• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Latest Recipes
  • Sweets
  • How To's
  • About

Where Is My Spoon

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Latest Recipes
  • Sweets
  • How To's
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Latest Recipes
    • Sweets
    • How To's
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Where Is My Spoon > Other Recipes by Region > Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

    Spinach Borek - Turkish Spinach Pie

    Published by: Adina June 29, 2020 · Last modified: February 28, 2023 9 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    173 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • Twitter
    slices of turkish spinach feta pie on a plate

    This spinach borek or Turkish spinach pie with feta and phyllo pastry is one of the most irresistible vegetarian boreks.

    Jump to Recipe
    Spinach Feta Pie – Börek

    I had actually planned to make a typical Romanian spinach pie with homemade pastry and lots of feta.

    And then I saw these mouth-watering pictures of a börek and I knew I had to make that instead. It was a great fit finding the recipe at that moment; I still had one pack of phyllo pastry in the fridge, which was supposed to become a wild garlic ground beef pie. So I gave up all the good made plans and started fresh.

    I've changed the original recipe, which was actually a leek pie, and used what I had instead, which is spinach.

    What is a borek?

    Or byrek or burek, depending on the region.

    A borek is a very popular pastry in the Balkan area and all throughout the former Ottoman Empire.

    Borek is made with phyllo or yufka pastry, and it can be filled with lots of things from spinach and feta, like today's recipe, to ground meat or other veggies and cheeses.

    It can be baked in a large baking tray and cut into squares; it can be shaped like a rolled snake and cut into smaller pieces when serving.

    Or it can come in the shape of triangles or rolls like this Albanian byrek. Or other similar rolls called sigara borek. The last ones are usually deep-fried; they are incredibly crispy and utterly delicious.

    Spinach Feta Pie – Börek

    Pastry

    • Phyllo and yufka dough come in really different sizes, depending on the brand you are using. The sheets can be as small as a baking tray or three times as large.
    • So, when using the pastry for this recipe, it is quite difficult for me to indicate a certain number of sheets you might need; they can be either 6 smaller ones or 3 very large ones.
    • What you have to know is that each pastry layer has to be double. So, if the sheets are small, you will be using two for each layer. If the sheets are large (like mine usually are), you will work as indicated in the recipe below.

    That is:

    • Place a pastry sheet on the oiled baking tray.
    • Brush it with the yogurt mixture.
    • Carefully tear the overhanging pieces of pastry.
    • Place the torn pieces on top of the first layer so that you obtain a second layer.
    • Brush again.
    • Repeat the procedure with a second pastry sheet, brush again, and fill.
    • Top with two further pastry layers, brushing, tearing, and brushing again as instructed.
    slices of turkish spinach feta pie on a plate

    Tips

    • When working with phyllo pastry, you should work quickly to prevent the dough from drying out too much.
    • Keep the sheets you are not working with well packed in the packet they came in, or cover them with a damp (not wet) kitchen towel.
    • Yufka pastry is similar to phyllo but a bit sturdier. You should also keep it well covered, but it will not dry out as fast as the phyllo.

    More savory pies:

    • Chicken and Ham Pie
    • Green Onion and Cheese Quiche
    • Savory Cheese Pie with Quark
    • Romanian Cheese Pies
    • Chicken and Leek Pie
    • Chicken Pot Pie in the Cast Iron Skillet

    Do you like this recipe?

    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Don’t forget to tag me #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!
    spinach borek sliced into pieces and sprinkled with nigella seeds

    Spinach Borek - Turkish Spinach Pie

    Spinach borek or Turkish spinach pie with feta and phyllo pastry, one of the most irresistible vegetarian boreks.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
    Cuisine: Turkish
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 15
    Calories: 138kcal
    Author: Adina
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients 

    • Filling:
    • 125 g/ 4 oz/ 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
    • 65 g/ 2 ¼ oz/ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
    • 1 bunch green onions about 6 thin ones
    • 200 g/ 7 oz baby spinach
    • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
    • 2 tablespoons chopped dill
    • fine sea salt and pepper
    • Pie:
    • 4 large phyllo sheets 1 pack à 500 g/ 17.6 oz
    • 4 eggs
    • 500 g/ 17.6 oz/ 2 cups yogurt
    • 60 ml/ 2 fl.oz/ ¼ cup olive oil + a little more for the baking tray
    • about 1-2 tablespoons nigella seeds

