Publised on 11/03/2024. Last Updated on 08/07/2024 by Richard
This vegan spanakopita is my take on the classic Greek spinach pie. Guaranteed super crispy filo pastry bottom AND top!
Ah, vegan spanakopita, the crispy crown of Greek plant-based cuisine! Am I getting carried away? NO! This dish means a lot to me, so bear with! Picture this: layers of golden, crispy filo pastry enveloping a lush, herb-infused filling that's so good, you'll want to have a little nap after. Yep, that's vegan spanakopita for you; a nice big crispy herby hug!
I first had a vegan version of spanakopita when I hosted my vegan vacation with The Getaway co. We went to Santorini and Athens and, honestly, the vegan spanakopita was well within my top five memorable experiences! So let's try to recreate it shall we? But first, for the uninitiated, what actually IS a spanakopita?
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❓What is Spanakopita?
Traditionally hailing from Greece, spanakopita is a spinach pie, packed with herbs and cheese and baked in a filo pastry crust. Sometimes it comes rolled up in a spiral and other times it's baked in a rectangular layered pie (like this recipe). Either way, spanakopita is the life of the party in the world of pies.
But, as your plant-loving mate here, I've taken it upon myself to ensure that no dairy or other animal products crash this party. It may not be entirely traditional, but there's something that just screams "I'm IDEAL for your vegan easter lunch!" about this recipe! To give you an idea of the method behind my madness (technically undiagnosed) here's a little breakdown of the ingredients you'll need.
🫙 Vegan Spanakopita Ingredients
Alright, let's talk about what you'll need for this shindig. Picture your kitchen bench filled with:
- Fresh dill
- Spring onions
- Extra firm tofu
- Vegan feta cheese (I use violife, but use whatever your fave product is)
- Cornstarch
- Fine sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Baby spinach
- Vegan butter
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Filo pastry
These ingredients are gonna come together like the Avengers – each bringing their unique power to create something epic. You can find my ingredient substitutions further down the page, just in case any of these ingredients are a no-go for you!
🥧 How to Guarantee Crispy Filo Pastry
Here’s my secret for ensuring your vegan spanakopita doesn't end up with a soggy bottom (we ain’t here for that).
Firstly, brush the bottom of the metal (that bit's important) baking tray with some melted vegan butter. Then you're going to sprinkle some panko breadcrumbs over the base and shake the tray to create an even layer.
Now simply layer your filo pastry with brushed melted vegan butter in the middle. The panko breadcrumbs help to ensure the hot air of your oven can circulate under your vegan spanakopita as it bakes and they also soak up any excess juice or butter, leaving you with a super crispy filo pastry base!
🥬 How to Make Vegan Spanakopita
OK, now you know my tricks for extra crispy filo pastry, here's how to make the most delicious vegan spanakopita in the world (according to me obvs).
Mix the Filling: Get all those lush filling ingredients in a bowl and mix them until they're best pals. If your arms are getting a workout, a stand mixer can be your hero.
Assemble: Lay down some layers of filo pastry with four sheets hanging over the edges of the tray. Add the filling and fold over the filo edges
Decorate: Ruffle up some extra layers of filo pastry and arrange however you'd like on top of the vegan spanakopita. I've shown you how to do this method below in a few pictures.
Score and Bake: It can be tricky to cut filo pastry when it's crispy and baked, so I like to score the top of the pie with a knife before it goes in the oven. You'll find it makes portioning the dish a lot easier. Now just bake until golden!
🔀 Ingredient Substitutions
In the wonderful world of vegan cooking, it's all about being inventive! So, if you're staring into your pantry and thinking, "Oops, looks like I can't make this vegan spanakopita" don't fret. Here's a handy little list for swapsies:
- No fresh dill? Use dried dill, but remember it's stronger, so use less.
- If tofu's not your jam, try a can of drained, mashed chickpeas for that extra bit of bite.
- Any vegan cheese that crumbles can stand in for vegan feta. But I'd really recommend Violife if you can find it!
- No panko breadcrumbs? Regular breadcrumbs or crushed matzo crackers work too, in a pinch.
- If vegan butter is out, a light olive oil will work wonders too.
🌹 How to Top A Pie With Filo Pastry
I know, I know, it seems frivolous to focus on the visuals of things, but look. The topping of a spanakopita is SO important. The fluffier and more ruffled you can make your layers, the more crispy and crunchy your final dish will be. So:
Start with a sheet of filo pastry, flat in front of you like a sheet of paper.
Use your thumb and forefingers on both hands to gather the pastry into a long ruffle.
