Veganakopita (Vegan Spanakopita)

This recipe is an old favourite of mine and it’s been a long overdue addition to the blog.

Veganakopita is my vegan take on the popular Greek snack Spanakopita. I replace the feta with a mixture made out of cashew nuts and I use both parsley and dill to bring out some lovely flavours.

Veganakopita (Vegan Spanakopita)

Print recipe

Serves	2-4
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	35 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 5 minutes
Dietary	Vegan
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Website	What The Hell Do Vegans Eat

Ingredients

500g Baby Spinach (fresh)
1 Large Onion (sliced)
2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons Dill (chopped)
2 tablespoons Parsely (finely chopped)
1 pinch Nutmeg (freshly grated or ground)
10 sheets Filo Pastry
Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Capers
4 tablespoons Pine Nuts (toasted - see Tip below)
1 teaspoon Salt

Cashew Mixture

150g Cashew nuts (soaked)
1/2 Lemon (zest)
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Cashew Mixture (Optional)

1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast

Note

Heat releases and intensifies the rich flavor of pine nuts. To toast the pine nuts put them in a pan over a medium heat with no oil, stirring frequently. As soon as they start getting slightly golden taken the heat off - be careful, these cheeky fellas can burn very quickly.

Directions

Step 1
Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with plenty of water. Let them soak preferably for at least 2-3 hours (or overnight). If you're in a rush you can skip this step, it will still work.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 175C / 350F.
Step 3
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and the garlic for about 3 to 5 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.
Step 4
Wash and rinse the spinach, then stir it into the pan over a medium heat – there should be enough water still clinging to the leaves to cook the spinach without adding any further liquid. Put the lid on the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. If required tip the mixture into a colander to press out any excess liquid. Set aside.
Step 5
Drain the cashews and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the lemon zest, 1/2 tsp salt, nutritional yeast (optional), and process for about a minute. Stop the food processor, scrape down the sides and process for another minute. If you don't have a food processor you can also use a blender although you will probably have to pick the mixture with your fingers as it might get stuck in between the blades.
Step 6
In a medium bowl, mix together the blended cashews, nutmeg, capers, dill, parsley, the toasted pine nuts and the spinach mixture (save some pine nut and dills for decoration). Season with some salt and make sure everything is evenly dissolved - I like to do this using my fingers but you prefer use a wooden spoon.
Step 7
In a glass mix 3 Tbsp of olive oil and 2 Tbsp soy milk. Brush a large ovenproof dish with olive oil and lay in a sheet of filo lengthways. Brush with the oil/soy milk mixture and add another layer of pastry. Repeat until you have built up a pastry base that's four layers deep. Lay on two further layers, crossways, leaving them hanging over the sides, and brush these with oil, too. Spread the filling evenly over the filo, fold over the crossways layers, then any edges from the lengthways layers. Cover the top with the remaining five layers of filo, brushing with the oil mixture as you go including the top layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden. Serve warm, cut into rectangles - top with some dill and toasted pine nuts.

Tags