These mini spinach pies are my take on a Syrian Jewish classic and are perfect for an easy grab-and-go meal, a hosted luncheon, or a dairy holiday meal. They are easy to make, visually stunning and so delicious!
While my heritage is of Libyan, Israeli and European decent, I grew up in a predominantly Syrian Jewish community, and so I also identify as culturally Syrian. My Syrian community upbringing has undoubtedly impacted my culinary palate. Growing up, my mom adopted many Syrian recipes into her own cooking repertoire, one of my favorites being spinach pies (Spanach b’jibin) which are essentially Syrian crustless vegetable and cheese quiches or pies. The basic ingrediants are spinach, egg and cheese…and honestly how can you go wrong with that!
Jibin is traditionally served in large trays, and then cut into squares to serve. My recipe is for mini-spinach-pies and are my take on this Syrian Jewish classic.
While traditional Jibin does not have a crust, I like to add a crust to mine, which only makes it that much tastier! If you’re watching your carbs, making this for passover, or just prefer them more “traditional,” you can easily skip the crust.
Spinach is the most popular type of Jibin; however, you can use many different types of vegetables such as cauliflower, zucchini, or broccoli. I even use Ramps when they are in season! The recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to experiment, and taste and adjust as you go.
Enjoy!
Mini Spinach Pies (Spanach B’jíbin)
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tins
- Large bowl
- Small skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- ¼ cold water
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 2 lbs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup shredded Muenster cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp chicken consommé powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the baking powder.
- Mix in ½ cup of the oil and the cold water until uniform in texture.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal balls. Place a dough ball in each prepared muffin cup. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides to form a mini crust.
- In a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together.
- Add the spinach, cooked onion, all of the cheeses, consommé powder, garlic powder, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Divide-the spinach mixture equally into the mini crusts.
- Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
