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    Home » Recipes » Vegetable Recipes

    Spinach Fatayer Recipe (Lebanese Spinach Pie)

    Published: Oct 7, 2022 · Updated: Nov 13, 2022 by Saif Al Deen Odeh with 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Spinach Fatayer is a lebanese spinach pie recipe that has fillings of onion, sumac spices, and olive oil. In Arabic, this recipe called fatayer sabanekh, which is a popular breakfast dish among Middle Eastern locals.

    Baked Lebanese Spinach Pies called Spinach Fatayer
    Jump to:
    • What is Fatayer Sabanekh?
    • Ingredients of Spinach Filling
    • Ingredient of Fatayer Dough
    • Step by Step Instruction
    • What do you serve with this recipe?
    • Variation
    • Frequently Asked Question
    • Other Middle Eastern Recipes to Try
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • 💬 Comments

    In Lebanon and other Levantine countries, they serve one of the best pastries and flatbread in the world. There are many kinds of fatayers which include cheese, vegetarian, or meat-based pastries. One vegetarian pastry pie recipe that I enjoy is fatayer sabanekh.

    My late grandmother made this spinach fatayer at her house in Kuwait. It is very delicious, and the dough of the bread is so soft, which is perfect to eat this with hot tea. It is also a very healthy dish, which is perfect for vegan eaters.

    In this post, I made this Lebanese spinach pie recipe which is based from my Late grandmother's recipe.

    Baked Lebanese Spinach Pies called Spinach Fatayer

    What is Fatayer Sabanekh?

    Sabanekh comes from an Arabic word meaning "Spinach" while Fatayer is an Arabic word meaning "Pies".

    Although it is originally from Lebanon, this fatayer sabanekh is also popular and widely eaten in Jordan, Palestine, and most Middle Eastern Countries.

    When I was living in Kuwait and Jordan, you can find this Lebanese spinach pie and similar pastry dishes in most restaurants or street food stalls. Several of them I tried and ate include halloumi, zaatar, cheese, spiced ground beef, and other meat-based pie.

    Ingredients of Spinach Filling

    For making the fillings of spinach fatayer, there are several ingredients you need for this recipe:

    • Fresh Spinach- You can use any spinach including spinach bag or frozen spinach if you like.
    • Sumac Spices- I am using ready-made sumac spices that can be bought in any Middle Eastern grocery store.
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil- I recommend extra virgin olive oil since it has a stronger flavor and it blends well for this recipe
    • Red Onion- You can use either white or red onion.
    • Salt and Black Pepper

    Ingredient of Fatayer Dough

    In addition to the fillings, you also need the ingredient for making Fatayer dough, which is similar for making pizza or flatbread.

    Below is the ingredient for making the Spinach Fatayer dough recipe:

    • All purpose flour- I am using white flour in this recipe
    • Extra Virgin olive oil- I recommend using extra virgin olive oil over other vegetable oil since it gives a nice aroma of the dough
    • Salt
    • Sugar
    • Instant yeast
    • Warm water
    • Egg Yolk- I use the egg yolk to brush the dough after the fillings and before putting it into the oven. This will give the dough a golden color.

    Notes: Do not use sea salt and boiling water since this will kill the yeast, hence, weaken the growth of the dough.

    Step by Step Instruction

    I. Making the Fatayer Dough

    Before making spinach filling, we prepare first the dough for the fatayer.

    • Firstly, add the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same bowl.
    • Separately, mix the warm water and yeast in a glass, and pour it into the bowl.
    • While kneading and mixing the flour, add a tablespoon of olive oil until it is already well mixed and soft.
    • Cover and leave it for 1 to 1 ½ hours for the dough to grow.

    II. Cooking the Spinach Fillings

    While waiting for the dough to grow, prepare cooking the spinach mixture filling.

    • Add olive oil in the pan. Once it is hot, add onion and stir for several minutes till it is cook.
    • Next, I added the spinach and sauté for a few minutes.
    • Once the spinach is almost cook, add the sumac spices, lemon, salt, and black pepper.
    • Mix it well before turning off the heat.

    III. Assembling and Baking the Fatayer Sabanekh

    • Use a rolling pin to make into a large circular shape
    • Next I use a small cup to press it down and divide into several pieces (10 to 12 total)
    • After that, transfer them into the plate.
    • Add the 1 to 2 tablespoon of spinach filling in each dough.
    • Next, grab both sides of the dough to close them together followed by the closing back part to form a triangular-shaped.
    • Preheat the oven into 400 F or 220 C. Use the egg yolk to brush each spinach fatayer to help give a nice golden color.
    • Make sure the oven is hot before putting the pies inside. Let it baked for 10 minutes or till it is golden brown.
    Baked Lebanese Spinach Pies called Spinach Fatayer

    What do you serve with this recipe?

    Sabanekh fatayer can be served either breakfast, snacks, or dinner. This Lebanese spinach pie is best to serve with Hot tea, cheese, and other dipping sauces like hummus.

    Also, because this is finger food, they are usually eaten with other pastries or bread. Other delicious pastry or bread recipes include Zaatar Bread, Mini Pizza, Cheese Roll, or other small bread.

    Variation

    Chicken Fatayer- This recipe is an Arabic style meat pie that has fillings of chicken, bell pepper, and different Middle Eastern spices

    Cheese Fatayer- This is a Lebanese cheese pie that is mixed with feta & mozzarella cheese and parsley.

