This dish has the flavours of the classic Greek spinach pie spanakopita but uses ready-made shortcut pastry instead of filo and is formed into the shape of a wreath for a perfect Christmas centrepiece. –Sam Dixon
Vegan Spinach and Apricot Wreath
Sam Dixon's festive recipe for a plant-based pastry wreath filled with a spinach and apricot filling.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves very finely chopped
- 8 oz (250 g) spinach leaves wilted, drained and squeezed of excess moisture
- 2 oz (50 g) toasted pine nuts
- 1 handful dill chopped, plus extra fronds to garnish
- 1 handful flat leaf parsley chopped
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 oz (50 g) ready-to-eat dried apricots roughly chopped
- 7 oz (200 g) silken tofu
- 1 lb (500 g) ready-made vegan shortcrust pastry
- all-purpose flour for dusting
- 50 ml oat milk
- 2 oz (50 g) mixed black and white sesame seeds
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onions with the garlic over a medium heat for about 6 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the wilted spinach and cook until any excess water evaporates. Then add the toasted pine nuts, herbs, lemon zest, apricots and tofu, season to taste with salt and pepper and mix together. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick baking paper.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a rectangle about 8 × 24 inches (20 × 60 cm). With one longer side nearest to you, spread the spinach mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving a ¾ inch (1.5 cm) clear border along both longer sides and a 1 inch (2.5 cm) clear border along both shorter sides. Roll up the pastry from the longer side nearest to you in a long sausage shape, then brush the opposite longer pastry border with a little water and press to seal. Place seam-side down and curve into a ring, then pinch the ends together to seal.
- Slice the outer side of the ring into sausage-roll-sized sections, leaving the inner side intact so that it makes a neat wreath-like shape. Carefully transfer the wreath to the lined tray, brush all over with the oat milk and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the wreath cool for 10 minutes, then garnish with extra dill fronds, slice and serve.
