. My family would go crazy over this MJ! I know that I would, that goes without saying! I just wish I could pronounce it correctly! Thank you for sharing and wish for your continual safety.
Ciao,
Roz
Thanks Roz! It’s amazing how many different types of dishes the basic ingredients – squash, chile and corn – fit in to. I love that combination and I love quiche, so what a perfect match. I hope you get a chance to try it and that you and your family enjoy it. Take care and stay healthy my friend. Cheers, MJ
What a tasty sounding quiche using the bounties of summer veggies.
Thanks Karen!
You must have read my mind! I wanted to make quiche yesterday (ended up having TJ’s broccoli/ kale pizza crust, hah, that’s another story) I’m so excited to see this vegetarian beauty in all of its seasonal glory; often do crustless for convenience but am in the mood…. might try an almond crust and let you know how it goes. I hope you’re keeping well MJ, hugs.
Thanks Kelly! Broccoli/Kale pizza crust? Now that sounds interesting. Hum! Personally I like a light crust on a quiche and this olive oil crust is my favorite because it’s thin and you can use different flours for it. Almond flour should work great!
What a perfect dish to help use up the generous zucchini from my garden. Squash and other summer vegetables are just the bonus addition of goodness. Loved your quiche. It is awesome how different culture bind us all with their food and familiar flavours. Awesome
Thank you Hasin! I agree about food binding us together and those of us who really enjoy food have discovered that. If more people would make that discovery, maybe everyone could get along better. One can only hope. 🙂
All of our favorites from the summer harvest in one gorgeous dish. Love it! Do you think we can make this without the crust and toss the feta in on top? I bet we could and it will be perfect anytime meal. Enjoy your weekend and take care
Thanks Bobbi! Yes, you could definitely made a crustless quiche. Just as you said, move the feta to the top and you should be good. Enjoy!
Two minds think alike, it’s ironic that I made calabacitas this week. I wish I had seen your quiche recipe sooner, I know I would love it! I have made tacos with calabacitas but am amazed at all the ways you’ve incorporated it into new recipes.
Thanks Jan! Seems to be the time for calabacitas for a lot of us. 🙂 Yes, there does seem to be an abundance of ways to incorporate calabacitas into a dish. I do have to admit that the cornbread recipe is one of my favorites, but then I do love cornbread.
Hi MJ! We’re finally enjoying Summer vegetables here in Colorado and I just made Calabacitas last night using fresh corn, tomatoes and those little round zucchini squash that I think are authentic for the dish. So good. What a great idea to make a quiche. That will be my next project. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thanks Lea Ann! I hope you do get a chance to make it. We enjoy it. Most people do use zucchini in their calabacitas, but some families use both zukes and yellow. I went to a food conference in Santa Fe a few years ago and the word authentic and traditional was thrown out a lot. After 3 days of listening to native New Mexicans and Indians, I realized that it comes down to what gets passed down through the generations within your own family. There are so many versions of authentic dishes here, that it’s hard to keep up. 🙂
This is an amazing and top perfectly quiche till now…with such a flavor too….i can’t wait to try it….Thanks for sharing a beautiful recipe..MJ….!
Thanks Santash! I hope you do get a chance to try it and that you enjoy it. We certainly do. 🙂
Thanks, MJ, for yet another way to cook up those darn prolific squash! As we all know, once those plants get to producing, all the recipes and imagination in the world won’t help you keep up with ’em. Why, I’ve even heard of some towns where you dare not leave your car windows open on a hot summer day, lest some “zucchini bandit” dumps an armload of just picked squash on your front seat! And then runs like heck!
Thanks Sharon and you are most welcome! I have another squash recipe coming up soon. 🙂 That funny about leaving squash in people’s cars. I’ve been sharing with family and neighbors. I think my neighbors have had enough. If one can keep the bugs away, there is no stopping the production of squash. 🙂
Saying hello from Australia I have to admit with a smile to be in somewhat ‘foreign’ territory. Which is a great learning experience for me ! I have barely a nodding experience with food from New Mexico, BUT – I know how to make a quiche, have plenty of zucchinis all year and corn and there is always feta in the fridge. Shall decidedly teach myself and friends around . . . thank you !
Hello Eha! Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving a comment. Sounds like you have most all of the ingredients for this quiche. I know New Mexico green chile doesn’t make it all the way down to Australia, but you could always substituted with another roasted pepper or even a roasted red bell. It would be spicy, but the red bell would add some sweetness. Hope you enjoy!
That’s a gorgeous looking quiche — the top is perfectly done. Such nice flavors, too — don’t think I’ve ever had a calabacitas quiche, but it’s perfect for summer. Kind of fun to say, too. 🙂 Really nice — thanks.
Thanks John! How can one go wrong with fresh garden produce and green chile? 🙂
Such a great looking quiche! I can’t take my eyes off from that shiny golden topping. And it’s definitely a perfect recipe to use all the summer produce.
Thank you Angie! With the yellow squash and cheddar on top, it does make a nice golden quiche.