Vegan Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

Name: Vegan Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 onion (finely chopped); 500 g Spinach (NB: this would be equivelant to 2 bags of spinach, or a large bunch of chard); chilli (optional); 3 garlic cloves (finely diced); 2 tbsp fresh dill (you could also use parsely or fresh oregano); 1 tbsp olive oil; Squeeze of lemon; 100 g firm tofu; 100 g cashew nuts (soaked for at least 3 hours OR boiled for 10 mins); 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional); 6 green olives; Juice and zest half a lemon; 1 pack filo pastry (you will need 7-8 sheets total); 4 tbsp Olive Oil (you might need more. This is to brush between the pastry layers)

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I used to love eating Spanakopita before I went vegan, so when my garden gave me loads of greens to use up, I decided to make this Vegan Spanakopita! This Greek Spinach Pie is utterly delicious and perfect for using up lots of delicious green leafy veggies! This vegan twist on the classic Greek pie, full of juicy greens with a lemony salty creamy hit of Veganised feta and ricotta that contrasts amazingly with the crunchy filo pastry crust.

Image of spanakopita pie being picked up. You can see the layers of filo and spinach /vegan ricotta in the piece of pie.

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📑Ingredients
👩‍🍳How to:
FAQ
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

I've made various pies with a filo crust since properly going vegan (see the Butternut squash one here.. and the Chilli filled hand pies here) which have all been super yummy, but none were quite the Spanakopita that I craved. This Vegan Spanakopita really hits the spot, and is perfect for taking along on a picnic or to serve as snacks for a BBQ or party.

📑Ingredients

Chard chopped up ready for the pie — Chard and Spinach from my garden, ready to go into the Vegan Spanakopita Pie.

Spinach/Greens: In Greece, the pie would be made with mature spinach, not the soft floppy stuff you get in bags in the supermarket. It would also likely be made with other local herbs and greens. I use a mixture of chard from my garden and shop bought spinach
Vegan Feta/Ricotta Mix: Of course you can now buy quite good vegan feta, but it doesn't have the bulk that this pie needs, also, I like to use whole foods where possible. To make the ricotta, simply blend up soaked cashews and firm tofu. The tangy cheesy taste is created by adding in some salty green olives and nutritional yeast, plus some lemon juice for good measure. Keep the mixture quite nubbly for the best texture.
Herbs: The overall flavour of this Vegan Spanakopita should be quite herbal and earthy/ spinachy, so fresh herbs such as dill and oregano are wonderful chopped up into the greens. Substitute dried dill and oregano if that's all you have.
Filo Pastry: Filo pastry (sometimes called phyllo pastry) comes either frozen or in the chiller. If you buy it frozen, you will need to defrost it first. Different brands are different sizes. Just chop or rip the pastry to the size you need as you place it in the pie. The rustic look is lovely, so don't panic if it isn't 100% perfect!

Pie Construction — Showing how the pie is made when using a round tin.

👩‍🍳How to:

Make the Feta/Ricotta mix by either soaking cashews overnight, or boiling them for 10 minutes. Then quickly whizz them, the tofu and the olives into a rough but soft mixture. Taste and add more lemon or olives if you want it saltier or tangier!
Make the spinach mix by first sweating an onion and lots of garlic in a pan.
Then chop up the spinach and/or chard and sautee with the onion.
You might need to add the spinach in batches, keep pushing it in until it all wilts down.
Drain off any excess liquid from the spinach.
To assemble the pie: You can either make a big round pie in a springform pan, or use a baking try. If you use a baking tray, line it with baking paper.
Then simply slick olive oil over layers of filo and arrange them in tin. Use 4-5 layers., with a little bit of oil between each layer.
Then add the ricotta and greens, spreading them out in a layer.
Finally add a few more layers of filo on top. You can scrunch up the final layer for a pretty ruffled effect.

Whole spanakopita pie ready to be eaten. It's been cut up into squares in the tin. — Vegan Spanakopita Pie just out of the oven and cut up.

FAQ

Can the spanakopita be made ahead of time?

Yes! I make it up to a day in advance and then pop it in the oven to crisp up when needed.

Can the pie be frozen?

Yes, you can either freeze the whole pie, or freeze in pieces. Let it come to room temperature before warming up in the oven.

I can't have nuts. Can I still make this pie?

Simply omit the cashews and use just tofu instead. You might like to add more olives to the mixture.

I can't eat tofu. Can I still make this pie?

Yes, double the amount of cashew nuts and add a few more olives.

Can you make this pie into individual pies?

Yes! You can use single pieces of pastry to wrap up the pie. Check out our recipe here for full instructions :Vegan Spinach Triangles

A piece of pie has been taken out of the pie and is resting on a spoon. — A lovely piece of Spanakopita just out of the pie.

We hope you love making this Vegan Spanakopita Pie as much we do! It's definitely a favourite of ours to take to parties, so we hope it inspires you to do the same!.

Let us know in the comments below what you think, and please like and share! xx

📖 Recipe