Salty feta with sweet cabbage wrapped in flaky phyllo for a comforting and delicious pie!
Watch the Video:
This Greek cabbage and feta pie is my version of Lahanopita. Lahanopita translates to cabbage pie, and it’s popular in Northern Greece and on my island of Crete. Northern Greece is known for the best pies in Greece, and this one is traditionally made without feta. However, since we also make this particular pie in Crete, I put my spin on it. I just love it, and of course, I add feta and shape it into a spiral to make it beautiful for serving, too. I know you’re going to love this as much as I do!
Why you’ll love it
Buttery, crispy phyllo
Salty, creamy feta
Sweet, soft cabbage
Savory onion
Earthy, sweet carrot
The perfect veggie combo with salty, creamy feta stuffed inside buttery, crisp phyllo!
Here’s what you’ll need
- Cabbage -shredded
- Olive oil -you must try the one from my family’s olive trees in our shop!
- Onion -finely chopped red or your favorite onion
- Garlic cloves -grated
- Carrot -shredded
- Salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Fresh parsley -or dill finely chopped
- Egg -beaten
- Juice of a lemon
- Feta cheese -crumbled from a block for best flavor
- #4 phyllo -thawed and at room temperature
- Salted butter -or more olive oil
**Chef’s Shortcut! ** Cole slaw mix can be substituted for the carrot and cabbage. It cuts prep time since it is already sold shredded.
Working with phyllo
Working with phyllo is easy if you follow a few tips. First, you’ll find it in your supermarket’s freezer section, and you should keep it frozen until you’re ready to use it. Move it to the refrigerator the night before you make your pie. Then, set it on the counter to come to room temperature for at least an hour before you’ll work with it. Be sure to leave the phyllo in the package while it’s on the counter so it doesn’t dry out. Remove the phyllo from the box when you’re ready to assemble your pie, and store any leftovers refrigerated in plastic for up to a week.
How to make Greek Cabbage and Feta Pie known as Lahanopita
Make the Cabbage Filling:
- Place the onion in a large skillet with olive oil and a pinch of salt to cook over medium heat until soft and golden.
- Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Then, add the shredded cabbage and carrot in several batches.
- Season each batch lightly with salt and pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the cabbage until wilted and until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl or continue in the skillet if there is space.
- Add the parsley, crumble the feta cheese, and add the lemon juice.
- Mix together and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Beat the egg and add it to the mixture.
- Divide the mixture into eight portions.
Assemble the Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
- Layer two sheets of phyllo on top of each other, drizzling butter between the sheets and on the top layer.
- Spread one portion of the filling along the bottom third of the pastry and roll it up.
- Coil the pastry and place it in the center of a 16-inch round pizza pan.
- Continue layering, buttering, and filling the pastry, but once the rolls are made, do not coil the rest.
- Wrap the cabbage-filled rolls around the first coil (see video)
- Brush the cabbage spiral with the remaining butter and bake on the center rack of the preheated rack for 45 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Freezer Instructions
Assemble the spiral and, wrap the tray with a few layers of plastic wrap, and freeze before baking. It will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. The spiral does not have to be thawed before baking. Bake in a preheated 350 °F oven until golden and crisp. If it starts to brown too fast, loosely cover it with foil and remove the foil during the final 10 minutes of baking.
Serving
You won’t believe how beautifully crisp and brown all around this pie becomes. Each coil of the spiral creates its own pattern of crispy phyllo, and I can’t get enough of it. This recipe makes one big spiral pie to cut into pieces. However, you could also coil each roll as you did the first for individually portioned spirals or make it into one big layered 9×13-inch pie like galaktoboureko custard pie or my zucchini and feta pie. Either way, serve it with tzatziki, harissa, or marinara sauce and a salad for a really lovely brunch or lunch. If you have any leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, pop them back in the oven to reheat and crisp them up. Kali Orexi!
Greek Cabbage & Feta Pie: Lahanopita
This Cabbage & Feta Pie is popular in Northern Greece & on the island of Crete. The salty feta with the sweet cabbage wrapped in flaky phyllo is comforting and so delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 large cabbage, about 2 lbs (1kg), shredded
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 carrot, shredded
- salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 egg, beaten
- juice of a lemon
- 8 oz (230g) feta cheese
- 1 pound (500g) #4 phyllo, thawed and at room temperature
- 4 oz (113g) salted butter plus more if needed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
Make the Cabbage Filling:
- Place the onion in a large skillet along with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until soft and golden.
- Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add the shredded cabbage and carrot in several batches. Season each batch lightly with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the cabbage until wilted and until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl or mix everything together in the skillet if there is space.
- Add the parsley, crumble the feta cheese, and add the lemon juice. Mix together and taste. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Beat the egg and add it to the mixture and mix together.
- Divide the mixture into 8 portions.
Assemble the Pie:
- Layer 2 sheets of phyllo on top of each other. Drizzle butter in between the sheets and also on the top layer.
- Spread one portion of the filling along the bottom third of the pastry and roll it up. Coil the pastry and place it in the center of a 16-inch round pizza pan.
- Continue layering, buttering, and filling the pastry but once the rolls are made do not coil the rest.
- Wrap the cabbage-filled rolls around the first coil (see video)
- Brush the cabbage spiral with the remaining butter and bake on then center rack of the preheated rack for 45 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Serve the spiral with tztatziki, harissa, or marinara sauce and a salad. Kali Orexi!
Notes
Cole slaw mix can be substituted for the carrot and cabbage. It cuts prep time sice it is already sold shredded.
Olive oil may be substituted for the salted butter.
Freezer Instructions: Assemble the spiral and wrap the tray with a few layers of plastic wrap. It will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. The spiral does not have to be thawed before baking. Bake in a preheated 350 °F oven until golden and crisp. If it starts to brown too fast, loosely cover it with foil and remove the foil during the final 10 minutes of baking.
Recommended Products
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