Greek Leek Pie with Homemade Phyllo-Prasopita
Leek is a vegetable very much liked in Greek cuisine. In the winter we cook it along with rice to make prasorizo, a casserole type dish belonging to the category of lathera. But leek really shines in a pita known as prasopita. Pites or pies are a common snack here in Greece (although they make a fine main course too), and you basically find pites in all the bakeries. Although spanakopita and tiropita are the most common, prasopita is also comparably popular. The sweetness of the leek along with the feta is a perfect combination and a nice break from the typical spinach pie.
Leek belongs to the allium family along with onion and garlic. Although it smells a bit like onion when you are chopping it raw, it sweetens when cooked. Leeks are rich in nutrients, particularly beta-carotene, folate and vitamin K. They are a good source of fiber and protein and of course a variety of protective antioxidants.
For this particular pie we add eggs as well as cheese, but there is a vegan version which is very often consumed during fasting periods and is similar in preparation with the exception that it does not contain dairy or eggs.
I find leek pie is definitely better with the thick crust rather than the thin phyllo you find in the supermarket. This thicker type of phyllo is better for heartier pies and it is what most Greek home cooks used when they made pites. I remember my Grandmothers pies with great fondness, and the best part was her homemade phyllo; thick, tasty with a rich olive oil taste. For the dough you can follow my easy homemade phyllo recipe. Otherwise if you use the thin phyllo sheets, make sure you don’t overload it.
Greek Leek Pie with Homemade Phyllo-Prasopita
Ingredients
- 4 cups sliced leeks, ½ inch thick slices-only white parts not the leaves
- 3 spring onions sliced in ½ inch thick slices
- ¼ cup olive oil + some for brushing the dough
- 4 ounces feta (120 grams grated, it will mix more evenly rather than using crumbled)
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup chopped dill
- A pinch of salt
- Ground pepper
- Home made phyllo dough- See Step 1 in instructions below.
Instructions
- Make the homemade phyllo, click here for recipe
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius)
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the spring onion until soft for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped leeks and heat stirring until leek wilts and softens for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure there are no liquids left.
- Empty contents of pan (leek and spring onion) into a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, dill and feta and blend well.
- In a small bowl beat the eggs and add them to the leeks and blend.
- Brush a round 10 inch pan with olive oil. Place your first phyllo on the base of the pan making sure it hangs over the pan. Brush with olive oil. Note: If you are using regular store bought phyllo use this method
- Spread the leek mixture over the phyllo evenly.
- Cover with second phyllo and join both phyllo sheets together twisting round the pan so it forms a border.
- Brush the top phyllo with olive oil and score the pie where you will cut the pieces (do not cut all the way through).
- Bake for about an hour until crust is golden.
- Let it cool and cut in pieces.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
This is fantastic and one of my favorites. I used white whole wheat and only a 1/4 C of AP flour and I preferred this combination better than the traditional.
Love your website for all the options you provide!
Thank you Debby!!
Thanks for another practical recipe! My prasopita turned out quite well!
You are welcome!
Hi, what is the purpose of scoring the dough before cooking? Does it just make it easier/less messy to cut? Thank you!
Yes, by scoring you can have a clean straight cut, phyllo can tend to break unevenly when you try and cut it.
I just made this and it’s cooling as we speak. Easy – even the pastry. It looks magnificent! Thank you for the recipe. x
Great! Enjoy
Greetings from Greece! I love this pie and I am sure the taste will be delightfull. Congratulations! It looks exactly the same like the one made by my aunt Evaggelia who is a specialist in pies here in Greece. I also love cooking Leeks ladera together with carots, potatoes and dried plums. A more special dish is pork with leeks and dried plums, a recipe inherited from my grand mother in Grevena. She had a beautiful plum tree in our villlage.
Thanks for sharing Klairi!
Can I have that recipie please sounds nice
This looks so yummy! Can I use regular onion, instead of spring onion?
Thanks Tina. Although some recipes I’ve seen do include onion, I feel it changes a bit the flavor of this pita, but if you don’t have any spring onion available, regular onion is fine.