This Spanakopita recipe also known as Borek features a golden, flaky phyllo pastry filled with a delectable combination of spinach, feta cheese, and spices.
Layers of phyllo pastry envelope a savory filling in this Turkish Ispanakli ve Beyaz Peynirli Börek - Spinach and Feta Borek. Whether you're a fan of crispy textures, savory flavors, or simply love exploring international dishes, Spanakopita is sure to win your heart.
Well Borek is really the core of what this pastry is and a little research turns up the fact that this dish is beloved throughout so much of Europe and the Middle East in varieties of both sweet and savory. Spanakopita is another name for börek.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this
Versatile and Portable
Spanakopita is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack, or even a main course. Its shape makes it easy to hold and eat, making it a perfect option for picnics, parties, or when you're on the go.
Simple and Nourishing Ingredients
This recipe utilizes simple and nourishing ingredients, including fresh spinach, crumbled feta cheese, onions, garlic, herbs, and phyllo pastry. It's a great way to incorporate greens into your diet while enjoying a burst of Mediterranean flavors.
What is Spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish consisting of flaky phyllo pastry filled with a savory mixture of spinach, feta cheese, herbs, and spices. It's a delicious and popular appetizer or snack in Greek cuisine. It is better known in this part of the globe as Borek and is beloved from Turkey throughout the Middle East.
Ingredients and substitutions for Spanakopita
- Phyllo pastry: Those thin sheets of phyllo or filo pastry are store-bought as this is much easier. If you cannot source this pastry, you could sub in puff pastry, however, this has fat already in it (phyllo does not) so it would be recommended to not layer, due to the laminating that has already been completed in the process of making puff.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach was used here, however, you could use frozen thawed spinach instead.
- Feta: You want to use nice and firm feta here made with sheep and/or goat’s milk which is perfect here.
- Egg: The egg helps to bind the yogurt and oil together between each layer of pastry.
- Yogurt: Nice thick plain yogurt is best here thanks to it’s tart savoriness. You can replace with Greek yogurt or plain unsweetened Skyr here.
- Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds add a nice complimentary flavor to the Borek, though you could substitute with black sesame seeds that were used more traditionally in the original recipe.
How to make Spanakopita:
Blanche spinach: Place a large pot on high heat and bring to the boil. Toss two handful’s of spinach into the boiling water to blanche
Ice water: Stir the blanched spinach through ice water.
1
Drain and squeeze: Squeeze the excess water out of all the leaves.
Separate and chop: Separate the dried leaves and chop coarsely. Set aside.
2
Cook: Brown the shallots and garlic in a frying pan and then toss in spinach and spices.
3
Cool: Remove from the heat and set aside for cool for 5 minutes.
Add feta: Stir through the crumbled feta. Set aside.
4
Pastry wash: Whisk the pastry wash in a bowl until combined.
5
Brush and layer: Brush a thin layer all around your baking dish. Lay one sheet of the phyllo pastry into your baking dish.
Repeat. Brush a thin layer of the mixture on the pastry and repeat layering and brushing for half the pastry.
6
Filling: Spoon the spinach feta mixture over the pastry and smooth out evenly.
7
Repeat. Brush a thin layer of the pastry mixture on the pastry and repeat layering and brushing for the remaining pastry. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
8
Bake: Bake until golden.
9
Cool and cut: Remove and allow to cool before cutting into even slices.
Serve warm or cool: Serve either warmed or room temperature.
Enjoy: Dig in.
Equipment needed to make
Square tin: A 18×18 cm or 7×7 inch square baking tin works well here, though a rectangle tin would also work well.
Pastry brush: A pastry brush will help you smear the pastry coating over each layer with ease. If you do not have a pastry brush, a less reliable alternative would be to spread the coating over the pastry with the back of a tablespoon - this would give you the closest result to using a brush.
Mixing bowls: You’ll need two mixing bowl for the pastry mixture, ice bowl for the spinach and then a separate bowl to combine the filling together.
Pot: A large pot is needed to blanche your spinach.
FAQ's for the best Spanakopita
Borek, börek or burek is a much beloved dish throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asian lands where it is enjoyed sweet and savory. In Greece Spanakopita is simply another name for pastries in the borek family. So there you have it - Borek is the official name and Spanakopita is within the family of dishes within this umbrella that really is pastry sandwiching a filling.
Yes, you can use frozen spinach for Spanakopita. Make sure to thaw and drain the spinach thoroughly before incorporating it into the filling.
Absolutely! Spanakopita is a great make-ahead dish. You can assemble ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake. This makes it convenient for entertaining or preparing for special occasions.
Yes, Spanakopita is a vegetarian dish as it does not contain any meat. The filling is primarily made with spinach, feta cheese, and other vegetarian-friendly ingredients. It's a delicious option for vegetarian and veggie-loving individuals.
Yes, you can freeze Spanakopita! After baking, let them cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bags. They can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, simply reheat them in the oven until warmed through.
Spanakopita
Ingredients
Spinach filling
- 1 kilo / 2 pounds fresh spinach
- 26 grams / 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 245 grams / 8.6 ounces feta finely crumbled
Pastry layer
- 71 grams / ⅓ cup olive oil
- 81 grams / ⅓ cup yogurt
- 40 grams / 1 small egg room temperature
- 275 grams / ⅔ pounds phyllo pastry
- 18 grams / 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Spinach filling
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
- Place a large pot half filled with water on high heat and bring to the boil.
- Meanwhile, wash the spinach and toss two handful’s of spinach into the boiling water to blanche for 2 minutes.
- Prepare a large bowl with ice and water.
- Remove the spinach and stir through the ice water.
- Repeat with the remaining spinach until all have been placed into the ice water.
- Drain and squeeze the excess water out of all the leaves.
- Chop the spinach coarsely and separate as much as possible. Set aside.
- Place a large pan onto low to medium heat with the olive oil.
- Toss in the shallots and garlic, cooking for 4 minutes, until it is beginning to brown at the edges.
- Toss in the spinach, cayenne pepper and ground cumin, stirring to combine.
- Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and set aside for cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir through the crumbled feta until evenly distributed. Set aside.
Pastry layer
- For the pastry, place the olive oil, yogurt and egg into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Brush a portion all around your baking dish.
- Lay one sheet of the phyllo pastry into your baking dish and brush with the olive oil mixture, repeating laying each sheet and brushing until you have stacked half the pastry.
- Evenly spoon over the spinach feta mixture right to the edges of your dish and then begin layering the pastry, brushing between each, just the same as the bottom layer.
- Finish by brushing with the oil egg mixture and sprinkle over the black sesame seeds.
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden.
- Remove and allow to cool before cutting into even slices.
- Serve either warmed or room temperature.
- Dig in.
Video
Notes
- Square tin: A 18×18 cm or 7×7 inch square baking tin works well here, though a rectangle tin would also work well.
- Phyllo pastry: Those thin sheets of phyllo or filo pastry are store-bought as this is much easier. If you cannot source this pastry, you could sub in puff pastry, however, this has fat already in it (phyllo does not) so it would be recommended to not layer, due to the laminating that has already been completed in the process of making puff.
- You can use frozen spinach: Make sure to thaw and drain the spinach thoroughly before incorporating it into the filling.
- Prepare ahead of time: Assemble ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake. This makes it convenient for entertaining or preparing for special occasions.
- Great to freeze: After baking, let them cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bags. They can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, simply reheat them in the oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
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