Easy Vegan Tofu Feta Cheese • The Healthy Foodie

This Vegan Tofu Feta Cheese is a superb, addictive and simple to make vegan substitute for conventional feta. Delicious in salads or by itself as a snack or appetizer!

I not too long ago received a significant yearning for my Greek Style Tomato Cucumber Salad, so I started looking the net for an straightforward vegan feta recipe. Sadly, I couldn’t discover one which appeared to precisely match the invoice. Some appeared nice however had been loads extra work than I cared for; I’ve been feeling a tad lazy within the kitchen recently! As for the tremendous straightforward ones, most had been merely simply cubed tofu, marinated in oil, lemon juice and vinegar, and referred to as for little or no salt… I imply hey, let’s face it: feta cheese is loopy SALTY! And tangy. But principally, salty! So absolutely you possibly can’t go making pretend feta cheese with out including a liberal quantity of salt!

Since I couldn’t discover what I used to be after, I made a decision to create my very own model, utilizing not oil and vinegar as a marinade, however brine and salt. This, is what I figured would come closest to what feta ought to style like. And the experiment turned out fairly good, if I could say so myself!

Now I’m not gonna mislead you: this does NOT style precisely like feta cheese and also you’re not going to have anybody fooled with it both. BUT, it does have a tremendous tangy, salty taste to it that’s very harking back to the true deal, and an actual firm, squeaky texture that’ll hold you coming again for extra!

In salads, it positively does the trick! nevertheless it’s additionally scrumptious as is, so it makes for a unbelievable snack or appetizer, particularly in the event you’re going to serve it with a handful of blended gourmand olives and crusty bread!

Just one phrase of warning earlier than you embark on the venture: though this vegan feta is tremendous straightforward to make and would require nearly no effort in your half, it does have to marinate for at the very least 48 hours! So yeah, you will have to plan forward if you will make this.

Perhaps you must make a double batch? Just as a result of, you recognize…

You have to first take away the tofu from its packaging, then drain and press it for at the very least 1 hour to launch extra liquid, after which pat it actually dry with a clear towel or paper towel.

Now, in the event you didn’t occur to personal a tofu press, don’t go running to the shop simply to get one… You can in a short time arrange a little bit rig that’ll work simply nearly as good:

• Grab a cooling rack and place it over a container of some form, to gather all of the liquids that’ll drip. I selected to make use of a glass loaf pan, however virtually any container will do!
• Next, place your block of tofu onto that cooling rack after which place a small plate or different flat object proper over that block of tofu… 
• Finally, place a heavy object, equivalent to a big ebook or a forged iron skillet, over that plate or flat object. Now merely put that complete rig apart and let your tofu slowly drip away for about an hour. 

Once it’s good and pressed, minimize the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and place it in a medium sized bowl.

Then, in a glass measuring cup, mix all of the substances for the brine, stir vigorously with a whisk and pour that proper over the cubed tofu.

To make my brine, I selected to make use of sauerkraut brine, olive brine and lemon juice for a extremely tangy base, to which I then added dietary yeast — for a little bit of tacky taste — a little bit little bit of garlic powder and a beneficiant quantity of SALT. Because sure, feta is meant to be salty! But don’t fear although… this vegan feta is removed from being overly salty. In truth, I in all probability may’ve added much more, however I feel you must start with this quantity after which in the event you really feel you need extra, go forward and add extra subsequent time.

Now place the tofu within the fridge to marinate for at the very least 48 hours. Yes, that’s 2 days! You need that tofu to actually take up the flavors of the brine, and I’m afraid 2 hours simply gained’t minimize it this time. You may even go so far as depart it in there for an additional day or two, in the event you wished to. Trust me, this tofu is in no rush to get out of its salty tub!

Once your tofu is finished soaking, drain it rather well, then add a few tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to it, in addition to a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs (or your favourite dried herbs), a little bit pinch of freshly floor black pepper and a touch of crimson chili flakes, in the event you’re a fan…

Technically, you would use your vegan feta straight away, but when time permits, I recommend that you just put in again within the fridge for a number of hours, to present these newly added flavors an opportunity to mingle with the others and develop to their full potential!

Any leftovers will hold within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as per week (however actually… I give it an hour or two, tops!)