March 25, 2019
A spin on traditional Greek Spanakopita
I don’t know why, but I feel like vegetarian pies are the epitome of spring.
That definitely includes this spin on the traditional Spanakopita.
Ever since my siblings and I were little, my mom would always buy frozen spanakopita, and I would always look forward to coming home from school to the smell of freshly-baked spanakopita (my favorite after-school snack). However, since my grandma has been visiting us from Serbia, we have been making homemade Spanakopita but with the addition of leek and dill! My grandma is Macedonian and grew up eating food made with fresh ingredients and herbs. The flavors of this spinach pie are so characteristic of the food from Mediterranean countries and certainly represents one of my favorite cuisines of all time.
Not to mention – the preparation could not be easier!
This version of spanakopita is made with farmer’s cheese instead of the traditional feta and includes a good load of leek. Personally, I think the leek makes the pie.
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.
Spanakopita…with a twist!
- 1 cup farmer’s cheese
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- Salt and pepper ((to taste))
- 15 sheets phyllo dough
- 1 large leek, chopped
- 5 cups baby spinach, chopped
- Olive oil
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a circular baking dish with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix farmer’s cheese, sour cream, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper together.
- Add a few sheets of the phyllo dough to the bottom of the greased baking dish, and add about 1/2 cup of the leek and 1/2 cup of the spinach on top. Add about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on top of the leek and spinach. Layer on a few more sheet of the phyllo dough. Repeat the layering process (alternating between phyllo, spinach and leek, and cheese) until you reach the top of the dish. Spread olive oil on the top of the last layer using a pastry brush.
- Bake pie for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden and spinach and leek are tender. Serve warm with yogurt. Enjoy!
