Vegan Spanakopita

The filling replaces traditional feta and eggs with plant-based ingredients such as nutritional yeast, pine nuts, spinach, leeks, dill, and mint. The phyllo must also be checked for dairy or egg ingredients because different brands use different formulas.

Cook the spinach and leeks until their excess moisture has evaporated, then cool the filling before layering it with phyllo. Wet spinach is the main threat to crisp pastry, so squeeze or drain it thoroughly before adding the dill, mint, and pine nuts.

Dill and mint provide the defining herbal profile in this version, while sautéed leeks add sweetness to the spinach. Nutritional yeast and toasted pine nuts supply savory depth without using feta.

Yes, refrigerated or frozen phyllo works as long as the ingredient label contains no butter, milk, or egg. Keep the sheets covered while assembling because phyllo dries quickly, and brush the layers with olive oil rather than melted butter.