GREEK VEGAN SPANAKOPITA

By deiv3 on September 20, 2024

GREEK VEGAN SPANAKOPITA

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces fresh spinach , chopped (can also use a mixture of spinach and chard)
1 bunch scallions , chopped (about 6-7 scallion bulb pieces)
¼ cup dill
¼ cup parsley , either kind works but I use Italian flat leaf
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive oil or veggie broth for sautéing
1 pound phyllo (filo) sheets , if you can find the thick ones use those (see note for gluten-free)
⅙ – ⅓ cup olive oil for brushing phyllo (filo) (see notes for oil free idea)
1 cup vegan feta cheese recipe , store bought or homemade (linked here, make sure to add these ingredients to your list if making homemade)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
In a skillet brown the scallions in olive oil or broth until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add spinach, salt and pepper and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add dill and parsley and mix well. Put the mixture in a large bowl.
If making homemade vegan feta then in a food processor, add the cashews (drain and rinse them after the soaking), vinegar, water and salt. Pulse until you get a chunky but coarsely chopped texture.
Pour the store bought or cashew "feta" mixture into the bowl with the spinach and mix well.
Pour the olive oil for brushing in a glass bowl. Or use the method for the oil free version.
A little trick, cut the phyllo (filo) edge to fit the length of your pan, cut it while it is still rolled up in the package to make it easy. Meaning, keep it rolled, measure it in your pan then slice off the edge so that it fits in your pan well. You can keep the extra and use it for other things or if you're like my sister and I, we loved to eat it when we were young!
Brush the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with a little bit of oil.
Then line the pan with half of one phyllo (filo) sheet, allowing the other half to hang over the edge, brush the half in the pan with some oil, then fold the other half over the top and brush it with oil too. See the photos in the post. This has to be done like this because the phyllo (filo) sheets are bigger than the pan.
You are going to do this for half of the phyllo (filo) sheets, brushing each sheet with the olive oil.
After you have used half of the sheets, spread the spinach mixture on top.
Then top with the remaining phyllo (filo) sheets brushing each of them with the olive oil again.
When done, cut into squares.
Bake for 60-70 minutes until it is golden brown on top. Begin checking at 50 minutes as ovens vary.
Let it cool completely before cutting through and serving.
NOTES
You can also use frozen spinach for this recipe. Just make sure to squeeze out all the water after it defrosts so that it doesn't get watery.
Any kind of phyllo (filo) sheets will work but I find the thicker ones are quicker and easier. If you can find a package that says "thick" or "#9 thick" then get those.
To make this gluten-free, you can make your own filo (search online for recipes), you can buy gluten-free puff pastry (Schar brand makes one) or you can be creative and use gluten-free pizza dough or tortillas and make individual pockets.
If making homemade vegan feta, make the entire linked recipe to use here. If you forget to soak the cashews, simply boil them for about 25 minutes. They need to be soft so do not skip this step and use them dry.
If you want to keep this oil free, sauté with broth and you can try to use a version of the trick I used in my Vegan Baklava to get the phyllo crispy. It called for Aquafaba mixed with almond butter and maple syrup since it's a dessert, but you can try it with just the aquafaba or the Aquafaba and almond butter. It's better with the oil, but if you want to make this oil free, the aquafaba should work like it did in the baklava recipe. Keep in mind that the phyllo dough still has some oil in it.
This makes 24 pieces, each piece is a serving in the nutrition info.
Tips to prep ahead:
Make the filling the day before.