Oven baked red cabbage pie with feta, is a unique and impressive, hearty vegetarian dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course or a thinly sliced garnish for an elegant plate up.
If you ask me what creative dish can vegetarians make for Christmas, I finally have an answer for you! Well, at least I can suggest what they could make. This baked filo spiral tart recipe, stuffed with braised red cabbage and feta cheese, brushed with a seeded butter is so delicious, that I would happily serve it for Christmas instead of the usual baked trout.
The tart is a play on the spanakopita spiral which is usually made with spinach and feta. While we love the traditional spanakopita, this is our new favourite. The sweet and sour braised red cabbage works wonders in this savoury pie and the addition of chopped dill and feta are like the cherry on the cake.
While rolling the red cabbage tart into a spiral form needs a bit of work, at least one doesn't have to make the dough. Filo dough is one of those pastries, that even as a chef I have never attempted to make and probably never will. I always buy filo from a shop.
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INGREDIENTS NEEDED
The filling is made with this perfectly braised red cabbage, just follow our step by step recipe to make your own. The flaky pastry is called filo dough and can be purchased in most grocery stores. Look for it in the frozen section.
We also need unsalted butter to brush the filo sheets with and to make the seeded butter. Plus fresh dill, feta cheese and a combination of seeds. The seeds I have used are - sesame, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and linseed combined with sea salt.
WHAT IS FILO PASTRY (phyllo pastry)
Filo pastry is a very thin dough that is famously used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes like baklava, spanakopita and boerek. Filo is made from flour, hot water, olive oil and lemon or vinegar. The key is to roll the dough as thin as possible.
HOW TO MAKE RED CABBAGE PIE
To make the red cabbage spiral pie, we need to first mix the braised red cabbage with the chopped dill and crumbed feta cheese. When your filling is ready, you need to set yourself a large working space (you might have to roll it out on your dining table if your kitchen top is not that big!).
AS A NOTE: If you are using frozen filo dough, preferably defrost the packet overnight in the fridge. Filo dough can dry out quickly if left outside.
preparing the filo dough
Melt the butter in a pot or microwave. Then carefully lay out one sheet of filo dough and brush one end with butter. Place another filo sheet next to it with the end overlapping the part you previously brushed with butter.
Continue doing the same with two more sheets, until you have one large rectangular dough in front of you. Now brush the line of filo dough with butter and place 4 more sheets on top covering the entire dough.
rolling the dough
Place the entire filling along the width of the sheet. Carefully start rolling the dough away from you, while pressing it lightly so that the filling is tight. When you come to the end, brush the remaining dough with butter and roll to a long cylinder like shape.
baking the red cabbage pie
Roll the dough into a spiral and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush the top with melted butter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes, the top should be golden brown.
Meanwhile add the seeds to the remaining butter. Remove the pie from the oven and spread the seeded butter on top. Sprinkle the remaining feta over the pie and bake for another 5 minutes in the oven.
Take the pie out of the oven, cut slices as required and serve it while it's still hot.
variations to red cabbage
The pie can be made with other fillings too. Braised white cabbage with caraway or even sauerkraut are great subs. The classic spinach and feta will make this a spanakopita spiral.
With the festive season coming up, you can use leftover turkey or ham stretched with Brussel sprouts and roasted cauliflower to create an entirely new dish!
Filo can be replaced with other doughs like puff pastry or strudel dough. Similar to filo dough, strudel dough is rolled out very thin and then stretched by hand and wrapped around a filling. While puff pastry is easily available, strudel dough will have to be homemade.
yes, the pie can be made in advance. Either cover with a moist kitchen towel and bake one hour before serving or bake the pie and heat up in the oven when needed. The pie can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
yes you can. For best result freeze the pie before baking. The pie can be kept frozen for up to 3 months and should be defrosted before baking in the oven.
WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH
The red cabbage pie can be served on it's own with a cos lettuce salad or with other vegetables like these roasted parsnips or baby carrots.
But If you want it to be a bit more festive, add these glazed potato fondants and this salted apple caramel sauce.
The red cabbage pie makes for a perfect garnish too, serve with duck a l'orange or braised beef cheeks.
So many ways to enjoy this crispy, sweet and sour pie!! Have we already got you thinking, what you can serve it with? Either ways, we really hope you give this recipe a go!
Got any questions? Feel free to ask in the section below and If you enjoyed our recipe don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
Enjoy!
Red Cabbage Pie with Feta
Equipment
- brush
- baking tray
Ingredients
- 650 gram braised red cabbage
- 4 sprigs dill chopped
- 120 gram feta cheese crumbed
- 100 gram unsalted butter
- 8 filo sheets
- 1 tablespoon pepitas
- 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon linseeds
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Mix the braised red cabbage with the chopped dill and ¾ of the crumbed feta cheese. Melt the butter in a pot or microwave.
- Lay out a sheet of filo dough and brush one end with butter. Place another filo sheet next to it with the end overlapping the part you previously brushed with butter. Continue to do the same with two more sheets until you have a large rectangular dough sheet in front of you.
- Now brush the filo dough sheet with butter and place 4 more sheets on top covering the entire dough.
- Place the entire filling along the width of the sheet. Carefully start rolling the dough away from you, pressing lightly so that the filling is tight. When you come to the end, brush the remaining dough with butter and roll into a long cylinder like shape.
- Roll the dough into a spiral and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush the top with melted butter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes, the top should be golden brown.
- Meanwhile add the seeds to the remaining melted butter. Remove the pie from the oven and spread the seeded butter on top. Sprinkle the remaining feta crumb over the pie and bake in the oven for another 5 minutes. Serve the pie while still hot.
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