Work your way up the sheet of pastry, ruffling as you go, until you get to the top. Now lift this pre-ruffled layer of pastry and place on top of the spanakopita
Repeat until the whole tray is covered, brush with vegan butter, score with a knife and bake!
🤷♀️ Vegan Spanakopita FAQs
A: Absolutely. I'd recommend freezing before you bake though. Also make sure you wrap the tray well, to prevent the filo from drying out in the freezer.
A: Filo pastry is made of very thin unleavened dough, typically comprising flour, water, and a small amount of oil or vinegar. It is stretched out flat like a very thin sheet.
A: The main ingredients in traditional spanakopita are spinach, feta cheese, onions, eggs, and filo pastry. Herbs such as dill are also commonly added for extra flavour. In this vegan recipe we use vegan feta, tofu and cornstarch, in place of animal products.
And there we have it, my vegan spanakopita! I love this recipe so much and I really hope you do - if it feels like a holiday on a greek island, it means you've done the recipe right! Now, to continue your pie adventure, why not try my vegan cottage pie, my vegan pie crust or my vegan pumpkin pie!?
Vegan Spanakopita
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl or stand mixer
- 1 deep baking tray
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 4 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
- 5 spring onions roughly chopped
- 350 g extra firm tofu drained and finely crumbled
- 400 g vegan feta cheese I use violife
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 450 g baby spinach washed and roughly chopped
For the Spanakopita
- 150 g vegan butter melted
- 75 g panko breadcrumbs
- 500 g filo pastry around 18-20 sheets
Instructions
To Make the Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients, adding the spinach a little at a time. This can be quite tough, so use a stand mixer if you have one. Once mixed together, set aside.4 tablespoon fresh dill, 5 spring onions, 350 g extra firm tofu, 400 g vegan feta cheese, 2 tablespoon corn starch, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 450 g baby spinach
To Make the Spanakopita
- Preheat the oven to 185 °C (fan).
- Take a deep baking tray and brush the inside with a little of the melted vegan butter. Sprinkle with the panko breadcrumbs and shake the tray to make sure they’re evenly distributed. This helps to ensure the bottom layers of filo pastry stay super crispy.150 g vegan butter, 75 g panko breadcrumbs
- Lay a sheet of filo pastry inside the baking tray and brush with some melted vegan butter. Repeat three more times until the base of the tray has four layers of filo pastry, all brushed with vegan butter.500 g filo pastry
- Lay another four sheets of filo pastry over the edges of the tray - around half of the sheet should be inside the tray and half hanging over the edge (see the instructions in blog post above if necessary).
- Add the filling to the tray and use a spatula to evenly spread it to fill the entire surface in one neat layer. Fold the four edges over the filling and brush the top with melted vegan butter.
- Take one sheet of filo and gather with your fingers like a concertina. Place on top of the spanakopita. Repeat with around 10 more sheets of filo to create a folded, decorated top.
- Use a sharp knife to score through the top layer of filo into the filling, dividing the tray into 12 rectangles. There’s not need to cut all the way through just yet.
- Brush the top with the last of the melted vegan butter then bake for 1hr.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Selena
Perfect! Great recipe. This went down really well with the whole family, including the non-vegan members. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis
Robin Hill
Worked perfectly and really delicious. Preparation time longer than 20 minutes though.
Samara
I’ve made this twice now, once with tofu and once with mashed chickpeas delicious each way! Thank you
Amber
YUM! Quite easy to make and very delicious.
Jacqui Wiens
This was delicious! I used a 9 x 13 inch pan and used almost the full baking time to get the bottom fully cooked. Had to put a cookie sheet on top to prevent too much browning. Flexible recipe, too. I only had one package of Violife (200g) so reduced the amount of tofu and added chopped fried leeks as well as chopped parsley and fried garlic. Yum.
Christine Hawley
I made this tonight and it got rave reviews. My teenage son said "This is low-key sick". That means 5 stars. The concertina trick is a gem! Thank you from Boulder Colorado!
Kaman-jane
My friend is Vegan and this dish has made her night! The rest of us have also tasted it and it was wonderful. The flavour and the crispness were heavenly. Thank you!
Olivia (Stone and Mill)
Had this for Easter lunch and it was a winner all round (for vegans and non vegans!). Definitely bookmarking this one!
Laysi
Would this still work with frozen spinach?
Em
YUMMI! It turned out SO good. Even my non-vegan balkan Mom loved it 🙂 I added way more salt and pepper though 😀
Elaine
This recipe is a keeper! Looks impressive, tastes amazing and relatively quick & easy to make, stand mixer definitely the way to go with mixing everything together. Don’t forget to score pastry before cooking! I forgot and my impressive looking dish became quite a mess…lesson learned! Still tasted wonderful and not a scrap was left.