These Savory Spinach Empanadas, known in Spain as Panadons de Lleida, are packed with so many great flavors, they´re easy to make and they´re made with simple & humble ingredients. Serve them as a snack or even as a side dish, next to some roasted potatoes & fried eggs.
These empanadas hail from the province of Lleida in the region of Catalunya. They are typically served during Easter, but have become very popular and are now enjoyed all year-round.
To make this dish, I used fresh bagged spinach, but you can also use frozen spinach. Just make sure to thaw it out and drain any of the excess water in it. I also made the dough from scratch, but you can always use premade pizza dough to speed things up.
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: I baked the empanadas in the oven with the bake + broil option. Which is the bottom and top heat. If your oven does not do both functions, just bake them for an extra 5 minutes and flip them at the half way point.
Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
MY SWISS DIAMON FRYING PANS
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
SPANISH SEA SALT
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Watch the Video Below on How to Make Savory Spinach Empanadas | Spanish Panadons de Lleida
Savory Spinach Empanadas | Spanish Panadons de Lleida
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 ml
- 1/2 onion roughly diced
- 20 oz fresh spinach 600 grams
- 1/4 cup pine nuts 30 grams
- 1/3 cup raisins 53 grams
- sea salt & black pepper
FOR THE EMPANADA DOUGH
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder 8 grams
- 1/2 tsp sea salt 3 grams
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 ml
- 2/3 cup cold water 160 ml
EXTRAS
- handful all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
Instructions
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To make the filling, heat a small fry pan with a medium heat and add in 1/4 cup pine nuts, dry roast between 2 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted, making sure to mix continuously, set aside
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Heat a large deep pan with a medium heat and add in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes add in 1/2 onion roughly diced, mix with the olive oil, after 5 minutes and the onion is translucent and lightly fried, add in 20 ounces of fresh spinach, mix with the olive oil and onion so it easily wilts, add in batches so the spinach does not over-flow out of the pan, once all the spinach has been added and fully wilted, add in the toasted pine nuts, 1/3 cup raisins and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together and remove from the heat
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To make the dough, add in 2 cups all-purpose flour into a large bowl, along with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, mix the dry ingredients together, then add in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2/3 cup cold water, mix together until you form a dough, then get in there with your hands and mix the dough together and lightly knead inside the bowl for 1 to 2 minutes, or until everything is well combined and you end up with a smooth dough
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Shape the dough into a ball, sprinkle some all-purpose flour on a clean flat surface, add the ball of dough on top and cut into 2 evenly sized pieces, shape each one into a ball, then cut each ball into 4 evenly sized pieces, for a total of 8 pieces of dough
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Flaten each piece of dough into a circular design that is about 1/8 of an inch (.3175 cm) thick, then evenly divide the spinach mixture on top of the doughs, fold each dough over the filling to end up with a half moon design, pinch the outer edges to seal the empanadas, then roll the outer edges towards the center to double seal them, kind of like giving them a lip on the outer edges, transfer the empanadas into a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush with some eggs wash (1 beaten egg)
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Add to a preheated oven, bake + broil option 210 C - 475 F, after 15 minutes remove from the oven, serve warm or at room temperature, enjoy!
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