Looking for an easy but impressive brunch recipe to wow your guests? This smoked salmon and spinach quiche with tangy goat cheese, fresh spinach and dill, and a buttery pie crust is a delicious, satisfying meal for any gathering.
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Why You'll Love Smoked Salmon Quiche with Spinach
With a buttery, flaky pie crust, custardy eggs, savory smoked salmon, fresh spinach, tangy, creamy goat cheese, and bright dill, this spinach and salmon quiche
It's easy to make and saves time by using a premade pie crust. This recipe is filling, and includes a serving of healthy vegetables, too.
It's easy to adapt to what you have on hand. No goat cheese? Try feta, mozzarella, or another melting cheese.
It's also impressive. I'm a huge fan of quiche not just for its taste, but also for its presentation. Serve a whole quiche to a party or friends or family for an elegant dish perfect for brunch.
What You'll Need
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- Pie Crust I like to use a store-bought pie crust for this recipe but you can absolutely make your crust from scratch.
- Smoked Salmon You could also use gravlax, which has an herb crust. If using gravlax, omit the fresh dill below.
- Fresh Baby Spinach Baby spinach leaves are preferable here because they cook down to bite-sized pieces.
- Goat Cheese I like to buy pre-crumbled goat cheese. You can also buy a goat cheese log and crumble it by hand. You'll want it cold if crumbling by hand.
- Garlic Fresh is always my preference.
- Eggs I used large eggs for this recipe.
- Fresh Dill
- Milk Full-fat milk is best for this recipe. Half and half will also work.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Pan spray or butter will also work. You'll just want to lightly coat your pie tin to make it easier to remove the quiche when it's ready.
- Kosher Salt I always recommend using kosher salt in recipes. It's harder to oversalt and has an overall preferable shape, allowing it to coat food more evenly.
- Pepper Fresh ground black pepper is optional here. If you want an extra refined presentation, try some white pepper.
How to Make Salmon Spinach Quiche
Step One Prepare the spinach mixture. Add a bit of butter or olive oil to a pan over medium-low heat and saute the garlic until just fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Step Two Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with a bit of salt and add to a large mixing bowl.
Step Three Chop your salmon into bite-sized pieces.
Step Four Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, Prepare your pie dish by brushing with olive oil, spraying with pan spray, or greasing with a bit of butter. Place your pie crust in the pie plate. Prick the pie crust all over with a fork.
Step Five Bake the crust for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
Step Six Whisk the eggs in with the milk, spinach, salmon, cheese, dill, salt and pepper.
Step Seven Carefully pour the salmon quiche mixture into the pastry crust. Place the quiche in the oven and cook for 35 to 45 minutes.
Step Eight Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve topped with a bit of crème fraîche and dill.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A quiche is a French tart filled with eggs. You will usually see different meats, cheese, or vegetables added to the egg mixture before baking.
Quiche is done when the center of the egg mixture is just set and no longer runny. The edges should be completely set and the center should jiggle a bit when you shake the pie dish.
A quiche is fully cooked in the oven, while a frittata is partially cooked on the stovetop in a pan prior to being moved to the oven to finish cooking. Quiche is also often served in a crust, whereas a frittata is not.
Quiche has a texture that's closer to a custard pie because it contains more dairy, while frittata is more like an omelet. Finally, quiche is a traditional French dish, while frittata is from Italy.
The eggs and milk in quiche provide a good source of protein and calcium. Spinach adds fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, and iron among other nutrients.
Variations
Crustless Quiche It's easy to make a crustless quiche with this recipe. Just leave out the pie shell and follow the same filling instructions as above.
Frozen Spinach If using frozen spinach, be sure to thaw it well and cook in a skillet over medium heat to remove as much water as possible before adding it to the egg mixture.
Different Cheese If you are not a fan of goat cheese, try some feta, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, swiss, or any other melting cheese.
Fresh Salmon or Canned Salmon You can use fresh salmon or canned salmon in place of the smoked salmon, but be sure to remove as much moisture as possible from the fish before adding it to the eggs or you may make this quiche soggy.
How to Store
Fridge Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container or in the pie tin with plastic wrap.
Freezer You can either cut the quiche into individual slices or freeze the quiche whole. Wrap with plastic wrap and then place in a gallon plastic bag for extra protection against freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating from Fridge To reheat, remove any wrapping, lightly cover with foil, and place in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Reheating from Frozen To reheat from frozen, remove the wrapping from the quiche, and place it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until heated through.
Expert Tips
- If your crust is showing signs of getting too dark before it is cooked through, create a loose ring of tin foil and tent just the crust portion.
- To fully cool your crust after you par-bake it (the first 10 minutes in the oven), try putting it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Be sure to let the quiche cool once cooked. This will make it easier serve. A refrigerated quiche may be even easier to cut and remove from the pie dish.
How to Serve This Salmon Quiche Recipe
Creamy smoked salmon and spinach quiche can be a meal on its own. Here are some ideas to round out your breakfast or brunch table:
Side Salad Serve a slice of quiche with a simple green salad and Lemon Herb Vinaigrette!
Condiments This quiche is delicious with a spoonful of these Pickled Mustard Seeds for added texture and a tangy flavor.
Fresh Fruit Try serving with some sliced fresh fruit or a fruit salad, like this Thanksgiving Fruit Salad.
