Crispy Sauerkraut Pie with Phyllo dough [vegan]

This pie is not a common one but in my country, this is one of the most flavorful traditional dishes. Here in Albania, we make pie mostly with phyllo dough and we call it “byrek”. Pie is one of the most delicious recipes you can find here. If you visit Albania you can find everywhere small shops that sell delicious “byrek”. You have McDonald’s or Burger King’s fast food, we have “byrek”. There are all kinds of seasonal flavors of pie. You can find savory pumpkin pie, spinach pie, onion and tomato pie, leek pie, etc.

The Sauerkraut is one of my favorites because of the tartness of the kraut and the smell of pie when it bakes. This pie is enjoyed especially in the wintertime when you have lots of sauerkraut on hand and it’s also fresh.

When my mother made me this pie for the first time I was skeptical because who makes pie out of kraut?!  But when I had my first bite I fell in love with its taste. It’s like a special flavor of the tartness of the baked kraut inside a delicious crispy phyllo dough.

Usually, this sauerkraut pie is made vegan. The only thing you have to worry about is the phyllo dough. Mine was vegan and usually, phyllo dough is, but if you try to make it with puff pastry you should check the ingredients and make sure it vegan.

How to make sauerkraut pie ?

1. First, you have to make sure that you have thawed your phyllo dough (you might find it in the store under the name strudel leaves) according to the package instructions.

2.  To prepare the sauerkraut pie you have to drain all the liquid from your sauerkraut in a colander. Then in a big frying pan cook the kraut with some vegetable oil (I used corn oil) and spices.

3.  While the kraut is cooking, add 1 cup of water constantly so the kraut doesn’t burn but do not pour it all in one time. You don\t want it to boil but to fry it with water slowly in medium heat. After the kraut is slowly cooked in water add the almond milk and stir it so it is evenly combined. Remove from heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes. And it will look like in the picture below.

4. Then take a greased baking dish, mine was about 40 cm (15.7840 in), cover it all with half of the leaves of the phyllo dough, and save the rest for the top of the kraut.

5. Fill the layered dish evenly with the cooled cooked kraut.

6.  Place the left leaves of the phyllo dough on top of the cooked kraut, carefully to cover everything and wrap them with the bottom leaves along the baking dish, like in the picture below. With a cooking brush, brush the top of the pie with vegetable oil and place it in the oven for about 30 minutes.

7.  When the pie is baked sprinkle a handful of water (about 2-3 tbsp) over the cooked pie so the crust remains soft and cover it with a clean cloth. It will look brown and crispy like this.

8. Slice it carefully in even pieces and enjoy it with a fresh cup of vegan mint yogurt savory drink.

Why make this Crisply Sauerkraut Pie?

• This pie is not only healthy because of the fermented sauerkraut but also is a special taste that you will immediately fall in love with!
• It is simple if you buy your phyllo dough and follow the instructions like in the picture.
• It only takes a few ingredients to make a delicious pie and also save some for the week.
• It is also a great idea to take to work during a lunch break.

This sauerkraut recipe is easy and takes a few ingredients. If you give this a try, let us know on our social media. We will be glad to hear your thoughts and opinions about this pie.

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 1 pack 450 gr of phyllo dough, thawed, vegan (most varieties are vegan, just check the ingredients)
• 4 cups sauerkraut, chopped, water removed in a colander
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (2 for the kraut and 1 to brush the top of the pie)
• 1+1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup almond milk

Preparation

1. Make sure that you have thawed your phyllo dough according to the package instructions. Take a big frying pan and cook the kraut with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil (I used corn oil) and add the spices. You don’t need to add salt in this recipe because the kraut is salty but if you don’t have salty kraut, you can adjust however you like the taste.
2. While the kraut is cooking, add 1 cup of water constantly so the kraut doesn’t burn but do not pour it all in one time. You don’t want it to boil but to fry it with water slowly in medium heat for about 10 minutes. After the kraut is slowly cooked in water add the almond milk and stir it so everything is well combined and let it cook for another 2 minutes so that some of the water from the milk will evaporate. Remove from heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
4. Then take a greased baking dish, mine was about 40 cm in diameter (15.7840 in), cover it all with half of the leaves of the phyllo dough, and save the rest for the top of the kraut.
5. Fill the layered dish evenly with the cooled cooked kraut.
6. Place the left leaves of the phyllo dough on top of the cooked kraut, carefully to cover everything and wrap them with the bottom leaves along with the baking dish, as shown in the picture above. With a cooking brush, brush the top of the pie with vegetable oil (1 tbsp remained ) and place it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
7. When the pie is baked sprinkle a handful of water (about 2-3 tbsp) over the cooked pie so the crust remains soft and cover it with a clean cloth. It will look brown and crispy.
8. Slice it carefully in even pieces and enjoy it with a fresh cup of vegan mint yogurt savory drink. Enjoy