Every time I’ve ordered a Greek salad since going vegan, it’s felt a little lackluster. It’s always nice and light, but it without any feta, it lacks the same salty, briny, tangy bite that a classic Greek salad has.
But, this vegan feta has the same savory tanginess of traditional feta (and lots of herby Greek flavor) but without any of the dairy!
It’s surprisingly simple to make, packed with protein thanks to tofu, can be served in small cubes or crumbled, and will stay good in the fridge for a week.
Hungry for more vegan cheese?
Check out my complete guide to vegan cheese! It covers the best vegan cheese recipes to use for every situation (like Fermented Cashew Cheese and Vegan Queso) and reviews the best vegan cheeses you can buy at the supermarket.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Easy. This recipe could hardly be simpler – just press a block of extra firm tofu, dice it into cubes, then let it hang out it in a special marinade in the fridge, and you’re set!
Wholesome. This vegan feta is a nourishing, protein-packed alternative to dairy-based feta, with none of the lactose but all of the salty and savory flavor.
Versatile. This vegan feta is great in salads (especially a watermelon or cucumber salad), grain bowls, and couscous dishes. It’s also delightful on top of flatbreads or pizzas. Or you could stuff it into pasta, eggplant, zucchini, or tomatoes, or even add it to a side of roasted or grilled vegetables.
And it would be a fabulous way to jazz up my Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad as well as the Greek Gigantes Plaki in my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook!
How to make this tofu feta
Remove tofu from packaging and drain any excess liquid.
Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel or several layers of paper towels, then weigh it down with a heavy cookbook, or a large plate weighed down by a few cans of beans. Press the tofu for 1 hour, changing the towels in between. If you have a tofu press, you can use that for 20 to 30 minutes, releasing and then re-setting the clamps halfway through.
Slice the tofu into 4 vertical slabs, then slice vertically again so you have 8 slabs. Then, dice each slab into small bite-sized cubes.
Add the ingredients for the marinade to a medium bowl: miso paste, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, spices, and salt/pepper. Whisk well until the miso is well incorporated.
Transfer the diced tofu to a container large enough to hold it, or to a large mason jar. Pour the marinade on top, close the lid, and shake back and forth to distribute the marinade.
Allow the tofu feta to marinate in the fridge for 12 to 48 hours (I recommend 48 hours).
Tips for making this vegan feta
Don’t skimp on pressing the tofu.
Pressing the tofu well is important to successfully making this recipe. Pressing the tofu removes water from the tofu, making the texture firmer and allowing the flavors in the marinade to fully absorb.
Marinate the feta for 48 hours if you can.
You can marinate for as little as 12 hours, but the longer it rests, the more the flavors develop and the more it has the briny, salty taste like feta. I prefer to marinate for 48 hours.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
- Fermented Cashew Cheese: one of the most unique and delicious vegan cheese recipes you’ll try! It’s sliceable and spreadable and has so much savory, cheesy flavor!
- Vegan Queso: 10ish ingredients and 5 minutes of work is all you need for the BEST vegan queso. Great in burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or just as a dip with tortilla chips.
- Butternut cheese sauce: used in my crispy baked mac cheese, but also great as an all-purpose cheese sauce!
- Smoky, spreadable cheese: find this easy spreadable recipe in my “pantry quesadillas” recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
In all kinds of salads, grain bowls, and wraps! It’s particularly good in my Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad (feta and orzo are a natural match!), Grilled Corn Salad, and Instant Pot Couscous and Lentil Salad.
In summer, we love making a classic watermelon feta salad. Simply mix watermelon cubes or wedges with torn cucumbers, add fresh mint and basil, along with the vegan feta. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and enjoy a delicious bite of summer!
If you have my cookbook The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, you’ll see the vegan feta gets served along the Gigantes Plaki (giant Greek beans stewed in tomatoes…so so good!).
For a simple lunch idea, stuff pita pockets or wraps with hummus, chickpeas or lentils, crunchy raw or pickled veggies, and vegan feta!
You can also toss vegan feta into pasta and pasta salads. If you’re having guests over, use it to round out a Mediterranean mezze platter or use it to make a Greek spin on bruschetta.
I personally wouldn’t, as feta naturally has some fat, and we want to mimic that rich mouthfeel (tofu is pretty low in fat, especially compared to animal-based feta). That said, at least one reader substituted aquafaba with oil and enjoyed the results (peep the comments!). So, if you’re oil-free, that’s an option!
Store the feta in the fridge in its marinade, and it will stay fresh for about 7 days.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram – I love hearing your feedback.