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the green onions into fine rings, remove the spinach stalks if too large (I don't usually do it when using baby spinach), and chop it roughly. Place them in a large bowl, crumble the feta and grate the Parmesan on top, add the parsley and dill and some salt and pepper. Set aside.
    • Beat the eggs in another bowl. Add the yogurt and the olive oil and stir well. Set aside.
    • Brush a baking tray (35x40 cm/ 14x16 inch) with olive oil. Add the first phyllo sheet so that the sides of the sheet are overhanging. Brush the part of the sheet covering the baking tray with some of the egg yogurt mixture. Carefully tear the overhanging phyllo parts and place them over the brushed sheet of phyllo. Brush with yogurt mixture as well.
    • Repeat with the second phyllo sheet. After brushing it with yogurt mixture, add the filling and level well.
    • Place the third phyllo sheet on top, brush, and cover with the overhanging phyllo parts. Repeat with the last phyllo sheet. Brush with the remaining egg yogurt mixture. Cut the pie into squares now. Sprinkle the nigella seeds on top.
    • Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden. Cover with a towel and let cool slightly. It can be served warm or at room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 312mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

    More Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

    • pea and asparagus risotto sprinkled with parmesan overhead view.
      Pea and Asparagus Risotto
    • cream cheese pasta held on a serving spoon.
      The Best Cream Cheese Pasta
    • instant pot osso buco on a bed of risotto milanese.
      Instant Pot Osso Buco
    • overhead view of a bowl of tangled truffle butter pasta sprinkled with parsley.
      Truffle Butter Pasta

    Sharing is caring!

    173 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • Twitter

    web banner representing all the websites logos that featured our food blog.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      April 30, 2017 at 5:28 am

      These are one of my favourites! Well, who could resist filo pastry!!! Now I am getting hungry :-!

      Reply
    2. Kim | Low Carb Maven says

      May 02, 2017 at 3:09 am

      This is a dish that I would truly love. You made it beautifully. It would look lovely on any brunch table. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    3. grace says

      May 02, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      cheese IS good! i've never had the authentic version of this dish, only sad imitations. your borek looks amazing!

      Reply
    4. Zerrin says

      May 04, 2017 at 3:24 pm

      Your borek looks amazing Adina! I'm so happy to see this recipe on your blog and thank you for the mention! The layers and the filling between layers look so tempting. I love how you present them. These are making me so hungry! Cheers my friend!

      Reply
    5. Sissi says

      May 06, 2017 at 5:57 pm

      Thank you for reminding me young delicious spinach is in season now (with wild garlic and asparagus I've completely forgotten the rest of seasonal produce!). Your börek looks fantastic. Reminds me of the Greet spanakopita I often prepare and love so much... I also sprinkle nigella seeds on everything I can (when I don't do this with sesame seeds 😉 ), so I'm glad we share the love for them!

      Reply
    6. Marsha says

      July 31, 2017 at 5:45 pm

      I made this borek last night, exactly as written. It was delicious!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        August 01, 2017 at 9:47 am

        I am so glad you liked it, Marsha. Thank you for the feedback, it is always nice to hear when the recipes are cooked and liked by other people as well. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Antje says

      October 28, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Always nice… husband lives it, me too! thanks for that ?

      Reply
      • Adina says

        October 29, 2021 at 7:33 am

        Thank you for the feedback, Antje.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Follow me!

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Hello! Where Is My Spoon is a blog where you will find delicious and family friendly recipes, all made from scratch. From simple healthy soups to sumptuous cakes for special occasions, all our recipes have been tried and loved by our family and our friends.

    More about me →

    Strawberry recipes

    • small bowl with macerated strawberries ready to be served
      Macerated Strawberries
    • crumble strawberry rhubarb pie
      Rhubarb Crumble Tart with Strawberries
    • strawberries and cream dessert in a glass
      Strawberries and Cream Dessert with Meringue
    • brownies with strawberries sliced on a table
      Brownies with Strawberries (and Chocolate)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Our second blog

    The Fast Recipe Food Blog

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 - Where Is My Spoon. All rights reserved.