Vegan Spinach and Cheese Börek
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An egg- and dairy-free version of a Turkish cuisine favorite, this Vegan Spinach and Cheese Börek recipe is just as delicious as the original.
Ingredients
  • 1 medium onion, diced small or 2-3 leeks, chopped or a combination of both
  • 1lb (450g) of spinach, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups nondairy milk (I use an unsweetened soy milk)
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 large pinch of black salt (if you have it)
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter, melted
  • ½ of a finished round of my Basic Almond Cheese recipe
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1lb (450g) package of phyllo dough pastry (28 sheets in total)
  • toasted sesame seeds and nigella seeds for sprinkling on top
Instructions
  1. Sauté the onion with a little olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. After a couple of minutes, the onions will become softer and translucent. Now add the spinach, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and cook for 5-7 minutes more until all of the spinach wilts down and exudes its liquid. After 5-7 minutes, drain out any excess liquid from the spinach and set the pan aside to cool down.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the nondairy milk, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt, black salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
  3. When the spinach has cooled, crumble into it the Basic Almond Cheese, add the parsley, and pour in ¼ cup of that nondairy milk mixture. Stir it lightly just to incorporate.
  4. Preheat your oven to 400°F and place one oven rack in the middle and one in a lower position. Now you're ready to roll up the phyllo sheets. Keeping them under a damp towel as you work, remove 2 sheets of phyllo dough at a time. Keep one sheet on top of the other and face the shorter side (the 12 inch side) towards you. Roughly divide the filling into 14 portions (Don't worry, it doesn't have to be exact) and spoon one portion of the mixture onto the phyllo and spread it into a line with your fingers. Fold the sheets over the filling and start rolling them away from you until the are all rolled up. You will make 14 rolls in total.
  5. As you make each roll, transfer it to a 12-14 inch circular pan that has been greased with a few teaspoons of olive oil. Start from the outside and work your way in, pushing the rolls up against each other, until you've filled up the entire pan. Try to keep the seam side facing down. If you need to fill in any smaller gaps, just cut one of the rolls to the size you need.
  6. Once you've fit those 14 rolls snugly into the greased pan, pour the rest of the nondairy milk mixture over the top of all of the rolls. Try to coat the entire surface with the mixture. Sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds and nigella seeds and put the börek on the lower rack of the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. After that, put the börek on the center rack of the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until it is golden brown. Remove from oven and let it cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
-The cheese I use in this börek is my Basic Almond Cheese. Make the recipe at the hotter temperature (350°F) for 35-40 minutes so that the cheese is more set and crumbly. You'll only need half of the round of cheese for this börek, so the rest can be kept in the fridge and enjoyed for breakfasts, in sandwiches, or on salads.

-If you don't have a 12-14 inch circular pan, you can easily make this in a large rectangular pan. Instead of making a circular pattern with the rolls, simply line them up next to each other tightly.
Recipe by Lands & Flavors at https://www.landsandflavors.com/vegan-spinach-and-cheese-borek/