Spanakopita has always been one of my favorite things, and it wasn’t that difficult to make into a vegan spanakopita, really. Instead of ricotta or feta cheeses, I used the magic of tofu ricotta in the filling instead. That, along with the addition of the shredded hearts of palm, and you’ll find that there is no shortage of that unctuous, soft hearty filling on the inside of these vegan spanakopita triangles.
The true difficult bit of this vegan spanakopita recipe is working with phyllo dough, which is notoriously tricky and unruly. Firstly, you have to make sure your phyllo is properly thawed before using it. 24 hours before cooking with it, let it thaw in the fridge. And then, 2 to 3 hours before you unwrap it, set it out in a room temperature environment. Once opened, the phyllo is highly susceptible to drying out, and fast. Have two thin and damp dish clothes ready to cover the phyllo that you’re not using. Also to note, working with phyllo is easier when the weather is more temperate than when it is extremely hot. Moreover, phyllo is incredibly thin, and therefore it rips easily. If the phyllo rips on you while trying to separate once sheet from another, salvage it if you can. You can mend the sheet with a little oil. If it doubles over and crumples up, you may have to just discard it and start anew with a fresh sheet. Lastly, the folding process to make triangular spanakopita can be quite confusing at first. Good thing is that there are plenty of videos on youtube to instruct you, if my instructions are not sufficient!
Despite all this, don’t be intimidated! Once you get into the rhythm of extracting sheets, dabbing them with oil, and layering the phyllo and folding them into triangles (all the while making sure the unused sheets are covered with damp towels), it can be quite fun!
As for the hearts of palm, it’s a bit of an unusual ingredient and somewhat challenging to find in a store. It’s usually tucked away with the artichoke hearts, back in a nook where neigh nobody can find it. However, it’s well worth scuttling through the store to find it. The product itself has a very briny flavor and smell fresh out of the can, but when cooked it transforms and becomes creamy and delicate.
Vegan Spanakopita
These are the perfect finger food for any occasion and also incredibly delicious (and look somewhat impressive, too). Give this vegan spanakopita recipe a try!
I hope you enjoyed this vegan spanakopita recipe. If you did, let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating before you go!
Hearts of Palm Spanakopita
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Oven
- Food Processor
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, finely diced
- 9 – 10 cups spinach, de-stemmed
- 1 (15-ounce) can of Hearts of Palm, drained, pressed and shredded
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup tofu ricotta, (recipe down below)
For the tofu ricotta:
- ½ (~7-ounces) block extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Dash of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ – 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Phyllo Dough
- 1 to 2 packages of phyllo dough, (around 42 – 48 sheets)
- Some olive oil
Instructions
- Firstly, make sure your phyllo dough has defrosted in the fridge about 24 hours before the day of cooking, then set it out 2 to 3 hours before you're actually going to use it (check the package, to be sure).
- In a skillet over medium heat with olive oil, sauté the sweet onion for 6 to 7 minutes, until it begins to soften. Then add the spinach, and let that wilt down, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the onion and spinach to a large bowl.
- Remove the hearts of palm from the can, drain them, and then press them flat with your hand between two paper towels. Once the excess moisture has been removed, shred the hearts of palm finely with a fork. Add about 3/4 of the shredded bits to the large mixing bowl with the spinach and onion, along with the lemon juice.
- After pressing the tofu for 30 minutes, add it along with the garlic, nutritional yeast, dried thyme, dried oregano, nutmeg, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to a food processor. Pulse just until everything is incorporated. Add about 1 cup (about 2/3 of the total amount) the tofu ricotta to the large mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Mix together until incorporated, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Now for assembly. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Dampen two dish clothes, and set the phyllo between them once unwrapped, to prevent it from drying out. Also, have a little bowl of olive oil at your side.
- On a clean surface, lay one sheet of phyllo out, dab it with oil with your fingers, and then lay another sheet directly on top. Dab it with oil, too. Add one last sheet atop, and dab that one with olive oil. Don't worry if the phyllo sheets break, just repair them best you can. Next, cut the phyllo length-wise in half so that you have two long strips. Remember to keep the phyllo sheets you're not using covered with a damp cloth in the meanwhile.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the bottom left corner of one of the long strips, and fold that corner diagonally to the right, so that you form a triangle. Then, take the bottom right corner and fold it directly upwards. Next, take the next bottom right corner of that and fold it diagonally to the left, and then directly upward. Repeat this until you have a compact triangle. Dab this with oil, and set on a baking sheet covered with a light cloth.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have around 14 to 16 vegan spanakopita wedges, then pop them in the oven for 19 to 21 minutes, until flakey, crispy, and golden brown colored.Eat immediately out of the oven, or enjoy later cold!
Nutrition
Loving hearts of palm? Then check out these Hearts of Palm “Fish” Tacos – they’re amazing!
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
These are luscious. Working with phyllo is a bit of a challenge and four hands are better than two. The filling was delicious. Even when fully cooled, hours later they were delicious.