Easy, protein rich recipe packed with hearty seasonal vegetables, this veggie frittata is what breakfast and brunch dreams are made of. Follow the tips in this recipe to make your best frittata!
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A frittata is indeed a delicious and easy-to-make dish. This veggie frittata recipe is based on a friend’s frittata recipe that she made for us when we visited them. I’m here to tell you I may never make a frittata another way again! It's versatile and though it’s egg based, it can be made with a variety of ingredients, including vegetables, meats, and cheese.
Think of a frittata, a crustless quiche that will make you wonder why we even need that crust. Yup, it’s just that good and simple. Now, you must have seen or heard about frittatas that are finished in the oven - not this one. This veggie frittata gets finished where it started - right on the stove. This recipe is high protein and savory just like my cottage cheese breakfast bowl and is delicious!
Oh! And speaking of the skillet: While you could fight with a regular skillet and try to get the frittata not to stick, having a good, ovenproof nonstick skillet really is essential with it comes to making a frittata. Being able to slide it right out of the pan and slice it up while it’s still warm is the way to go!
Here’s how I made mine.
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Ingredients
A frittata is a clean your fridge dream! You can use up a lot of random cheeses, meats that are leftover and even veggies that are past their prime. There is actually no limit to what you can add to a veggie frittata so you this ingredient list as a guide but totally make it your own - even adding meats - at which point, it will cease to be a veggie frittata but you can call it “My Frittata My Way”. The main ingredients are:
- Eggs
- Red potato
- Sliced onions
- Heavy cream
- Baby spinach
- Salt and black pepper
Choose your frittata ingredients wisely!
Eggs: Have to have eggs and a lot of them. Because when you use 1 or 2 or even 3 eggs, it’s basically an omelet. Use good quality, large eggs. We are lucky enough to get farm fresh eggs from a neighbor and they are delicious.
Vegetables: I have used sliced onions, potatoes and spinach in this veggie frittata recipe. The friend whose recipe this is inspired from used onions, potatoes, and broccoli. You can use whatever you have on hand or what ever veggies you like. The only thing to keep in mind is that you start cooking/sauteing the veggies in the order of time it will take for the veggies to cook. For e.g. if using uncooked potatoes, start with the potatoes first and cut them thin so that the potatoes are crisp and fork tender by the time the frittata is done cooking.
Dairy: As a rule of thumb, I always use full-fat dairy - for flavor and creaminess. In this veggie frittata I have used heavy cream. Half and half, whole milk and sour cream will work as well. There is no cheese in this recipe but I have made frittatas with cheese as well. Our family is not a big goat cheese fan but it’s creamy tangy flavor works really well with the eggs. Monterey jack is my favorite but cheddar and parm also work well in frittatas.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Set a heavy bottomed skillet on medium high heat. Cut the onions and potatoes.
Step 2: Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper together and set aside.
Step 3: Heat oil in the pan, add potatoes and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes or until slightly crisp. Then add onions and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the onions soften followed by the spinach. Cook the spinach uncovered until it wilts and the moisture is gone, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the eggs, lower the heat to absolute low, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and let the eggs cook until set, about 8-10 minutes. You will see that the frittata will pull away from the sides of the pan.
Step 5: Turn the heat off, remove the frittata from the pan, slice and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
My biggest tip for this veggie frittata recipe is not to overcook the frittata. Overcooked frittata loses its creaminess and fluffiness, ending up as a chewy, dry piece of egg. And no one likes that.
You can use any leafy green of your choice, if at all. If you choose to use kale, you will use only 1.5 or 2 cups since it shrinks much less as compared to spinach and also takes longer to cook.
You can also pre-cook your vegetables or use leftover stir fries, cooked meats etc, for e.g. a baked or boiled potato that the pioneer woman uses in her frittata. The only thing to keep in mind is that there should not be a lot of moisture which will make the eggs watery.
Having a good, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a non-stick skillet with a tight fitting lid is very important to making a frittata. You need your faithful skillet that would make sliding this veggie frittata out of the pan a breeze so that it can be sliced up and enjoyed.
What to serve with this Veggie Frittata
You can serve this with a hearty salad or this quinoa salad. You could also stick a slice of frittata between slices of toast and call it a frittata sandwich. Here are a few more ideas:
- Fresh fruit or fruit salad
- Crispy bacon or sausage
- Avocado or guacamole
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Cheese or charcuterie platter
- Croissants or other pastries
- Smoothies or juices
These sides can add texture, flavor, and nutrition to your meal and can be customized based on your preferences and dietary restrictions.
Equipment
FAQ
The biggest difference will be the cooking time. Frittata are cooked slowly over low heat whereas an omelette is rather quick. Frittata can be enjoyed at room temperature or even cold whereas omelettes taste the best when eaten warm.
As I mention in the recipe ingredients above, the answer is dairy. To use cream or milk is your choice but you need something to keep the frittata recipe light and airy.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked it! Snap a photo and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thekitchendocs or share on Facebook, too.
Love – Vaishali
Veggie Frittata
Equipment
- Skillet and Spatula
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 small red potato
- ½ cup sliced onion
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 3 cups baby spinach
- Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set a heavy bottomed skillet on medium high heat. Cut the onions and potatoes.
- Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper together and set aside.
- Heat oil in the pan, add potatoes and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes or until slightly crisp. Then add onions and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the onions soften followed by the spinach. Cook the spinach uncovered until it wilts and the moisture is gone, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, lower the heat to absolute low, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and let the eggs cook until set, about 8-10 minutes. You will see that the frittata will pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Turn the heat off, remove the frittata from the pan, slice and enjoy.
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