Greens Try having this warm Garlicky Sautéed Cruciferous Crunch, some roasted Brussels Sprouts and Asparagus, or this Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli.
Brunch You can have this quiche as the center of your next brunch spread along with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine with little Air Fryer Crostini and some Roasted Garlic Butter.
Some other brunch favorites include this Avocado Tartine and potatoes, like these Air Fryer Fingerling Potatoes. Want a dairy-free egg recipe? This dairy free egg bake is a great option!
For more ideas check out this What to Serve with Quiche recipe collection!
More Delicious Brunch Dishes
📖 Recipe
Smoked Salmon and Spinach Quiche
Equipment
- Pie Dish 9-inch
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 pie crust prepared
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter or pan spray, for greasing the pie pan
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 5 eggs large
- 1 cup milk full fat
- 7 ounces smoked salmon
- 3 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh dill plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt see note 1
- pepper optional, to taste
- 6 tablespoons crème fraîche optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place a pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with a bit of salt and set aside.
- Chop your salmon into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Prepare your pie dish by brushing with olive oil, spraying with pan spray, or greasing with a bit of butter.
- Place your pie crust in the pie plate. Prick the pie crust all over with a fork, then bake the crust for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add the milk, spinach mixture, salmon, goat cheese, dill, salt, and pepper, if using.
- Carefully pour the salmon quiche mixture into the pastry crust. Place the quiche in the oven and cook for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- The quiche is done when the center of the egg mixture is just set and no longer runny. The edges should be completely set and it should jiggle a bit in the center when you shake the pie dish.
- Serve topped with a bit of crème fraîche and fresh dill.
Notes
- If you do not have kosher salt and are instead using table salt, use half of this amount or less. Smoked salmon can be quite salty and it's better to undersalt the quiche and add a bit on top rather than make the whole quiche too salty.
- If your crust is showing signs of getting too dark before it is cooked through, create a loose ring of tin foil and tent just the crust portion.
- To fully cool your crust after you par-bake it (the first 10 minutes in the oven), try putting it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Be sure to let the quiche cool once cooked. This will make it easier serve. A refrigerated quiche may be even easier to cut and remove from the pie dish.
- Fridge Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container or in the pie tin with plastic wrap.
- Freezer You can either cut the quiche into individual slices or freeze the quiche whole. Wrap with plastic wrap and then place in a gallon plastic bag for extra protection against freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating from Fridge To reheat, remove any wrapping, lightly cover with foil, and place in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through.
- Reheating from Frozen To reheat from frozen, remove the wrapping from the quiche, and place it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until heated through.
Ella Wood says
I have been eating this for over a month every day for breakfast. I make this every other weekend, freeze half for the current week and refrigerate the other half for the following week. It's delicious and a great way to start my day with protein and iron. I reheat a slice at 375 for 20 minutes. delicious.
Genevieve says
I'm flattered, Ella! So happy you enjoy this recipe.
Healing Tomato says
This quiche was EGGcellent! It's easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find. Great Sunday Brunch Recipe.
Genevieve says
Haha, I see what you did there! Thanks Rini!
Jennifer says
This is a fabulous quiche. The combination of flavors is outstanding, and it impressed my inlaws so it was a win-win! Yum!
Genevieve says
Oh yay! So happy you and your in-laws enjoyed this one.
Sue says
This quiche is the perfect combination of flavors! It was so easy to make something that feels so fancy!
Genevieve says
I'm happy you enjoyed it! Thanks Sue!
Nicole says
We have an abundance of smoked salmon, but you can only eat it so much on crackers with cheese or whipped into a dip. This was the perfect breakfast! I'll definitely be making this one again!
Genevieve says
Definitely one of my favorite ways to use up smoked salmon! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Nicole.
Gina says
This is the perfect holiday brunch recipe and we devoured it for Easter yesterday!
Genevieve says
Yay! Thanks Gina!
Ksenia says
Made this for Easter brunch and it was a huge hit! The quiche batter was perfectly flavoured and the filling was yummy. Loved the big bites of smoked salmon and how it interacted with the goat cheese!
Genevieve says
I'm glad to hear it was a hit. Thanks so much, Ksenia!
Sharon says
This quiche was delicious. Thanks for the tip about using kosher salt! I won't be oversalting from now on. Thanks!
Genevieve says
I'm so happy that the kosher salt hint was helpful! It completely changed the way I season food (for the better). Thanks so much, Sharon!
Claire says
As soon as this dropped into my email I knew I needed it for dinner! Smoked salmon and goats cheese are two of my favorite foods!
It didn't disappoint. I used smoked salmon offcuts from the grocery store as they are such good value.
The kids even enjoyed this which given how much "green stuff" is in it was a surprise and a disappointment as there was less for me!
YUM
Genevieve says
I don't know if I have offcuts near me, but that sounds like a fantastic idea! I would love to recommend a budget-friendly smoked salmon cut. It's so tasty but it can definitely be pricey. And yay! I'm so glad the kids enjoyed it, too.
Rose says
This salmon and spinach quiche was so simple to prepare and tasted delicious on Easter dinner table!
Genevieve says
I am flattered you served this for Easter dinner! Thank you for trusting my recipe and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it.