Dairy Free Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Cheese Pie)
If you're looking for a dish that perfectly balances lightness with comforting, is creamy but also crispy and offers plenty of nutrients and protein, all without dairy, this spanakopita recipe might be for you. Spanakopita is a Greek style spinach and cheese pie. In this version, we utilize phyllo dough (but it's easier than you think!), frozen spinach, tofu, and cheese alternative shreds. I aimed to briefly describe following this already dairy-free recipe and highlight options.
Method:
Note: Go Dairy Free is an an excellent resource for dairy-free eating and cooking! I was gifted their book by my thoughtful sister a long time ago (link here). They have a lot of great content on their website.
Ingredients:
I did my shopping at Whole Foods for this dish, where I found dairy-free mozzarella style shreds for my cheese and phyllo (or fillo, or filo?) dough.
Phyllo/Fillo/Filo Dough:
Tofu:
I have used both extra firm and silken tofu when I have made this recipe before. Both have yielded delicious results. With either option, drain and crumble before mixing.
Eggs:
I made a half recipe. As it calls for an odd number of eggs (3), I used one egg and one egg yolk.
Procedural notes:
1. First, mix up your filling. In the pictures, you will see a half-version of the recipe. This is plenty for 2 adults (with leftovers).
2. Lay down 4 sheets of phyllo dough (it's ok if they break!)
3. Spread out half of your filling.
4. Top with another four layers of phyllo dough, and repeat.
5. After you spread out the second half of filling, top with another 4 sheets of phyllo dough. Then, top with some olive oil (I spread with my pastry brush). The recipe also does not call for it, but I topped with some sea salt and it really took it to the next level.
Results
Delicious, creamy, crispy top, and sliceable.
Discussion
Sometimes, it's great to use a recipe that is already developed to be free of dairy. In this case, the authors worked out the ratios for substituting dairy free alternatives for dairy ingredients such as using a combination of tofu and cheese shreds to replicate dairy cheese. I wanted to highlight that this recipe really works and tastes delicious, as well as how it could be quite flexible to halve and to use different types of tofu.
Spanakopita makes a great dish for this time of summer. You may not want to spend lots of time in the kitchen, but you also might be growing tired of the grill or fresh vegetables. This is a great dish that balances coziness and comfort food feels while still being light and nourishing. It's definitely on repeat for me.
