Main Dishes
Vegan Spanakopita Recipe
Prep
30 minutes
Cook
20 minutes
Yield
12 -15
Have you ever had those delicious little triangle bite-sized vegan spanakopita your mom made for dinner parties? You know the ones, they look super fancy and you probably burnt the shit out of your mouth because you didn’t wait for them to cool down. That was basically my childhood, me eating my mom’s homemade spanakopita (Greek spinach and feta pies) straight out of the oven! Needless to say, I have a very high threshold for piping hot food. Also, needless to say, I have taken my love for my mother’s spanakopita and put my Food By Maria vegan spin on this Greek-style vegan spanakopita.
My love for vegan spanakopita runs deep in my Greek veins! I could eat it all day every day. Unfortunately, the traditional mix of feta, eggs, and phyllo pastry doesn’t fall in line with my plant-based lifestyle. Fear not, this recipe is healthy, easy to make, and totally VEGAN! The spinach and leek filling is the most time-consuming so you can always make it in advance and freeze it for a later date. When it’s time to cook the options are endless. I made a few different versions, swirling the vegan phyllo pastry, making a more traditional pie, and might try more of a rustic tart style next time I make it.
Why you’ll love this vegan spanakopita:
- Easy: Tastes and looks fancy but can be made in only 50-minutes
- Delicious: I love the spinach and creaminess in this vegan spanakopita recipe. So good!
- Classic Recipe: This recipe is inspired by a classic recipe of spanikopita but with some spins that make it special
Ingredient Notes:
Nooch/Nutritional Yeast: I’m going to let you in on a little secret, I put nooch (also known as nutritional yeast) on pretty much everything! Okay, I know that’s not a secret, I tell everyone about my obsession with nooch. It is just a vegan’s best friend, packed with so many essential vitamins and minerals how can you not mix it into every recipe. My pantry is literally stocked with a few jars of this stuff from Bob’s Red Mill. Why do I love this stuff, let me tell you:
- It’s a complete protein
- Nooch is jammed packed with B vitamins (essential for plant-based eaters)
- It contains trace minerals like zinc, selenium, manganese, and molybdenum
How to make Greek spinach pie recipe:
1. The night before making your individual spanakopita, make sure to remove your phyllo dough from the freezer. Allow thawing in the fridge.
3. In a large pot, heat your olive oil on medium heat for around 30 seconds.
4. Add the onions and leek, sautéing until caramelized and golden brown.
5. Stir often to avoid burning.
6. After about 10 minutes, your onions and leeks will be ready. Add the green onions, dill, parsley, mint, nutritional yeast, seasonings, and vegetable stock paste.
7. Cook for around 2 minutes or until wilted considerably.
8. Next, add the spinach, and stir until wilted- you want to cook this down until there is no moisture left.
9. Once the spinach is ready, stir in the feta, and remove from heat to cook for around 10 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 375F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
11. Melt the butter and set it aside. Have it ready with a brush to gently coat your phyllo.
12. It is best to keep your phyllo dough moist, so I suggest laying it out flat then covering it with a damp cloth.
13. Gently place one sheet of phyllo dough onto a large cutting board or flat surface. This is a very delicate ingredient, so be patient.
14. Coat the whole thing with melted butter, using your brush, then repeat that step with more sheets, 4 layers total.
15. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the layered phyllo dough into 4 long strips.
16. Scoop approximately 2 tbsp. of the spanakopita filling 1 – 2 cm away from the edge of one strip.
17. Roll the phyllo dough directly over the filling to fully cover it.
18. Next complete a diagonal fold towards one side, to begin a triangle formation.
19. Continue this type of diagonal fold down the entire strip, making sure to alternate the sides of each fold.
20. Arrange onto the baking tray and lightly brush with the melted butter.
21. Complete these steps until all of the fillings is used.
22. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
23. Serve with tzatziki! ENJOY!!
Expert Tips & FAQ:
Use the mixture in other recipes: Mixture is great in vegan spanakopita, Phyllo Rolls, and Calzones. Can be made ahead of time and frozen. Lasts up to one week in the fridge before consumption.
Storage: Phyllo Pie lasts up to one month, uncooked and frozen in the freezer.
Tip: always cook your phyllo dough and puffed pastry from frozen for the best outcome!
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Vegan Spanakopita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 2 ½ cups leek finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups green onion finely chopped
- Season to taste
- 1 cup fresh dill
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh mint
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp vegetable stock paste
- 900 g fresh spinach
- 1 cup vegan feta
- 1 packet vegan phyllo
- 1 cup Easy Greek Tzatziki Sauce
Instructions
- The night before making your individual spanakopita, make sure to remove your phyllo dough from the freezer. Allow thawing in the fridge.
- In a large pot, heat your olive oil on medium heat for around 30 seconds.
- Add the onions and leek, sautéing until caramelized and golden brown.
- Stir often to avoid burning.
- After about 10 minutes, your onions and leeks will be ready. Add the green onions, dill, parsley, mint, nutritional yeast, seasonings, and vegetable stock paste.
- Cook for around 2 minutes or until wilted considerably.
- Next, add the spinach, and stir until wilted- you want to cook this down until there is no moisture left.
- Once the spinach is ready, stir in the feta, and remove from heat to cook for around 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter and set it aside. Have it ready with a brush to gently coat your phyllo.
- It is best to keep your phyllo dough moist, so I suggest laying it out flat then covering with a damp cloth.
- Gently place one sheet of phyllo dough onto a large cutting board or flat surface. This is a very delicate ingredient, so be patient.
- Coat the whole thing with melted butter, using your brush, then repeat that step with more sheets, 4 layers total.
- Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the layered phyllo dough into 4 long strips.
- Scoop approximately 2 tbsp. of the spanakopita filling 1 – 2 cm away from the edge of one strip.
- Roll the phyllo dough directly over the filling to fully cover it.
- Next complete a diagonal fold towards one side, to begin a triangle formation.
- Continue this type of diagonal fold down the entire strip, making sure to alternate the sides of each fold.
- Arrange onto the baking tray and lightly brush with the melted butter.
- Complete these steps until all of the fillings is used.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve with tzatziki! ENJOY!!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Redmill
I love this recipe. I made it for non-vegan friends during a dinner night and they requested I make it again. One time I made it, couldn’t get vegan cheese, so instead I made a quick cashew cheese sauce and it still came out wonderfully.