Leafy green kale, briny olives and salty cheese tucked inside pastry, but not the pastry you would expect, these kale and Kalamata olive turnovers are made with egg roll wrappers! Using paper-thin purchased dough sheets means plenty of flavorful filling and a delightful oven-crisp crust.
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It’s picnic season! Time for portable food that we can take with, something easy to tuck into a basket and carry. Individual pastry packages like these savory turnovers perfectly fill the bill. I like that you can prepare them ahead of time and pop them in the freezer. When you’re ready, bake them straight from the freezer without letting them thaw. How convenient is that?
Empanadas, calzones, hand pies, and pasties, different names from various world cuisines, they’re all turnovers. They’re all about yummy fillings folded in some sort of dough, sometimes a flaky pie dough or puff pastry, sometimes, like for calzones, a pizza-type dough.
Filled with sautéed greens, salty black olives, and goat cheese, then baked inside large egg roll envelopes, these pastries are easier time-saving turnovers. Knife or fork not required, grab a napkin and eat them out of hand. Enjoy!
How to form turnovers using egg roll wrappers:
Using scissors, trim the square skins into large circles. Spoon some filling on the lower half and fold the upper part over on top. Seal the edges together and then fold about ¼-inch of the edge up and in. Seal tightly using your fingers first and then crimp using the tines of a fork. Brush with melted butter and bake, in this recipe it’s paprika-spiked butter.
Recipe details for Kale and Kalamata Olive Turnovers:
- Feel free to substitute other greens like spinach, arugula, beet greens, chard, etc. or pre-washed packaged greens like super greens or spinach and arugula.
- Portion the filling out before you begin filling the egg roll wrappers. Pre-portioning saves time in the end and insures you put the same amount of filling in each turnover.
- Both olives and cheese are salty, you may not need to add salt after tasting the mixed filling.
*** Using this same kale and olive filling try making a rolled up filled pizza dough baked in a long loaf—Whole Wheat Stromboli.
More recipes to make with Kalamata olives:
- Easy Olive and Caper Tapenade
- Italian Panzanella Salad
- Winter Greens Salad with Pomegranate and Olives
More recipes using kale:
- Paprika Kale with Baked Tofu and Roasted Almonds
- Simple Grill-Roasted Kale
- Instant Pot Potato and Kale Soup
** This recipe is adapted from a Deborah Madison recipe in my number one go-to cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I am forever in awe of Deborah’s lyrical writing and approachable vegetarian recipes.
Just so you know, the cookbook link is an Amazon affiliate link. When you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps me continue to provide free content here on Letty’s Kitchen. Thank you!!
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** This is an updated version of the Kale and Kalamata Olive Turnovers I posted here years ago. I rewrote and edited the recipe and gave the photos lighter exposure.
PS If you make this recipe and love it, please consider leaving a blog post comment. Your comments help other readers learn more about the recipe. If you’d also give the recipe a ✮✮✮✮✮ rating, I’d be delighted!
Kale and Kalamata Olive Turnovers
Ingredients
- 10 cups kale, curly or Lacinato or 20 ounces packaged baby kale (see note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup diced onion or shallots
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives , coarsely chopped
- 3 ounces soft goat cheese
- 1 egg , beaten
- Fine sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 egg roll wraps (see note)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground paprika
Instructions
- Make the filling:
- Wash the greens. Trim and discard the stems. You want moisture for cooking them, so the leaves should be wet. (see note)
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet. On medium-high heat, sauté the onions with the garlic and red pepper flakes until the onion has softened--about 5 minutes.
- Add the greens. Cook
and stir until the leaves wilt and become tender, about 15 minutes. (You may
need to add a little water to keep the greens moist, particularly if you used
pre-washed greens that aren’t wet from washing.) - Stir in the chopped parsley.
- Move the cooked greens to a cutting board and chop into small pieces.
- Mix with the chopped olives and goat cheese. Mix in the beaten egg, Season to taste with salt and about 20 grinds of black pepper.
- To assemble:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With scissors, trim the egg roll wraps to rough (5-inch) circles.
- Melt the butter, stir in the paprika. Keep warm.
- Portion the green mixture into 12 mounds, about ¼ cup per portion. (see note)
- Place one filling portion on one half of each egg roll circle. With water on your fingers,
moisten the edges. Fold the wrapper over and pinch with your fingers to seal. Fold
about ¼-inch of the edge up and in. Crimp with the tines of a fork. Place on a
baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. If lining the sheet
pan with parchment, coat the parchment with cooking spray—these turnovers like
to stick. - Brush with the paprika butter.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the turnovers are deep golden brown. (If
you are baking these directly from the freezer, check after 20 minutes and bake
until golden.)
Notes
- You can substitute other greens like spinach, arugula, beet greens, chard, etc. or packaged mixed super greens.
- I added about 1/8 teaspoon of salt. The olives and cheese are salty--taste and salt after the filling is mixed.
- I used Nasoya egg roll wraps.
- Pre-portioning the filling saves time and insures the same amount of filling for each turnover.
I have been making a point of eating kale and recently I read an article which advised people to check kale and and any meds they take. I suppose true of anything.
Chris, your biggest carrot cake fan · 17 June, 2014
Chris, I know that kale is loaded with Vitamin K, which helps keep your blood thin. I think the biggest contraindication is with blood thinning meds.
If I understand it, if one regularly consumes kale and other veggies full of Vit K, the med level can be adjusted. E.G. Coumadin. Good question to ask your doctor. · 18 June, 2014
The Kale and Kalamata Olive Turnovers sound yummy! · 17 June, 2014
omg. omg. omg. These look amazing and I want them. Kale and Kalamata…my faves! · 19 June, 2014
Letty, you have OUTDONE yourself! These look so, so good, and your pairing of the Hearty Greens with Kalamata and goat cheese is inspired! Also like your paprika butter gloss on top. Can we just say YUM!
As always, we’ll be sharing this on our social media sites with a link here. This is the picnic recipe of the summer!
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at Cut ‘N Clean Greens · 19 June, 2014
Really delicious and so very “handy”. GREG · 19 June, 2014
Look yummy! Got any demos? · 19 June, 2014
Made these with rainbow chard and kale mix, and olive oil/paprika. Stashing recipe for a bit cooler weather! Temps hovering @ 100 do not make for a terrific baking day. Fall hiking?? you bet! · 3 July, 2014
Letty these are gorgeous. I was looking for a vegetarian nibble to make for concert in the park this week. Can’t wait to give these (or some variation) a whirl! · 7 July, 2014
I’m looking for an appetizer I an make ahead, and freeze for during the holidays. Do you think this would freeze well?
Thanks! · 9 November, 2014
Kathleen,
I think they will freeze just fine, baked or before baking. If you put them in the freezer filled but not baked, do’t thaw them much. Those doughs dough, phyllo too, like to go from freezer to oven direct. · 10 November, 2014
looks very good · 19 November, 2015
try it soon · 19 November, 2015
Thanks Katelyn–let me know how they come out for you! · 19 November, 2015
Thanks for the great recipe! Was delicious and even the kids liked it. We have some leftover which will hopefully make a great snack during the week. · 20 June, 2016
Hi Suzy,
Thanks for the letting me know you all liked the recipe. And the kids–bonus!! · 22 June, 2016
Loved these. Have to find a sub for the wrap as gluten doesn’t like me much (but had to risk it once). Delicious! · 10 July, 2019
Thanks Carolyn. I searched gluten free wonton skins and found a coconut wrap that might be worth trying. Here is a link via my Amazon Affiliate. Let me know how they work. · 10 July, 2019