Vegan Quinoa Breakfast Frittata

It’s no secret we love a frittata. It’s a vehicle for leftovers, a sneaky way to eat your greens, a lazy person’s quiche. So who knew you could make a frittata sans eggs? Gemma Ogston did, and she’s showing us how with this vegan quinoa breakfast frittata from The Self-Care Cookbook: Easy Healing Plant-Based Recipes.

“This easy baked egg-free frittata is perfect for a lazy breakfast or brunch,” she writes. “The protein from the quinoa and the iron in the greens provide an extra nutritional boost to start the day. It’s also great cold with salad, as a packed lunch.”

When combined with water, chickpea flour (aka gram flour) acts in the same way as eggs, Ogston says, which is pretty darn amazing.

_{Reprinted from The Self-Care Cookbook. Text © 2019 by Gemma Ogston. Photography © 2019 by Gemma Ogston. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.}

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3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5¼ ounces mushrooms, finely chopped

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

9 ounces kale or spinach, stalks and ribs removed from the kale and chopped

1⅔ cups chickpea flour (gram flour)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup precooked quinoa (or cook 3 tablespoons dried quinoa, according to the package instructions)

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

Mixed greens salad, optional, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line an 11-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large saucepan, warm half the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and kale or spinach leaves, cook until wilting, about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, remaining olive oil, and 1½ cups water to make a batter. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the cooked vegetables, quinoa and parsley, then stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into the lined cake pan and bake until set, 18 to 20 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve with a salad of mixed greens, if desired.

Note: The chickpea flour batter acts in the same way as eggs, so you could also make a scrambled egg–type dish. Cook the batter in vegan butter or olive oil in a nonstick frying pan on low heat, stirring constantly. Fold in some chopped chives and parsley and serve with a simple mixed salad.