Lebanese Spinach Pies

5 from 11 votes

Golden, triangular pastries filled with a vibrant mix of spinach, onions, sumac, and warm spices. With a soft, flaky crust and a tangy, savory filling, these pies are a Lebanese staple. Perfect for mezze platters, lunches, or snacks, they bring authentic Middle Eastern flavors to your table and are versatile for any occasion. Serve them warm for the ultimate comfort food experience!

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Middleeastern

Keyword: fatayer, how to make spinach pies, spinach pie, spinach triangles, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: servings

Author: Lama

Ingredients

l lb Baby spinach chopped
2 Medium onions chopped
¼ cup Olive oil
¼ cup Lemon or ½ teaspoon citric acid
2 tablespoons Sumac
1 tablespoon Kamooni or cumin ground (optional but recommended)
1 tablespoon Salt

Spinach Pie Dough

5 cups All purpose flour
½ teaspoon Salt
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons Warm water Water temperature between 100-110℉
1 tablespoon Sugar or honey
1 ½ teaspoons Instant yeast
¼ cup Olive oil or avocado oil, or canola oil

Instructions

Dough

In a large bowl add the sugar or honey, 1 cup warm water. Mix until honey has dissolved then sprinkle the instant yeast to the surface of the water and set aside for 10 minutes.
Once the yeast has activated (you will see it foam at the surface), add in the flour, salt and the rest of the warm water (1 cup and 2 tablespoons). Make sure the water is warm.
You can use your hands or a stand mixer but I usually use my hands since it is quicker and less dishes. Knead until well combined and sticky. As you are kneading, slowly add in the olive oil until the dough has formed and is no longer sticky. (Note that if the dough is too sticky, you can sprinkle a little of of flour at at a time as you are kneading until the dough is soft).
Form 2 inch balls of dough, place on a cookie sheet and cover with a kitchen towel and set aside while you prepare the spinach filling.

Spinach Filling

Chop 2 medium size onions into small cubes (I use my veggie chopper), place the cubed onions in large bowl.
Then chop the whole bag of pre-washed baby spinach, large cuts are fine. Add the chopped spinach to the bowl.
Now add the rest of the ingredients, olive oil, sumac, salt, lemon or citric acid (I prefer citric acid), and ground kamooni. Mix Very well. Taste the mix to slightly adjust the salt and lemon. You want the taste of the lemon to be sour and tangy. (Keep in mind that the sourness will lessen when cooked).
Preheat oven to 450℉
Form 2 inch sized dough balls. Using your hands or a hand dough roller, spread into a round shape. Add a big spoonful of the spinach mix, add to the center of the spread dough.
Now to shape into triangles, fold one side from right to left and pinch closed all the way down to the end of one side only. Finally fold the bottom dough over to form a triangle and pinch closed.
Pinch any open ends to form the points of the triangle. You are done! This is optional if you are having a hard time closing them. You can flip the spinach pie so that side is facing down and the smooth side is facing up.
Place spinach pie onto a sprayed baking sheet. Brush the pies with egg whites if you want the baked spinach pies to come out golden. This is also optional.
Bake for 12-13 minutes, then if necessary broil on high heat until slightly golden on top. Enjoy warm or cold!

Video

Nutrition