When we visited Athens earlier this year, I had a sudden craving for feta cheese. I used to love eating this sharp, salty and creamy cheese. It always transformed a dull collection of ingredients into a tasty delight.
When I discovered my intolerance to dairy, I found out I had a similar issue with sheep’s milk too. Feta is traditionally made with sheep’s milk, so another cheesy delight was struck off the menu. And just as well really as human adults really don’t need to be consuming a fluid designed for another animal’s baby!
Unlike today, when I changed to a plant-based diet, the selection of dairy-free cheese options was very limited. Now there are so many different types of vegan ‘cheese’. Including vegan feta. However, they all use coconut oil which makes them unsuitable for a low saturated fat diet like Overcoming MS, the program I follow to manage my health.
To be honest, I hadn’t missed it until our trip to Greece either. But once I did, my mind started whirring, wondering how to create an alternative version. As I had previously bought a tofu based feta produced by Cauldron Foods, I knew that would make a good base (sadly they don’t make it anymore). Not only does extra firm tofu keep it’s shape, it also provides a blank canvas flavour-wise. And absorbs marinades really well. But what else was needed to create the sharp, salty hit? I found a few recipes online that all used miso to provide this flavour. Sadly, I am really intolerant to miso so this was definitely not an option!
After a little juggling with ingredients, the combination of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and salt worked the best. It’s still not quite the same as traditional feta – it’s never going to be. It does however provide a stand-out flavour that works well in salads and sandwiches. And very nice it is too (that’s such an English understatement 😉 ).
The downside of this recipe for vegan feta cheese is it needs soaking in the brine for at least 24 hours for the flavour to develop. 48 hours is ideal. Time is definitely a key ingredient. The brine is simple to create though. A rectangular dish with an air-tight lid is ideal to store in the fridge; the tofu needs to be covered by the brine to ensure equal flavour creation.
Feta cheese, and alternatives made with oil, melt when heated; this tofu version however does not. Which is why it’s best eaten cold. It can however be used as a topping for roasted or steamed vegetables, pasta and baked potatoes; just crumble it on just before serving.
Extra firm tofu is needed for this recipe. If a softer tofu is used, expect it to disintegrate into the marinade. It needs to retain shape and texture. I used Tofoo. If you only have firm tofu then press it for a few hours to remove some of the water content. You can find out how to that in this post. And if you only have silken tofu, don’t even try!
Tofu is one of those ingredients that has a dodgy reputation. It is, in the main, unwarranted. Made of soya, it’s a great plant source of protein and contains healthful nutrients including phytoestrogens that can support health, particularly women during the menopause as it can help balance oestrogen levels in a gentle way. Contrary to many declarations in the media, soya eaten directly by humans is not responsible for the destruction of the rainforests (that soya is mainly used as animal feed) and it won’t give men boobs (that’s more likely to come from high oestrogen levels in dairy and excess calorie intake). Some people however are intolerant to tofu; if that’s you, then this recipe is not.
I just love this tasty plant-based alternative to feta cheese. And I hope you will too. If you make it, do let me know what you think.
Vegan 'feta cheese'
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the tofu into 2 ½ cm cubes
- Mix the remaining ingredients together in the storage container.
- Add the tofu squares - spread out so they're lying flat in the marinade. Top up with water to make sure the tofu is just covered.
- Clip on the lid and store in the fridge for at least 24 hours, ideally 48.
- Use as required. Keeps in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Published by