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Greek Onion Pie with Feta Cheese – Kremmithopita

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD
Kremithopita Greek Onion Pie

You know that delicious aroma that you get when you are sautéing or frying onions? Doesn’t it smell wonderful? Well this pie tastes like that! Only better.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, pites (pie for Greek) are a great vehicle to get a lot of vegetables in your diet, but it was also a way to make a meal out of nothing. Homemakers like my yiayia would make wonderful pies with just some dough and vegetables or wild greens they had in their garden.

Onions, normally are used as an ingredient to provide flavor, but never the main component. Here the onions play the main role.

Don’t let that worry you. The onions are cooked before so that they become soft and sweet and along with feta which provides additional flavor and substance and the egg which provides some protein and you have a complete meal.

Onions are a rich source of an important antioxidant, quercetin. Studies have shown that quercetin has several health benefits such as prevention ulcers, protect the heart and may even be able to increase bone density. Apart from the onion, you also have antioxidants from the olive oil and a moderate amount of carbs from the phyllo.

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Greek Onion Pie with Feta Cheese – Kremithopita

Greek Onion Pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: appetize, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Servings: 9 pieces
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit 180 degrees celsius.
  • 2. Slice the onions.
  • 5 cups sliced mature onions preferably red
  • 2 ½ cups sliced spring onions
  • 8 ounces feta cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons anthotiro or ricotta or other soft cheese
  • 1 heaping tablespoon Greek yogurt
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons dill
  • 3 tablespoons parsley
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing + ¼-⅓ cup for brushing the phyllo
  • 1 package phyllo dough defrosted
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Sauté first the mature onions in 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the spring onions and sauté for an additional 6-7 minutes until soft. Add the herbs and some salt and pepper. Mix well and remove from heat.
  • In a large bowl mash the feta, soft cheese and yogurt with a fork.
  • Whip the eggs and add to the cheese mixture.
  • Add the cooled onion mixture to the cheese mixture and blend well.
  • Take a pan (I used a 10 X 12 inch pan), brush with a bit of olive oil and spread the first phyllo sheet, brush the sheet with olive oil and layer another phyllo sheet and brush with olive oil, continue this so you have a total 6 sheets.
  • Spread the filling on top of the sheets.
  • Layer the rest of the sheets on top of the filling brushing each one with olive oil.
  • Score the pie in as many pieces you prefer ( I cut in 9 large ones).
  • Bake in the lower level of the oven for about 1 hour.
  • Remove from oven and let it cool.

Notes

This is best enjoyed at room temperature. These also freeze well.
Nutrition Facts
Greek Onion Pie with Feta Cheese – Kremithopita
Serving Size
 
1 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
0
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Photo by Elena Paravantes

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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18 Comments

  1. Pingback: 10 Spring Mediterranean Recipes to Try Now - Olive Tomato

  4. Thanks! I live in Montana and it’s wicked expensive here (also we only have one brand and it’s only sold at one store. Yikes!)

    Reply

  5. Is there a good recipe online for making phylo? These pies all look delicious but I can’t afford the premade stuff.

    Reply

    1. Hi Rachele, The really thin phyllo like the one I recommend here is rarely made at home as it needs to be rolled out to be paper thin, but very often the homemade phyllo is a thicker phyllo that is called horiatiko phyllo (my grandma used to make it). You only use 2 layers: one on top and one on the bottom. I have been experimenting with different recipes and will be posting soon.

  6. Ωραία πίτα και τα κρεμμύδια γλυκαίνουν μαγειρεμένα.
    Και η προσθήκη της φέτα και του ανθότυρου δίνουν ωραία γεύση

    : )

    Reply

  7. Looks delicious! I like sauted onions a lot!
    I am planning to make pites with pumpkin and spinach. Can you tell me if Greeks ever use pumpkin to make pites?

    Reply