All About the Veg! is a bi-weekly recipe column in which Best of Vegan contributor Seiran Sinjari breaks down one amazing plant at a time. In todayโs column, she talks about figs, an ancient delicacy that’s in season now. Her recipe for Cheesy Vegan Grilled Figs Phyllo Pie is a perfect mix of sweet and savory, with sweet grilled figs, super crispy and flaky phyllo crust, gooey cheese filling, jammy onions, and crunchy walnuts.
All About the Veg: Cheesy Vegan Grilled Figs Phyllo Pie with Caramelized Onions & Walnuts
This weekโs plant has been cultivated since ancient times, yes, figs have been around for a very long time and I wish we could have these heavenly little bites fresh all year round. They are plump, sweet, and a little bit squishy with crispy seeds inside that give them that characteristic texture.
There are many varieties of figs but what all of them have in common is that they are sweet. And if not having them fresh as soon as you get your hands on some (which is truly amazing) they are beautiful in sweet desserts or paired with ingredients like vegan cheese, balsamic vinegar, nuts, warm spices, and herbs for savory foods.
Sweet and savory just happens to be one of my favorite flavor profiles so of course, weโre preparing a sweet and savory fig dish today! This Cheesy Vegan Grilled Figs Phyllo Pie with Caramelized Onions & Walnut has everything; sweet grilled figs, super crispy and flaky phyllo crust, gooey cheese filling, jammy onions, and crunchy walnuts.
Make sure you have everything you need for this recipe when getting your fresh figs as they have a short shelf life once picked!
Cheesy Vegan Grilled Figs Phyllo Pie with Caramelized Onions & Walnuts
Ingredients
For Figs:
- 3-4 fresh figs quartered
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
For Filling:
- 100 g vegan shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp vegan crรจme fraรฎche can be omitted or substituted with vegan cream cheese
- 1 ยฝ tsp cornstarch omit if not using crรจme fraรฎche or cream cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Phyllo dough:
- 8 Phyllo dough sheets they are typically vegan but please double check ingredients list cut into 30 cm squares (for 20 cm round springform pan)
- 75 g vegan butter melted
For Caramelized onions:
- 1 red onion sliced
- 1 tsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch organic cane sugar or other sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
To top with:
- Roughly chopped walnuts
- Fresh thyme
- Flaky salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180หC / 350หF.
- Start by preparing the figs. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Heat a grill pan and brush all sides of the figs with the oil before placing them in the pan. Grill on each side just until they get some light char, then remove from the pan and set to the side.
- Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl and set to the side.
- Remove phyllo dough sheets from the fridge and keep covered with a clean damp kitchen towel.
- Brush bottom and edges of springform pan with melted butter then carefully place a dough sheet in the pan, lightly press the center and let the edges hang out. Rotate the pan a ยผ turn and roughly brush the next dough sheet with melted butter before placing it in the pan, repeat until youโve placed all the sheets in the pan.
- Spread the filling over the bottom in an even layer then top with the grilled figs. Now push down the edges of the phyllo sheets into the pan so they no longer hang over the edges, creating a border around the filling. Brush the border with remaining butter before placing the pan on the middle rack of the oven. Back for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Prepare caramelized onions. Place butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat, when the butter has melted, add onions. Stir-fry until onions are coated with oil and butter. When onions have softened slightly, add salt and sugar and spread them out in an even layer. Let cook over medium-low heat and stir every couple of minutes until they are soft, jammy and slightly browned and crispy around edges, thatโs when theyโre caramelized and it takes around 30 minutes. If the pan gets too dry and they start to burn you can add a little bit of water. When almost done add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove pie from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing edges of the springform pan. Top with caramelized onions, walnuts, thyme, flaky salt, and black pepper before serving.
Notes
Recipe, text, and photography by Seiran Sinjari.
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