    Frequently Asked Question

    1. Does Lebanese Spinach Pie need to be refrigerated?

    This Fatayer should be placed in a plastic container or zip lock bag which can last up to 1 week. However, if you keep it in the freezer, it can store for up to 1 month.

    2. Is Spinach Fatayer Vegan?

    This spinach pie is purely vegan since it does not contain any meat or dairy product. But if you want your dough fatayer to have a nice golden brown, you will need to brush it with egg yolk, which you can skip that part.

    3. Is there a difference between a frozen or fresh spinach?

    The taste of fresh and frozen spinach is almost similar, but the texture is a bit different. The frozen spinach tends to be watery, which is why you need to squeeze as much as you can to prevent it from becoming soggy. For this reason, I prefer fresh spinach over frozen one.

    4. How many calories are in this spinach fatayer?

    In each fatayer, that will be 145 calories. However, this recipe can serve good for 4 adults.

    5. What can I use if I don't have sumac spices?

    If you don't have sumac, you can use lemon which 1 tablespoon of sumac spice can be substitute with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice.

    Other Middle Eastern Recipes to Try

    If you love Middle Eastern food, here are other delicious baked recipes that you can make at home

    • Shawarma Pizza
    • Zaatar Bread
    • Cheese Manakish

    📋 Recipe Card

    Spinach Fatayer (Lebanese Spinach Pie)

    Saif Al Deen Odeh
    Spinach Fatayer, also known as Sabanekh, is an Arabic pastry pie that has fillings of onion, sumac spices, olive oil, lemon, and fresh spinach.
    5 from 25 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Arabic, Middle Eastern
    Servings 12 Serving
    Calories 145 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Dough for the Fatayer

    • 2 cup All purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Instant yeast
    • 1 ¼ cup Warm water
    • Egg Yolk (For giving a golden color of the dough)

    Spinach Fillings

    • 500 grams Fresh Spinach
    • ¾ cup Red Onion, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon Sumac Spices
    • 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Salt and Black Pepper for Taste

    Instructions
     

    Fatayer Dough

    • Add all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl
    • Separately, mix warm water with yeast in a glass.
    • Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl. Mix well together
    • If your hand is sticky, add more flour. Or if the if it has more flour, add 1//4 cup of water.
    • While Kneading and mixing, add one tablespoon of olive oil. This will give the dough a soft and fluffy texture.
    • After that, cover with the cloth and leave it for 1 to 2 hours.

    Spinach Filling

    • Add olive in the pan. Once it is hot, add onion and stir it for few minutes.
    • Add the spinach and sauteed for additional minutes or till it is cooked
    • Add sumac spices, salt and black pepper in the spinach. Mix them well before turning off the heat.

    Assembling the Spinach Fatayer

    • Use the rolling pin or your hand to make a large circle dough.
    • Use the small cup to press down and divide into many pieces
    • On the circle dough, add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon of spinach filling mixture.
    • Grab both sides of the dough to close them together, followed by the closing back part to form a triangular-shaped.

    Baking the dough

    • Preheat the oven to 400 F or 220 C
    • Brush each dough with egg yolk to have a nice golden color. Put all the fatayer in a tray
    • Lastly, transfer the tray into the oven
    • Baked it for 12 to 15 minutes or till the dough has a nice golden brown color.
    • Serve with hot tea, Arabic salad or other finger food. Bon Appetite.

    Notes

  • If you don't have fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach.
  • If you don't have sumac spice, you can use 2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • Nutrition

    Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 19.5gProtein: 3.8gFat: 6.3gSaturated Fat: 0.9gSodium: 132mgPotassium: 286mgFiber: 1.8gSugar: 1.5gCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword Lebanese Spinach Pie, sabanekh, spinach fatayer
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sara Welch

      July 17, 2020 at 1:14 am

      I love that this is completely vegan; looks amazing! I am looking forward to making this over the weekend; looks too good to pass ups!

      Reply
      • Saif

        July 17, 2020 at 3:20 am

        Thank you. I am sure you will love this fatayer spinach. They taste really good and it is healthy.

        Reply
    2. Emily

      July 17, 2020 at 2:37 am

      I can see why this is a popular breakfast dish! The onion filling is so delicious!

      Reply
      • Saif

        July 17, 2020 at 3:14 am

        Thanks. This is a spinach filling pastry pie which is popular in Middle East.

        Reply
    3. Beth

      July 17, 2020 at 4:07 am

      This looks so delicious! Saved for this weekend! So excited to make these!

      Reply
    4. Sharon

      July 18, 2020 at 1:42 am

      These little pockets of yumminess sound like a perfect way to start the day while eating your veggies.

      Reply
    5. Chef Mireille

      July 18, 2020 at 1:58 am

      I get these from a local Middle Eastern place near me. Thanks for this great recipe so I can now make them at home myself.

      Reply
      • Saif

        July 19, 2020 at 5:57 am

        Thank you for liking my recipe. I am glad you already tried this delicious spinach fatayer in your place.

        Reply
    6. Garth McGlasson

      August 21, 2021 at 6:15 am

      5 stars
      I had one of my customers who is from Jordan gift me with these. They were absolutely exquisite! I'm so glad I found the recipe on line so I can try my hand at making and sharing these delightful pastries!!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Saif! I am a Filipino Jordanian Food cook that love to make and share delicious Halal Friendly Filipino, Asian, Middle Eastern and other foods from around the world 

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