Vegan Spinach and ‘Feta’ Börek, a Savory Paper-Thin Turkish Pastry

Turkish Börek is a popular pastry dish made with paper-thin yufka dough and all sorts of filling. Here's how to make them completely vegan with dairy-free cheese, a vegan egg substitute, and crumbled tofu.

This savory finger food is actually very simple to make, and it’s totally customizable. Fill your börek with tomato paste, veggie ground ‘meat’, cashew cream, mashed potatoes, or with a veganized version of the traditional spinach and feta filling.

What’s also fun about börek is that you can shape them into different shapes: Individual-serving triangles, cigars, spirals, pouches, or make them into one large pastry to share.

Serve börek hot and fresh straight out of the oven for brunch or lunch, or at room temperature as a cold snack any time of the day. Börek is delicious on its own or with a dipping sauce of your choice.

How to Make this Vegan Recipe on a Budget:

• Use frozen spinach instead of fresh
• If you can’t find any inexpensive egg substitutes, simply use chickpea flour (besan) instead
• Try other budget-friendly filling options, such as mashed potatoes, or tomato and textured vegetable protein (TVP) mix
• Prepare this recipe in a batch. Simply freeze börek (before baking), then when ready to eat, bake straight from the freezer

Make this Vegan Recipe Healthier

• Choose a whole-wheat phyllo dough, or go with gluten-free, if needed
• Make your börek completely oil-free by brushing the dough with plant milk instead of oil
• Serve börek with a big green salad on the side

How to Impress Your Guest with this Vegan Recipe

• Make your börek extra cheesy by using store-bought vegan feta instead of tofu. Also, add some grated vegan cheese to the filling for some melty cheesiness
• Don’t forget to add some fresh herbs and chili to your filling
• Fry börek in oil instead of baking for a super crispy finish
• Serve your börek with garlicky coconut yogurt and a good hot sauce

Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 2 mins
Baking time: 25 mins

Vegan Spinach and 'Feta' Börek

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients

• 10.5 oz/300 g fresh or frozen spinach
• 2 tbsp vegan egg substitute
• 7 oz/200 g firm tofu, crumbled
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 8 sheets of phyllo or yufka dough (10.5 oz/300 g)
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• salt, pepper

Instructions

1. If using fresh spinach, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water. If using frozen spinach, simply thaw spinach.
2. Place spinach in a fine mesh sieve, and press out as much water, as possible. Transfer spinach to a mixing bowl.
3. Mix together vegan egg substitute with 1/4 cup of water, or as package instructions suggest. Add vegan egg to spinach together with crumbled tofu, nutritional yeast, vinegar, garlic, and chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well together.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.
5. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface. Brush with oil, and lay another sheet on top. Cover the rest of the dough with a damp towel to avoid drying out.
6. Using a knife or a scissor, cut the sheet into 4 long strips. Strips will be about 17 inch/45 cm long, and 4 inch/10 cm wide, but size may vary slightly.
7. Place a dollop of the spinach-tofu mix on one end of the strip. Fold the end of the strip over the filling diagonally, so that it makes a little triangle.
8. Keep folding the strip down in triangles, until you reach the end.
9. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
10. Place triangles on a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil again, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden.

Nutritionals 1 of 16 Pieces

Calories 119 | Total Fat 6.7g | Saturated Fat 1.3g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 120mg | Total Carbohydrate 11.9g | Dietary Fiber 1.6g | Total Sugars 0.2g | Protein 3.5g | Vitamin D 0mcg | Calcium 63mg | Iron 2mg | Potassium 156mg |

For more great recipes that are dairy-free, check out The Beet's recipe library of more than 1,000 vegan or plant-based recipes.