Turkish Spinach Pie - Spinach Borek

5 from 3 votes

This Turkish spinach pie, or spinach borek with feta and phyllo pastry, is irresistible. It's easy to make and great for entertaining.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Party Nibbles

Cuisine: Turkish

Servings: servings

Calories: 138kcal

Author: Adina

Combine filling: Remove the spinach stalks if they are too large (I don't usually do it when using baby spinach), and chop the spinach roughly. Cut the green onions into fine rings. Place them in a large bowl, crumble the feta, and grate the Parmesan on top. Add chopped parsley and dill and some salt and pepper. Set aside.
7 oz baby spinach/ 200 g + 1 bunch green onions + 1 cup feta cheese/ 125 g + ½ cup Parmesan/ 65 g + 3 tablespoons parsley + 2 tablespoons dill + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make yogurt mixture: Whisk the eggs in another bowl. Add yogurt and olive oil and stir well. Set aside.
4 large eggs + 2 cups Greek yogurt/ 500 g + ¼ cup olive oil / 60 ml

Assemble spinach pie: Place the first phyllo sheet on the baking tray, letting the sides hang over the edges. Brush the part covering the tray with some of the egg-yogurt mixture. Gently tear the overhanging phyllo and fold it over the brushed sheet, then brush this layer with the yogurt mixture as well.
4 large phyllo sheets
Repeat with the second phyllo sheet. After brushing it with the yogurt mixture,
Add the spinach and cheese filling and level it well.
Cover the pie: Place the third phyllo sheet on top, brush it with the mixture, and fold over the overhanging edges. Repeat with the last phyllo sheet, brushing it with the remaining egg-yogurt mixture. Cut the pie into squares now (Note 5), then sprinkle nigella seeds on top.
1-2 tablespoons nigella seeds
Bake spinach borek for about 40 minutes or until golden. Cover it with a towel and let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dough: Phyllo and yufka sheets vary greatly in size, depending on the brand. Some may be as small as a baking tray, others up to three times as large. This makes it hard to specify an exact number of sheets for this recipe. You might need 8 smaller sheets or just 4 larger ones.
When working with phyllo pastry, work quickly to prevent it from drying out. Keep any sheets you’re not using wrapped in the packet or covered with a damp (not wet) kitchen towel.
Feta: Use fresh feta from a block (preferably in brine). You can use Turkish, Greek, or Bulgarian feta; they are all great.
Nigella seeds are optional but so great! You can replace them with black or white sesame seeds if you don't have them.
Cut the pie squares before baking the pie; cutting the borek once baked will be very difficult and messy.