Tomato, Shiitake, and Leek Pie is sort of a quiche, but it’s quite light. Egg whites only, no cream or milk, parmesan instead of a heavy, melty cheese – the vegetables shine through. I think you’ll like it.
Although it’s not a heavy dish, this pie is big on flavor. I love leeks – they hide in the background and make the flavors of the other vegetables so much bolder somehow. When I riff on vegetable soup without using a recipe, I always start by sautéing sliced leeks in the pan. They melt away to nothing, but their distictive presence is known. It’s the same thing with this Tomato, Shiitake, and Leek Pie. You cannot sub onions or shallots for the leeks in this dish! I always grow leeks in the garden, but I don’t always produce enough to freeze for use throughout the winter, which means I’m off to the store to purchase leeks, even if I have every other ingredient on hand. They’re all that.
I bake this pie in a gluten-free pastry crust that I parbake in advance. My recipe includes butter rather than lard, which is what my mother, my aunts, and my grandmothers would use in their pie crusts. They were all so competitive! If you’re gluten-free, please give my recipe a try. If not, you could use any pie crust, even a store-bought pre-made crust, because it’s the vegetables that shine in this Tomato, Shiitake, and Leek Pie.
Tomato, Shiitake, and Leek Pie
Ingredients
- 7 ounces sliced shiitakes
- 2 cups thinly sliced leeks
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound tomatoes
- 1 t thyme
- 2 large egg whites (slightly beaten)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 parbaked pastry pie crust (see note below)
Instructions
- Sauté the prepped mushrooms – Add the mushrooms to a dry pan and lightly salt them. Sauté the mushrooms until they release their water and become soft and silky. Set aside.
- Sweat the leeks – Add a bit of olive oil to the pan, add the leeks, and sauté them until they are very soft and beginning to melt. Add the garlic and cook a minute or two until fragrant.
- Prep the tomatoes and preheat the oven – Remove the core and seeds from the tomatoes and give them a rough chop, reserving a few tomato slices for the top of the pie. Preheat the oven to 350°, convection bake setting.
- Combine the veg – Combine the leeks, chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, thyme and 1/2 t salt in a bowl and let stand for a few minutes to cool a bit. Then fold in the egg whites.
- Assemble and bake – Sprinkle a bit of the parmesan on the parbaked pie crust, then pour in the vegetable mixture and spread it evenly. Top with the tomato slices and then the rest of the cheese. Bake for fifteen minutes or until the filling is set. Let stand for ten minutes before serving.
Notes
