Lebanese Spinach Pies with Onions and Sumac

These triangular Lebanese spinach pies (or Fatayer bi Sabanekh in Lebanon) are filled with sautéed spinach and onion seasoned with tart and earthy sumac. The pillowy, tender dough is made with olive oil.

Many Middle Eastern cuisines are incredibly vegan friendly (falafel, anyone?) and I'm lucky to live near some great spots here in Chicago. One of my favorite ways to spend the afternoon on a lazy summer day is to grab a Lebanese spinach pie to go from Middle Eastern Bakery, walk around the neighborhood, and go thrifting.

While I'm not the biggest fan of cooked spinach, I can get on board with it when it's sautéed with flavorful onions, seasoned with tangy sumac, and wrapped in golden, yeast-risen olive oil dough.

These savory pastries make a wonderful snack or appetizer at parties, and they freeze well if you have leftovers. Serve with Lebanese Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad, falafel, hummus, and pita!

🥬 Ingredients

• Spinach (fresh or frozen)
• Onions
• Olive oil
• Flour
• Active dry yeast
• Lemon juice
• Sugar
• Salt and pepper
• Sumac

Sumac

Much of the flavor in the spinach pies comes from sumac, which is a bright burgundy spice made from the dried berries of the wild sumac flower. It has a unique tangy flavor that's very similar to lemon juice. In fact, you can use it in a pinch as a substitute for lemon juice. It's delicious on greens especially, and used in a lot of Middle Eastern cooking and spice blends.

I buy my sumac at a local Middle Eastern market, but if you can't find it near you, I'd recommend buying it online versus paying grocery store spice prices. You can get a big bag of sumac online for $7-8.

🔪 Instructions

For the dough

Place the flour and salt in a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook, or in a large mixing bowl. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil and rub into the flour using your hands or a wooden spoon.

Add the yeast and sugar to 1 cup of the warm water until bubbles form. Pour the water into the dough, mixing after each addition.

Once all of the flour has been incorporated, knead the dough on a floured surface or in a stand mixer for 8-9 minutes. The dough will be smooth and collect into a ball.

Place in a clean bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour. Punch down dough and let rise for 20 more minutes.

For the filling

Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the diced onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until golden.

Add the spinach and let wilt, stirring to coat with the onions. Let the mixture cool, then drain the excess water from the spinach using a pot lid or colander. Add the sumac, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

How to fold the pies

Preheat oven to 450°F and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring the dough out onto a floured surface, and place a small bowl of water next to your workspace.

Take golf ball-sized pieces of dough and with a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into ⅛-1/4 inch thin circles.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the spinach filling into each dough circle.

To fold into triangles, fold one side halfway over the spinach mixture.

Dip your finger in the water and moisten around the edge of the rest of the circle. Fold the second edge, overlapping the first fold to make a corner.

Fold the remaining edge to make the triangle. Press to seal, then pinch the seams closed.

Brush each spinach pie with olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-16 minutes, or until golden. Let cool slightly before serving.

💭 Tips

You can use fresh or frozen spinach for the filling as long as you drain the excess water from the spinach before seasoning. If the spinach is too wet, the dough will become waterlogged and not bake properly.

🧊 Freezing Instructions

Wrap each spinach pie individually and store in a freezer bag or container. To reheat, microwave until soft, 3-4 minutes.

🥗 Pairings

These Lebanese spinach pies would make a great starter to these dishes as a light meal.

Lebanese Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Tabbouleh (or tabouli) is a zesty chopped parsley and veggie salad coated in an olive oil and lemon juice dressing and served chilled. It is a wonderful accompaniment to these spinach pies. Don't forget the falafel, hummus, and pita!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This Mediterranean quinoa salad is full of colorful vegetables, chopped parsley, and a tangy lemon tahini dressing. It can be served warm or cold, and makes a great lunch the next day.

Kale Pesto

This vegan kale pesto is made with kale instead of basil, and gets its savory flavor from cashew and pine nuts. It's a great alternative to traditional pesto when basil is not in season, or if you're looking to add more veggies to your diet.

📖 Recipe

Lebanese Spinach Pies with Onions and Sumac

Yield: 12 pies

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

These Lebanese spinach pies are filled with sautéed spinach and onion seasoned with tart and earthy sumac. The pillowy, tender dough is made with olive oil.

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Ingredients

Dough:

• 3 cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package active dry yeast (or 2 ¼ teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¾ cup warm water

Spinach filling:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ small onion (diced)
• 1 large bunch of spinach
• ½ teaspoon sumac
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Fresh pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Olive oil (for brushing on the pies)

Instructions

For the dough:

1. Place the flour and salt in a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook, or in a large mixing bowl.
2. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil and rub into the flour using your hands or a wooden spoon.
3. Add the yeast and sugar to 1 cup of the warm water until bubbles form.
4. Pour the water into the dough, mixing after each addition.
5. Once all of the flour has been incorporated, knead the dough on a floured surface or in a stand mixer for 8-9 minutes. The dough will be smooth and collect into a ball.
6. Place in a clean bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour.
7. Punch down dough and let rise for 20 more minutes.

For the spinach filling:

1. Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until golden.
3. Add the spinach and let wilt, stirring to coat with the onions.
4. Let the mixture cool, then drain the excess water from the spinach using a pot lid or colander.
5. Add the sumac, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

To prepare the pies:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Bring the dough out onto a floured surface, and place a small bowl of water next to your workspace.
3. Take golf ball-sized pieces of dough and with a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into ⅛-1/4 inch thin circles.
4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the spinach filling into each dough circle.
5. To fold into triangles, fold one side halfway over the spinach mixture.
6. Dip your finger in the water and moisten around the edge of the rest of the circle. Fold the second edge, overlapping the first fold to make a corner.
7. Fold the remaining edge to make the triangle. Press to seal, then pinch the seams closed.
8. Brush each spinach pie with olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake 15-16 minutes, or until golden. Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

It's important to drain the spinach after cooking so there's not too much liquid in the filling.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Sumac Spice 2.0 oz - Zamouri Spices

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 pie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

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