Vegan Swiss Chard Strudel with Caper, Olive & Almond (2024)

Vegan Swiss Chard Strudel

This savoury Vegan Swiss Chard Strudel with Caper, Olive & Almond has a beautiful flaky golden pastry and a savoury earthy indulgent filling.

Savoury cakes and pizza pies have always been a great passion of mine.

This is something I have certainly inherited from my mother.

She never missed an opportunity to make up new recipes or to show off at a party, or to take to dinners or picnics with friends.

It is something I fondly remember from my childhood and something I wanted to share with you today.

Now, with spring and Easter upon us, we are right at the height of savoury pie season!

Excellent as an appetizer, main course or as an option at a buffet, this tasty vegan strudel features the humble chard, simply sautéed and enriched with the classic Italian combo of capers & olives. Accompanied by a crunchy addition of fragrant flaked almonds, all wrapped in a roll of layers of fine, flaky golden filo (phyllo) pastry browned in the oven to give the perfect bite.

Rich, tasty and certainly something that will require a second serving.

The vegetable strudel is a delicate and tasty dish that is perfect to be made the day before an event.

It keeps very well in the fridge and can be enjoyed hot or cold so there really is no rush to get it done. At your own leisure and the recipe is quite easy.

The ideal recipe if you ask me.

So if I have enticed your taste buds lets see now how to go about making it!

Ingredients:

400 g Swiss Chard

250 g Filo Pastry Sheets

100 g Water

50 g Pitted Kalamata Olives (or Taggiasca)

15-20 g Almond Flakes (roasted)

10 g Capers

2-3 Garlic Cloves

1 Chilli (or to taste - optional)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Sesame or Poppy seeds

Method:

1. Wash the chard, remove the stems from the attachment of the leaves and remove any stringy fibrous filaments. These are not great to eat.

2. Finely slice the stems and set aside.

3. Continue to slice the leaves more coarsely, and set aside too.

4. Chop the chili pepper, if used, chop the garlic and cut the olives into halves or thirds, depending on your preference. If you don't like garlic, you can crush the cloves and remove them after browning. This will give a more mild flavour.

5. In a large pan (wok type) add 1 tablespoon of oil, chilli and minced garlic. Leave to fry for about a minute, then add the chopped chard stalks.

6. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and sauté over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes.

7. Add the leaves of the Swiss chard and mix everything well. Then pour in the water, lower the heat, close with the lid and leave it for 10-15 minutes (depending on your taste

8. Turn off the heat and add the olives, capers and almond flakes. Leave to cool for a while.

9. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200° C (390° F).

10. Line a 20x30 pan or baking sheet with parchment paper, then lay the first layer of filo dough on it. Brush with olive oil and add another sheet of pasta. Continue until all the dough sheets are finished, making sure to spray each of the layers with a little oil.

11. Arrange the sautéed chard filling in a rectangle in the centre of the pastry, leaving about 3 cm from the edges and taking care to drain any remaining cooking water. If you do not drain it, the pastry will become soggy.

12. Fold the 4 sides of dough over the filling, then form a roll by rolling the strudel on itself from the widest part.

13. Finish with a final brush of oil, decorate with sesame or poppy seeds, and bake for the first 15 minutes on the low shelf of the oven, then move the strudel to the center of the oven and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.

14. Remove the strudel from the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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