Vegetable Frittata with Asparagus and Leek

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Vegetable frittata is a quick and easy lunch to prepare in advance. You can pack this for takeaway lunches to have for a nutritious meal on the go. Pair this frittata with a side salad or grilled vegetables and your choice of protein to have a balanced meal ready for dinner in a flash.

What is Frittata?

Frittata is sometimes known as a crustless quiche and is Italian for ‘fried’. Basically, beaten eggs with the addition of vegetables and herbs, or meats and cheese too. I love frittata because it is an easy way to use up a surplus of eggs and vegetables. It really doesn’t take much preparation time either which is a bonus.

I call it a ‘one pan wonder’ meal because it really is my simple go-to meal for a quick lunch when the days are busy. This is an excellent way to pack in a few servings of vegetables without too much effort.

Swaps for Vegetable Frittata:

• Add leftover roasted vegetables to the mix instead of fresh vegetables.
• Add seasonal vegetables like fresh tomato, basil, green beans, shelled peas and more.
• Top off with your choice of cheese (vegan, regular dairy or goats) to make this more decadent.
• Mix feta cheese into the batter before baking.
• It can easily be made vegetarian and dairy free to suit dietary requirements.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes you can. I suggest preparing and baking the frittata in full, taking it out of the oven 5-10 minutes early. Store the frittata in the fridge until you are ready to reheat it. Cover the frittata with foil and reheat in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 160 Celsius or 320 Fahrenheit, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes to aid in browning the surface.

Vegetable Frittata Ingredients:

• Eggs – It wouldn’t be frittata without eggs. I use free range eggs from the store. Lately, my husbands co-workers own chickens lay a surplus so we have been getting a dozen a week. If you had a decent ‘vegan egg’ product you could definitely substitute it if you are egg-free or vegan.
• Leek – I used a bag of chopped frozen leek that I had stored, leftover from my winter garden harvest. You can use fresh leek too with no issue!
• Asparagus – A delight in late spring and early summer.
• Potato – Use a starchy baking potato like Agria which gives a fluffy texture when cooked.
• Herbs – I used a blend of dried and fresh herbs. Sage, parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic.. the works!

How To Make Vegetable Frittata with Asparagus and Leek

Prepare vegetable filling ingredients:

Wash and prepare vegetables. My leek was already washed and chopped into medium-fine slices. I added this to a cast iron pan with olive oil, salt and pepper and cooked on medium heat until soft and aromatic.

Meanwhile, I peeled and cubed the potatoes and boiled them for around 6-8 minutes, or until just fork tender. I also prepared the asparagus by snapping off the tough woody ends and cutting them in half.

Feel free to use other vegetables if you don’t have asparagus in season or available where you are. A good substitute is blanched chopped spinach or silverbeet and a handful of shelled or frozen peas.

Herbs and seasonings:

I am obsessed with using herbs in recipes, the more the better! I think it’s only natural, being a herbalist. This recipe calls for fresh sage and chives finely chopped, but I also added in dried rosemary, thyme, oregano and garlic granules.

Assemble and bake:

Once the potatoes are fork tender, remove them from the boiling water and set aside. Blanch the asparagus for 1-2 minutes or until the colour turns bright green. Drain the asparagus and set aside.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add your fresh chopped herbs.

Now adding the remaining ingredients; additional herbs and seasonings followed by the cooked leek and potato and mix well.

All that’s left to do is pour into an oiled cast iron pan and top with asparagus! Bake at 220 Celsius for 20-25 minutes or until the centre is firm and cooked.