Vegan Spanakopita

My high school boyfriend was Greek, and his mother made the most delectable Spanakopita (spinach and cheese pie) ever. After I went vegan, I assumed Spanakopita was a lost pleasure. Luckily for me, it is not so – this vegan version uses almond ‘feta’ in place of the usual goat’s or sheep’s milk feta.

The almond feta makes for a rich-tasting spanakopita, great for a special occasion. This recipe has become a standard part of our Christmas lunch spread, and never fails to get ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, even from the non-vegans. Using aquafaba instead of oil to brush the filo sheets results in a delightfully crisp texture without all the fat, and makes the most of filo’s low fat content.

Ingredients:

150 g filo pastry
1 large onion, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water or low-sodium stock
550 g fresh silverbeet or Swiss chard, finely chopped (discard tough stems)
About 1/2 cup aquafaba*

Almond feta

150 g ground almonds (1½ cups)
60 ml lemon juice (¼ cup)
125 ml water (½ cup)
3 tbsp aquafaba*
2 cloves garlic, pureed
¼ tsp dried dill – optional
½ tsp dried oregano – optional

Method:

Defrost filo for a couple of hours before preparing recipe.

Place a large, heavy-based sauce pan over high heat, and when it reaches the ‘mercury ball stage’ (i.e. water flicked into the pan forms little balls that roll around the surface before evaporating), add the diced onion. Sauté vigorously until onion is lightly browned in spots.

Turn down heat to medium-high. Deglaze the pan by adding water or low-sodium stock, being careful to pour it into the side of the pan to avoid scalding. Add 10-20 grinds of black pepper, according to taste, and silverbeet or chard and sauté until greens are wilted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool slightly while preparing almond feta.

Mix prepared almond feta into the onion and greens, using a fork.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a roasting tin with non-stick baking paper.

Take one sheet of filo, ensuring the rest are covered with a damp cloth so they don’t dry out. Brush with aquafaba and fit into the tin. Repeat with another sheet and place in the tin but fan it out from the first one so they don’t all pile on top of one another. Keep going, brushing each sheet with aquafaba until you have a couple of sheets of filo left.

Now spoon your filling in evenly and level it off.

Fold over all four edges until the filling is covered. Loosely scrunch the remaining sheets over the top, brushing with aquafaba.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, checking frequently to make sure the top layers are not browning excessively; cover with foil if necessary to prevent burning.

Almond feta

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until really creamy.

* Aquafaba is the liquid that chick peas are cooked in. Save the cooking liquid when cooking your own chick peas, or use the liquid from a can of chick peas (preferably a salt-free brand).