Vegan Spanakopita
Author:Vegan Spanakopita - My take on the great Greek spinach and feta pie! Featuring shatteringly crisp phyllo pastry, and a soft, salty, vegan feta-cheesy, spinachy filling, all baked up to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 16 oz (454 grams) phyllo pastry , (you will find it in the freezer department with the pie crusts)
- ½ cup (120 mls) olive oil or melted vegan butter , divided. Aquafaba can be used instead for oil-free, but oil or butter is highly recommended for crunch, colour and flavour.
For the vegan feta
- 12oz (350 g) extra firm tofu , (don't press it)
- ½ cup (120 ml) melted refined coconut oil , it MUST be refined and not unrefined or virgin
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice , (zest first and save for the pie filling)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar , or white wine, or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill , (leaves not seeds) - please note the finished feta does not taste of dill at all - Strangely, it helps the feta flavour.
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons fine sea salt , NOT table salt
For the filling
- 16 oz (454 grams) fresh spinach
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic minced very finely
- 1 cup (25 grams) fresh parsley , chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint , optional but recommended if you have some
- zest of a medium lemon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Defrost the phyllo pastry - Put the unopened package/box in the refrigerator overnight, or leave at room temperature for about 4 hours. Do not open it until you are going to assemble the pie.
- Make the feta (this can be done up to 4 days ahead & stored in the fridge) - Add all of the ingredients to a food processor (this recipe does not work well in a blender, even a high-powered one), starting off with only half of the salt. Blend it all up until smooth, then taste and add more salt as needed. Blend to incorporate it after each addition. Remember that this is feta so it should have quite a salty edge. I like to use the full 2 teaspoons in mine.
- Prepare the spinach - Heat a large sauté pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil or butter over medium-low heat and add the spinach. It will be piled ridiculously high, but within a few minutes it will wilt down. Use tongs to move it about and keep it cooking until it is completely wilted, soft and dark green. It will take about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool.
- Once it is cool take handfuls of spinach and squeeze over the sink until as much liquid as you can is removed. Place each handful in a large mixing bowl once done.
- Prepare the filling - To the spinach, add the vegan feta cheese, onion, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon zest, nutmeg and pepper. Mix it all together really well.
- Assemble the pie - Grease an 8 x 12-inch or 9 x 13-inch (or similar) oven-proof dish with a little of the olive oil or melted vegan butter and preheat your oven to 350℉ (175 °C).
- Open the phyllo pastry and lay it out flat on the counter. Have a clean, damp dish towel ready to cover it with so it doesn't dry out while you're working. If the sheets are way more than double the size of your dish, cut them all in half right down the middle; otherwise, just use them as they are. Some overhang is good.
- Brush the top sheet of phyllo with oil or melted butter and gently lift it and lay it in the centre of the oven-proof dish. Keep the remaining sheets covered with the damp cloth. Push the pastry sheet down gently into the dish, letting the excess hang evenly over the sides. Don't worry if some of it falls back down the sides and into the bottom of the dish. Repeat, brushing each sheet with a little oil or butter and laying them on top of each other in the dish until you have used about half of the sheets. If any of them tear, just keep going. It doesn't matter because there are multiple layers.
- Spoon the spinach mixture onto the pastry layers in the dish and level it with a spatula, then scrunch up the edges of the overhanging pastry and arrange them around the edge of the filling.
- Now you need to brush each of the remaining phyllo sheets with oil or butter and take each one and scrunch it up loosely in your hand, then lay it gently on top of the feta spinach filling. Keep going until they are all used, then gently tweak them a bit to cover any big gaps. Some small gaps are fine.
- Bake - Put the pie in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Open the oven, turn it around (to make sure it bakes evenly) and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until very golden brown and shatteringly crispy.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before you try to cut it. It's good served warm or cold.
NOTES
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be enjoyed hot or cold. Reheat in a 350°F oven until heated through. Time will vary depending on size.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 745mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4513IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 4mg
