Greek Vegan Courgette (aka Zucchini) Pie : Kolokithopita

Yup. It’s that time of year again. It’s … ZUCCHINI TIME!! YAY!

Every year I panic and plant At LEAST 3 courgette plants (zucchini.. whatevs – seriously. Guys.. they are the SAME THING..keep up)

Each plant then ends up with at least one courgette that is ready to pick every day throughout July & August , which means I end up with a gazillion of them.  (Ok- not a gazillion, but at least 3 a day, which is loads, and seems like a gazillion when they start to pile up in the fridge) 

Even if you don’t have your own plants with a never ending supply of squash, you probably have friends or neighbours who do. Or you’ve gone to the market and found that they’re practically being given away. (A kilo for £1.00? Why not?! )  

I secretly love this time of year. (Shhhhh… Don’t tell The Gardener) 

This means that we get to eat endless pasta with courgette & tomato sauce and I get to bring out my fave courgette fritter recipe again and again and again. It also means I like to get a bit creative and try something new. In fact I’ll probably try several somethings, but this time, the something is PIE. 

Lovely, Greek Inspired Courgette Pie- which in Greece is called Kolokithopita. (Pita = Pie in Greek!) Its quite simple to make and not only contains courgettes but  lots of herbs, leeks to add a little sweetness and filo pastry for crunch. 

In this pie I also added a bit of vegan ‘Greek style’ cheese. I bought a block at the supermarket and I can’t say I was massively impressed by it, however it did work well cooked up in the pie, adding a level of saltiness that’s quite pleasing. By all means leave it out or sub in some chopped up green olives if you want some saltiness. The great thing about a pie like this is you can mix up the filling quite easily! 

This pie is brilliant hot, or served at room temperature for a picnic. Its just as tasty the next day- or even the day after and re-heats to crisp up the pastry easily. Serve as part of a mezze feast, with a salad for a light lunch, or even sneak a slice for breakfast (I did!) 

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Greek Courgette Filo Pie

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

A delicious vegan Greek inspired pie, full of courgettes (zucchini) herbs and leeks 

Course: Main Course

Servings: 5

Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Courgettes
• 1 Medium Leek Finely chopped
• 1 Handful Dill & Parsley Finely chopped
• 50 grams Vegan Cheese 'Greek Feta style' (optional) grated
• 1 pack Filo Pastry
• 4-5 Tbs Olive Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tsp Nigella (Kalongi) Seeds OR Sesame Seeds

Instructions

1. Grate the courgette and sprinkle a little salt over. Leave in a bowl for around 1/2 an hour to let the salt draw moisture out

2. Now get a clean teatowel & put the grated courgette in  it. Squeeze the courgette to wring out as much moisture as you can

3. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4

4. Mix the courgette, leeks, herbs and vegan cheese together

5. Grease a baking dish with olive oil and layer in 4 pieces of filo pastry, slicking a little olive oil between each layer

6. Add the courgette filling & spread it out to cover the pastry evenly

7. Add another 3-4 layers of pastry, again slicking a little oil between each piece

8. Finish off the pie with a little more oil and the seeds

9. Bake in the oven for around 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown