This vegan feta cheese recipe is creamy, salty, and so tasty (but with no dairy and no special ingredients required to make it!)
Vegan cheeses are usually a miss for me. They often have a tangy flavor that is supposed to “mimic the tang of cheese”. Spoiler, most cheese is not THAT tangy.
And feta, also not that tangy, is another cheese I have not had success with finding a vegan version of until now! Making your own dairy-free feta is surprisingly simple to do at home. And this way, we can control just how much tanginess is added!
This recipe relies on tofu, which has a very similar texture to feta naturally. Plus, this version is packed with all the good nutrients of tofu like protein and vitamin A!
Ingredients for Tofu Feta
Thankfully, tofu has such a similar texture to feta that we don’t need very many ingredients to make vegan feta. Only 7 to be exact.
- Tofu: Use extra firm tofu here to help replicate that firm texture of feta cheese.
- Olive Oil: Feta cheese is naturally high in fat. We’ll replicate that mouthfeel by using hearty healthy extra virgin olive oil!
- Acidity: Bring a bit of acidity with a combination of apple juice and apple cider vinegar.
- Nutritional Yeast: This powerhouse ingredient adds a cheesy flavor and loads of nutrition.
- Salt: Feta cheese is naturally very salty, so we’ll salt our tofu to mimic that.
- Garlic: I like to add fresh garlic to my vegan feta to help round out all the flavors and give it a bit of zing.
Tofu tip
Not sure how to press the liquid out of tofu without a tofu press? Try placing it on a baking tray (with sides), then lay a stack of paper towels on top, then a cutting board or flat tray. Finally, stack 3-4 heavy books on top of this tray. Leave this to sit for 30 minutes to press out the water.
How to make Vegan feta
This is not like making other vegan cheeses. This is a super easy process that doesn’t require any special tools!
Step 1: Press
Cut tofu into a few slabs (roughly ¼ inch thick). Press liquid out of the tofu using either a tofu press or by wrapping the tofu in a clean towel and setting a heavy pan on top. Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes. You will be surprised at how much liquid comes out of the tofu! You can also add heavy books on top of the pan – just not too many that it breaks the tofu.
Step 2: Cut
Cut tofu into small cubes (smaller cubes = more surface area for soaking up flavors). Plus the bite-size pieces are more fun to eat!
Step 3: Marinade
Stir together all remaining ingredients, then fold in the tofu cubes. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, before serving. This helps to really lock in those tasty flavors!
Recipe tips
Press Press Press! You must press the tofu before starting. If there is too much liquid in it, the vegan feta will be watery and slimy when mixed with the oil-based marinade.
Marinade longer: You can let the tofu marinade for 48 hours before serving for even more flavor in this vegan feta.
Storage: This vegan feta cheese will last in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Why this Recipe Works
This recipe is just set up for success! And if I haven’t convinced you on taste alone, I’ll just reiterate why you NEED this tofu feta in your life!
- Tofu’s texture is crumbly and creamy, just like feta. This makes it the perfect vessel to replicate feta.
- Nutritional yeast is a fermented product and cheese is an aged product. Therefore they share many of the same flavor profiles because they are created in similar ways. Nutritional yeast provides the necessary “cheesy” flavor to this vegan feta.
- Versatile flavors like lemon and garlic mean you can use this vegan feta in almost any way you would normally use feta! In a salad, in a sandwich, or just to snack on.
FAQs
What does vegan feta taste like?
Delicious! In other words, it is creamy, salty, savory, and crumbly. Just like the real thing!
Is vegan feta healthy?
Sometimes vegan cheese is made with all sorts of things we can’t pronounce. But, that’s where this tofu feta is awesome because you get the protein and vitamins of tofu with the healthy fat of olive oil, and antioxidants of lemon all in the tasty vegan feta bite.
Vegan Feta and Its friends
Need some ways to use this tasty vegan feta? Try it in any of these recipes!
- Israeli Couscous Salad with Beet and Feta is a super refreshing and colorful salad that is delicious with salty feta or vegan feta!
- Sesame Crusted Baked Feta is one of my favorite ways to eat feta. It is sweet and salty and just so delicious. Plus, you can make a vegan version with this tofu feta just leave the feta whole and leave out the lemon juice.
- Roasted Eggplant with Mint Sauce and Feta is a cozy Mediterranean-inspired dish. It meshes creamy eggplant with salty feta and fresh mint!
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @liveeatlearn on Facebook or Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz block extra firm tofu 396 g
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 60 mL
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice 30 mL
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 30 mL
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Press: Cut tofu into a few slabs (roughly ¼ inch thick). Press liquid out of tofu using either a tofu press, or by wrapping the tofu in a clean towel and setting a heavy pan on top. Let tofu press for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut: Cut tofu into small cubes (smaller cubes = more surface area for soaking up flavors).
- Marinade: Stir together all remaining ingredients, then fold in the tofu cubes. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, before serving.
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