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Vegan Feta
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce block of extra-firm tofu
- 2 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste brought to room temperature
- 1/3 cup 76 mL apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup 60 mL lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and slice vertically into 4 slabs. Line a cutting board with a few layers of paper towels or a clean dish towel. Place the tofu slabs on top, wrap the tofu in more paper towels or a clean dish towel, then weigh the tofu down with a heavy cookbook, or a large plate weighed down by a few cans of beans (or use a tofu press). Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes (I usually leave it for an hour), changing the towels in between.
- Once pressed, cut the tofu into small cubes (you don’t want large cubes).
- In a medium bowl for which you have a lid, whisk together the miso, vinegar, lemon juice, oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the miso paste is dissolved. Add the tofu pieces to the marinade (you can also add the tofu to a large glass jar and pour the marinade on top). Mix well, shaking the bowl or jar, but don’t break up the tofu.
- Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but preferably for 48 hours. The longer, the brinier it’ll taste, like classic feta. It will stay good in the fridge for up to 7 days.
I have been craving feta cheese for some strange reason, feta was never my cheese of choice. This has thoroughly satisfied that craving. The marinade smelled so good, and I had a hard time waiting the 48 hours. I’ve been eating it straight out of the jar, but I have plans for a Greek salad and a beet and feta salad. Very delicious and satisfying.
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Wes. Thanks for your kind words!
OMG! It may all be gone aft 48 hours. I even made sandwiches with it and lots of lettuce. Phenomenal!
It makes us so happy to know you loved the recipe, Linda!
YUM! Growing up, my mom used to make us a snack of apples and slices of cheese and this recipe totally brings me back to that little treat. I doubled the recipe, added a bit of fresh dill, some vegan lactic acid and a sprinkle of sugar. It’s been marinating for about a week and it’s still so delicious and even better than it was the day after I made it! So so good!
Hi Silver, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
Absolutely loved it! It has the perfect flavor and texture! The more the tofu marinates the better it becomes (I’ve kept it for more than a week). I’ve made greek arugula salad with it, a sandwich with tofu feta, argula, cherry tomatoes and whipped tahini and eaten it as it is as well! Thank you for this amazing recipe! I used firm tofu (since I didn’t have extra-firm) and pressed it for a few hours.
Thanks for sharing, Smriti! We’re delighted this recipe is such a hit!
brb making another batch
10/10 no notes
Awesome, Lana. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I’m afraid this was not a win for me. I followed the recipe to the letter, let it marinade for a full 48 hours, but when I used it as a topping to my quinoa and whipped tofu bowl, all I could taste was vinegar and it was a bit off-putting. I still ate it, but it really didn’t resemble feta in my opinion. I may try it again with much less vinegar, as I like the idea of having tofu cheese cubes for my salads.
Sorry to hear the recipe didn’t live up to your expectations, Christine. We appreciate your honest feedback nonetheless.
Incredibly easy and so tasty!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Elise!
This is absolutely fantastic and makes me so happy since feta was one of my favorites before a dairy allergy!
Hi Laryssa, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Actually works as a feta substitute! I was pleasantly surprised as was my partner.
Woohoo, happy to hear you’re impressed, Bruce! Thanks for the review :)
This recipe is unreal!
To be honest, I was dubious of all the glowing reviews of this “feta” when I saw them. I cynically assumed that any negative reviews had been scrubbed from the site. Then I made the recipe, and I was even MORE skeptical- this only took 10 minutes to throw a few common ingredients together, how good could this be?? I tossed the tofu in the fridge, and the next day…HOLY COW! Tangy, briny, creamy, and crumbly, it perfectly captures the delicious character of the real deal. I tossed it into a watermelon cucumber mint salad, and it was such a perfect compliment that a few times I had to remind myself it wasn’t real cheese! I can’t believe tofu can do such a great job mimicking the mouthfeel of feta. My wife was also flabbergasted, and we already have plans to add this one into regular rotation.
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you for the lovely lengthy review, Kater!
I have been making this for a while now and it never disappoints. Recently I saw another recipe for a vegan cottage cheese but I didn’t like that recipe. I followed the same principle with this recipe and worked wonders. Basically you crumble the feta tofu from this recipe and add some cashew cream. The cashew cream makes the feta ever so slightly milder and it’s an amazing replacement for cottage cheese and amazing for breakfast on some toast🤗 prefer it so much more than the usual whipped tofu recipes. All in all a deep thank you and a suggestion 😊
Sounds yum, Orestis! Happy to hear you’ve been loving the vegan feta recipe :)
Oh, now I wan cottage cheese.
Phenomenal recipe, absolutely worth the 2 days of marinating.
Hi Seth Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
Greek tofu feta goes hard. 10/10, great recipe.
Awesome, Sasha. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Such a delicious recipe. The marinade is one to use not just on tofu but other ways as well, I’d imagine. But the tofu feta is a huge hit in my opinion!!
We’re so happy that the tofu feta turned out well for you, Val. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for trying out the recipe!