Greek Breads and Pies
Kalasouna Naxou Recipe (Naxos Cheese and Onion Pie)
Καλαθούνα Νάξου kah-lah-THOO-nah NAHK-soo · Kalathouna Naxou
In short
Kalasouna is a Naxos specialty, an open-faced pie made from a simple oil-based dough filled with the island's fresh soft cheese, egg and onion, baked without the layered phyllo used in most Greek pites. It appears both as an everyday food and, in a version dusted with cinnamon, at Carnival.
Kalasouna belongs to a different branch of Greek pie-making from the layered phyllo tradition found in Epirus and elsewhere: it is an open-faced pie, its filling visible on top rather than sealed inside, made with a simple oil dough rather than paper-thin sheets, and it is specific to Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades.
Naxos is known for real dairy farming, unusual for a Cycladic island, and kalasouna is built around the island's own fresh, soft, mild cheese, mixed with egg and a generous quantity of onion, an approach that showcases the cheese directly rather than folding it into a more elaborate filling.
A version dusted with sugar and cinnamon appears specifically around Carnival, turning the same savoury base into something closer to a sweet-savoury hybrid, which is worth knowing if you come across the name used both ways.
Key preparation steps
- Make a simple, unleavened or lightly leavened oil dough.
- Mix a filling of fresh soft cheese, egg and a generous amount of onion.
- Roll the dough into rounds and top generously, leaving the filling exposed.
- Bake until the crust is golden and the filling has set.
The dough
A simple dough of flour, olive oil, water and a small amount of yeast or baking powder, rolled out into individual rounds rather than a single large layered pie. It should be thin enough to cook through in the oven time the filling needs, but sturdy enough to hold a generous topping without collapsing.
The cheese and onion filling
Fresh, soft, mild Naxos cheese, or a mix of ricotta and a little feta as a substitute where the genuine article is not available, mixed with beaten egg and a very generous amount of finely chopped onion, which softens and sweetens as the pie bakes. Season with a little dried mint, which is traditional in several Cycladic pie fillings.
Assembling and baking as an open pie
Roll the dough into individual rounds, about 15 cm across, and spread the filling generously over the centre of each, leaving a border of exposed dough around the edge, which you can crimp slightly upward to help contain the filling as it bakes. This open construction, rather than sealing a top layer over the filling, is what distinguishes kalasouna from most other Greek pites.
Bake until the crust is deeply golden and the filling has set with a little colour on top, usually twenty-five to thirty minutes in a hot oven.
Tips from my kitchen
Chop the onion very fine
It needs to soften and sweeten fully within the baking time. Large pieces stay too raw and sharp.
Leave the filling exposed
This open construction is what makes kalasouna what it is, distinct from a sealed, layered phyllo pie.
Do not overfill
A thick layer of filling can stay wet in the centre while the edges brown. Spread it in a reasonably thin, even layer.
Kalasouna Naxou Recipe (Naxos Cheese and Onion Pie)
Καλαθούνα Νάξου · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 45m
- Cook
- 30m
- Total
- 1h 15m
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
Method
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the olive oil and warm water and bring together into a smooth, soft dough. Rest for 20 minutes.
- Mix the cheese, eggs, finely chopped onions and dried mint together in a bowl. Season with pepper.
- Heat the oven to 200C fan 180C.
- Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each into a round about 15 cm across.
- Spread the filling generously over the centre of each round, leaving a border of exposed dough. Fold or crimp the edge slightly upward.
- Transfer to lined baking trays and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling has set with a little colour.
- Cool slightly before serving warm.
Nutrition, per 1 individual pie
- Calories
- 312
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Sat fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Kalathouna Naxou
What makes kalasouna different from other Greek pies?
It is open-faced, with the filling visible on top rather than sealed inside layered phyllo, and it uses a simple oil dough rather than the thin pastry sheets most Greek pites are known for.
Is there a sweet version of kalasouna?
Yes, a version dusted with sugar and cinnamon appears around Carnival, using the same base but leaning the filling and finish towards a sweet-savoury hybrid rather than purely savoury.
Can you make kalasouna with feta alone?
A softer, milder cheese closer to ricotta is more traditional and gives a gentler result. Feta alone would make the filling considerably saltier and firmer than intended.
