Vegan Empanadas with Spinach

These vegan dumplings are the perfect finger food snacks, hot or cold they’re delicious. They’re filled with garlic spinach but you can add anything you like! They can be prepared with gluten-free corn flour or regular wheat/ spelt  flour.

Today I have a recipe for vegan empanadas for you. These are stuffed dumplings, which are mostly served in Spain, Central and South America and the Philippines. Often, however, they are made with eggs and filled with minced meat and cheese. But I think this recipe proves once again that the vegan version tastes just as delicious without dairy products. 😊 I prefer to snack on them in the evening while relaxing in front of the TV or serve them when friends come over. In combination with different dips, such as guacamole or cashew herbal dip, they are a great party snack. But these empanadas are also perfect as a side dish to a fresh salad or for preparing for the next day to take away.

Vegan empanadas – many possibilities to make!

Usually, empanadas are made from gluten-free (precooked) cornflour or simple all-purpose wheat flour. But you can also combine both types of flour or use just a gluten-free flour mixture. Optionally, you can also use spelt flour. Anyway, in this recipe, I made the dough with wheat flour because it is available in every supermarket and I think most of you already have it at home. Also as regards the filling different combinations are possible. In this recipe, I chose a simple filling of garlic spinach with vegan grated cheese. But I also like to fill them with beans, corn, peas, and carrots. With a filling of potatoes and mushrooms, like I did with my vegan pierogi, they certainly taste very good as well.

Vegan empanadas are easy to make!

To make the vegan empanadas, you start with making the dough. First, combine flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Shape a pile and press a hollow in the center. Then add the soft vegan butter into the hollow and fill in plant-based milk (or water). Now knead everything well until you have a nice smooth dough. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in cling film. Place the wrapped dough ball in the fridge to chill for at least 1/2 hour. If you leave the dough longer in the fridge, you should remove it about 15 minutes to come to room temperature before using. Otherwise, it’ll be more difficult to roll out the dough. In the meantime, you can prepare the filling, however you like. While the prepared filling cools down, you can roll out the dough and cut out medium sized circles (I easily used a big glass of about 10 cm diameter). Then place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each dough circle and fold the empanadas over the filling into a crescent. Now press the edges firmly with a fork, so that the filling does not run out. Before I put the stuffed empanadas in the oven, I always brush them with a mixture of olive oil, soy milk and some turmeric for a nice golden color. You can either bake the vegan empanadas in the oven for about 20 minutes at 200°C until they are golden brown and crispy, as I do, or optionally fry them. This recipe makes about 12-16 empanadas (depending on size).

If you tried the recipe, I would appreciate a comment. You are also welcome to post a picture on Instagram and link it to @biancazapatka so that I can see your great creations. 😊 Maybe you will also like my similar recipe for vegan dumplings with spinach and cashew ricotta.

Vegan Empanadas with Spinach

These vegan dumplings are the perfect finger food snacks, hot or cold they’re delicious. They’re filled with garlic spinach but you can add anything you like! They can be prepared with gluten-free corn flour or regular wheat/ spelt flour.

4.15 from 7 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Lunch & Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack, Snacks

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 serves

Author: Bianca Zapatka

Ingredients

Dough:

• 300 g of flour *
• 100 g vegan butter Alsan* (optional margarine)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150 ml of plant-based milk (or water) lukewarm

Filling *:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 300 g of spinach frozen
• 150 g of grated vegan cheese (or vegan cream cheese / feta *)
• salt
• pepper
• chili (optional)
• nutmeg (optional)

To brush:

• 3 tbsp soy milk
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch of turmeric (optional)

Instructions

Dough:

• Combine flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Form a pile and press a hollow into the heaped flour.
• Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan. Allow to cool slightly and add into the flour hollow. Pour in plant-based milk (or water) and knead everything to a nice smooth dough.
• Then form the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for at least 1/2 hour. *

Filling:

• Defrost and press the spinach.
• Peel onion and garlic and finely chop.
• Heat oil in a pan. Sauté chopped onion and garlic briefly. Add spinach and season with salt, pepper, a bit of nutmeg and chili to taste. Then set aside and let cool slightly.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and knead again on a lightly floured surface. Then roll it out and cut out 10 cm diameter circles (I used a big glass for that). Knead again the remaining dough, roll out and then cut out. Continue this process until the dough is used up.
• Place 1-2 tsp filling in the center of each dough circle and fold the empanadas into a crescent. Then press the edges firmly with a fork.
• Brush a baking tray with oil (or line with baking paper) and place the dumplings on top.
• Mix the olive oil, soy milk and turmeric and brush the filled empanadas with the mixture.
• Bake them in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. (Optionally you can also fry them).
• The vegan empanadas can be served hot or cold.
• Enjoy! 😊

Notes

• Instead of all-purpose wheat flour (or spelt flour) you can also use gluten-free (pre-cooked) cornflour, or combine both types of flour. Another option is to use a gluten-free flour mixture.
• You can use this vegan butter or margarine.
• The filling can also be made with other ingredients (vegetables) of choice.
• I used vegan grated cheese, but you can also use vegan cream cheese / feta or homemade cashew ricotta.
• If you leave the dough in the fridge for more than 1/2 hour, you should remove it about 15 minutes to come to room temperature before using. Otherwise the dough will be difficult to roll.
• They taste best when you serve them with different dips, such as guacamole or cashew herbal dip.

Did you make this dish via my recipe? Leave a comment and rate the recipe for other users! If you post a photo on instagram, use the hashtag #biancazapatka and tag me via @biancazapatka to make sure I’ll see it. I’m looking forward to see all your lovely creations! 🙂

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