Mediterranean Inspired Spring Greens Spanakopita

Who says spanakopita is just for spinach? Get the most out of your spring greens by whipping up an amazing Greek dish your whole family will love!

For the longest time, I stored my produce incorrectly. Typically, I get home from the store or farmers market, pile it all in the same box and shove it in the fridge. Somehow, every week I am still shocked that most of it wilts or just doesn’t last very long. Now that I’m getting organic produce from Green Flamingo Organics, I really want it to stay fresh as long as possible.

Recently, I started researching the proper ways to pack produce so that I can get the most out of it before things start to soften too much. One of the discoveries I learned was that most root vegetables should be stored without their leafy green tops attached.

WHY DO YOU DO WITH ALL THE LEAFY GREENS FROM THE ROOT VEGETABLES?

My thoughts exactly. If you are like me, most people pull out the veggies that have been stored with their tops still attached, only to find they are incredibly wilted – so in the trash they go. If you find yourself in this predicament, just remember, wilted or not, they still can produce some amazing results, like in this Spring Greens Spanakopita or Spring Veggie Crock Pot Soup! It is the perfect place to use up all those extra spring green tops like beet greens, kale, spinach, arugula, radish greens, broccoli greens, etc. In addition to spanakopita, if you chop off the greens before refrigerating and place them in a plastic or silicone storage bag, you can also keep them fresh for an extended period of time. They stay nice and perky, adding some awesome texture, flavor and even a little spicy kick to your salads and sandwiches!

HOW DO YOU HANDLE PHYLLO DOUGH?

This type of dough only seems tricky because it is paper thin and tends to rip easily. Here are 4 easy tips for perfect phyllo dough in your spanakopita.

1. Most dough comes frozen. Make sure it is COMPLETELY THAWED OUT!
2. Lay the dough out flat and cover the dough with a damp cloth or paper towel while working with it so it doesn’t dry out.
3. You need to have at least 4 layers to have the right consistency. Spray a thin coating of olive oil in between each layer using olive oil spray or use your own olive oil with an OLIVE OIL SPRAYER.
4. Give yourself grace. Remember that if the sheet rips, it’s ok. There are multiple layers in spanakopita and they puff up so no one will notice ;)

HERE IS HOW TO MAKE SPRING GREENS SPANAKOPITA:

1) Chop spring onions and garlic. Remove leafy greens from stems and roughly chop.

2) Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic to pan, cooking for approx 1 min and then adding 1/4 cup of water to steam veggies. Cook another 3 minutes, then add leafy greens to pan in batches, adding 1/4 cup water each time to help cook greens down. Keep repeating process until all greens are in the pan (mine took about 3 batches).

3) When greens are cooked down and wilted, take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the phyllo dough.

4) Grease a 9×9 or 8×10 inch pan. Gently place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in the pan and press down to fill in. Spray liberally with olive oil spray until the entire sheet is coated and top with another sheet. Repeat until you have 4 sheets on top of one another. If the sheets break a little, it’s ok. Cover remaining. Cover unused phyllo dough with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel so it doesn’t dry out.

5) Place greens in a food processor. Add cheeses, salt, eggs, dill and lemon juice. Cover vent lid with a paper towel if the mixture is still hot so that it can release steam while processing. Blend all ingredients together until everything is mixed throughout. 

6) Pour mix into phyllo dough pan. Fold the extra end of phyllo dough over the mixture. Take 2 more sheets of phyllo dough and cut each in half. Layer them one by one in the pan, spraying each with olive oil spray in between layering. Spray the top as well.

7) Bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm.

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Spring Greens Spanakopita

Who says spanakopita is just for spinach? Get the most out of your spring greens by whipping up an amazing greek dish your whole family will love!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 211 kcal

Ingredients

• 10 cups leafy spring greens I used kohlrabi, broccoli leaves, and Chinese kale
• 2 cups spring onions
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 7 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled I used Mt. Vikos sheep and goats milk cheese
• 1/2 cup plain cottage cheese I used Good Culture
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• juice of half lemon
• 8 sheets phyllo dough
• olive oil spray

Instructions

1. Chop spring onions and garlic. Remove leafy greens from stems and roughly chop. 

2. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic to pan, cooking for approx 1 min and then adding 1/4 cup of water to steam veggies. Cook another 3 minutes, then add leafy greens to pan in batches, adding 1/4 cup water each time to help cook greens down. Keep repeating process until all greens are in the pan (mine took about 3 batches).

3. When greens are cooked down and wilted, take pan off heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the phyllo dough.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 or 8x10 inch pan. Gently place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in the pan and press down to fill in. Spray liberally with olive oil spray until the entire sheet is coated and top with another sheet. Repeat until you have 4 sheets on top of one another. If the sheets break a little, it's ok. Cover unused phyllo dough with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel so it doesn't dry out.

5. Place greens in a food processor. Add cheeses, salt, eggs, dill and lemon juice. Cover vent lid with a paper towel if the mixture is still hot so that it can release steam while processing. Blend all ingredients together until everything is mixed throughout. 

6. Pour mix into phyllo dough pan. Fold the extra end of phyllo dough over the mixture. Take 2 more sheets of phyllo dough and cut each in half. Layer them one by one in the pan, spraying each with olive oil spray in between layering. Spray the top as well. 

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition will vary slightly based on greens used. I measured it using broccoli leaves. 

Nutrition Facts

Spring Greens Spanakopita

Amount Per Serving

Calories 211 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 27mg9%

Sodium 580mg25%

Potassium 441mg13%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 20400IU408%

Vitamin C 167.5mg203%

Calcium 180mg18%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.