Spinach and feta banitsa, simple French version

I discovered banitsa during a trip to Bulgaria, and since then, this flaky marvel has found its place in my kitchen. This traditional Balkan pie, with its crispy phyllo pastry and creamy filling, completely won me over with its simplicity and generosity.

This version I'm sharing uses fresh, seasonal spinach and creamy feta cheese. I've adapted the recipe to make it more accessible with ingredients that are readily available, while still retaining the authentic spirit of this comforting dish.

Banitsa pairs perfectly with autumn vegetables like leeks and mushrooms, which add an extra touch of sweetness to the filling. What I love most is its versatility: you can serve it hot as a main course or warm as an appetizer.

You'll see, the secret lies in working with the phyllo dough and balancing the flavors. Once you've mastered this simple technique, you can adapt this banitsa to your liking and the seasonal vegetables available.

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Spinach and feta banitsa, simple French version

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

0.0 out of 0 votes

Type of dish: main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: easy

Portions

4

portions

Preparation time

28

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

385

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

5

minutes

An accessible version of Bulgarian banitsa, a crispy, flaky pastry filled with fresh spinach and creamy feta. Perfect for discovering this Balkan specialty with easy-to-find ingredients.

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Ingredients

• 6 phyllo (or brick) pastry sheets

• 300g of fresh spinach

• 200g feta of

• 1 leek

• 200g of button mushrooms

• 3 eggs

• 100 ml of milk

• 80g butter of

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 bunch of fresh dill

• Salt, black pepper

Also read:  What can be used as a substitute for feta cheese?

Preparation steps

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Clean the spinach and steam it for 3 minutes, then squeeze out the water.
• Thinly slice the leek and mushrooms. Sauté them in a pan with a little butter for 8 minutes until tender.
• Add the chopped garlic and drained spinach, mix for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
• Crumble the feta into a bowl. Beat the eggs with the milk, add the chopped dill and mix with the feta.
• Incorporate the cooled vegetable mixture into the feta-egg mixture.
• Melt the remaining butter. Brush a 24cm round cake tin with the melted butter.
• Place 3 sheets of phyllo pastry in the mold, letting them overhang the edges, and brush with butter between each sheet.
• Spread the filling, then cover with the 3 remaining sheets, brushing with butter. Fold over the overhanging edges.
• Bake for 35 minutes until the banitsa is golden brown. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 280g)

📝 Notes

Banitsa keeps for two days in the refrigerator and reheats perfectly in the oven. Traditionally, a coin is slipped into the dough to bring good luck to whoever finds it.

💡 Chef's Tips

If you can't find phyllo pastry, brick pastry works very well. Press the spinach firmly to prevent the banitsa from becoming soggy. You can prepare the filling the day before.

🔄 Variations

• Autumn version: replace the mushrooms with roasted butternut squash cubes
• Ricotta version: mix the feta with ricotta for a softer texture

Nathalie Laplace

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Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.