Burekas

Burekas

Burekas are one of those snacks we genuinely can't stop eating once we've started. They're flaky, golden, pastry parcels stuffed with a savoury spinach and tofu filling that's got so much flavour going on. We first had them at a little Mediterranean bakery and immediately thought, we have to make a plant-based version of this. The tofu does something brilliant here, giving you that soft, slightly creamy texture that works perfectly against the crisp, buttery pastry. Make a batch of these and watch them disappear faster than you'd believe.

Serves 6

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 190°C
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment
  • Microplane or box grater
  • Large frying pan

Ingredients

  • 2 bags of fresh spinach leaves
  • ½ block of tofu
  • 2 white onions
  • 2 spring onions
  • plant-based mozzarella
  • ready-made puff pastry
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • melted plant-based butter

Method

1

Prepare your filling

  • Dice your white onion, chop your spring onions and crumble your tofu.
  • Cook your onions for about 3 minutes until they are translucent and soft.
  • Then add the spinach into the pan until cook for 1-2 minutes until it has wilted.
  • Let your mixture cool, then transfer to a bowl and mix with crumbled tofu, chopped spring onions, plus salt and pepper to taste.
2

Prepare your pastry

  • Roll out your puff pastry sheet, and slice into six even rectangles.
  • Fill each rectangle with some of the mixture, top with some grated plant-based mozzarella and then fold over into triangles.
  • Crimp the edges of your Burekas to stop any of the filling leaking out.
3

Cook your Burekas

  • Brush your Burekas with melted plant-based butter.
  • Cook in the oven at 190 degrees for 30-40 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy.

Tips & Variations

  • Cool your filling properly: We know it's tempting to rush, but letting the spinach and tofu mixture cool down fully before filling the pastry is the step that keeps everything nice and crisp when it bakes.
  • Press the edges well: Give those pastry edges a firm press with a fork to seal them properly. If they come open in the oven you'll lose all that lovely filling, and that would be a tragedy.
  • Brush generously: Don't skimp on whatever you're using to glaze the tops. A good coat gives you that deep golden colour that makes these look as good as they taste.

Why This Works

The trick is letting your filling cool completely before it goes into the pastry, because a warm filling will make the pastry go soggy before it even hits the oven. We also find that crumbling the tofu quite finely and seasoning it generously is what gives the filling that proper savoury depth. Don't be shy with the salt and pepper here, it really makes the difference.