Kale Spanakopita

Kale has grown in popularity over the past few years. You’ll see everything from kale smoothies, to kale-guacamole, to kale chips in grocery markets! Rich in heart-healthy folate, digestive-friendly fibre, and immune-boosting Vitamin C, kale is a nutrient-packed veggie that you can easily include in your diet. It can be slightly bitter when eaten raw, but it lends itself nicely to onions and garlic when cooked. In my opinion, it’s the perfect substitute to spinach in spanakopita, a traditional and savoury Greek pastry. It’s also one of the easiest vegetables to grow in the summertime. Spanakopita is a labour of love, so try this recipe when you have a bit more time in the home.

With a bit of heat, kale pops up in colour in a frying pan.

Let the greens cool down before adding in light feta and eggs. Why eggs? It helps bind the ingredients together.

Once the kale-feta filling is ready to go, it’s time to wrap it up in phyllo dough. If it’s your first time using phyllo dough, it dries out very quickly. Keep a damp cloth on any dough you’re not immediately using so that it doesn’t break apart.

Here, I’m layering the phyllo sheets with extra-virgin olive oil. By repeating this process, you’re creating pockets of fats (healthy ones), which in turn, creates a flakier texture.

A small dollop of filling goes in one corner, and away we go, rolling in a triangular fashion.

Keep rolling in a triangular fashion until you reach the end, maintaining that triangular shape!

Out of the oven, these kale spanakopitas are ready to go! The olive oil on top gives it that beautiful golden crust.

Pair spanakopita with a zesty Greek salad for a true Mediterranean meal. Or better yet, serve it at your next dinner party!