Greek Vegan Spanakopita

4.63 from 29 votes

My vegan Greek spanakopita merges authentic cooking with a plant-based approach. I use flaky phyllo pastry, bright green spinach, and a creamy vegan feta filling to create delicious nostalgic bites. This recipe is a staple during family dinners, holidays, and casual gatherings.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 40

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 107kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh spinach , chopped (can also use a mixture of spinach and chard)
1 bunch scallions , chopped (about 6-7 scallion bulb pieces)
¼ cup dill
¼ cup parsley , either kind works but I use Italian flat leaf
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive oil or veggie broth for sautéing
1 pound phyllo (filo) sheets , if you can find the thick ones use those (see note for gluten-free)
1/6 - 1/3 cup olive oil for brushing phyllo (filo) (see notes for oil free idea)
1 cup vegan feta cheese recipe , store bought or homemade (linked here, make sure to add these ingredients to your list if making homemade)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
In a skillet brown the scallions in olive oil or broth until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add spinach, salt and pepper and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add dill and parsley and mix well. Put the mixture in a large bowl.
If making homemade vegan feta then in a food processor, add the cashews (drain and rinse them after the soaking), vinegar, water and salt. Pulse until you get a chunky but coarsely chopped texture.
Pour the store bought or cashew “feta” mixture into the bowl with the spinach and mix well.
Pour the olive oil for brushing in a glass bowl. Or use the method for the oil free version.
A little trick, cut the phyllo (filo) edge to fit the length of your pan, cut it while it is still rolled up in the package to make it easy. Meaning, keep it rolled, measure it in your pan then slice off the edge so that it fits in your pan well. You can keep the extra and use it for other things or if you're like my sister and I, we loved to eat it when we were young!
Brush the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan with a little bit of oil.
Then line the pan with half of one phyllo (filo) sheet, allowing the other half to hang over the edge, brush the half in the pan with some oil, then fold the other half over the top and brush it with oil too. See the photos in the post. This has to be done like this because the phyllo (filo) sheets are bigger than the pan.
You are going to do this for half of the phyllo (filo) sheets, brushing each sheet with the olive oil.
After you have used half of the sheets, spread the spinach mixture on top.
Then top with the remaining phyllo (filo) sheets brushing each of them with the olive oil again.
When done, cut into squares.
Bake for 60-70 minutes until it is golden brown on top. Begin checking at 50 minutes as ovens vary.
Let it cool completely before cutting through and serving.

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this Greek vegan spanakopita recipe is to keep the phyllo pastry covered with a lightly damp kitchen towel. I do this while I work, as the phyllo dries out very quickly, and once it becomes brittle, the sheets crack and become much harder to layer neatly.
Dry the spinach: If the spinach contains too much moisture, the filling can soften the pastry from the inside. I always cook off or squeeze out any excess liquid before mixing in the vegan feta.
Cool the filling: I let the spinach mixture cool for several minutes before layering it into the pastry. Warm filling creates steam, which can prevent the bottom layers from becoming crisp.
Brush gently: Rather than soaking each sheet with olive oil, I brush on a light coating. This creates delicate, flaky layers without making the pastry greasy.
Cut before baking: I always score or fully cut the spanakopita before it goes into the oven. The crisp pastry stays intact, and serving neat portions is much easier once it is baked.
Bake until golden: I do not judge doneness by the timer alone. The pastry should be a rich golden brown across the entire surface before I remove it from the oven.
Trim while rolled: I place the rolled-up phyllo pastry alongside my baking dish and trim it to fit inside the dish perfectly.

Nutrition