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.
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.
Excellent recipe. I used the optional red pepper flakes. Now my go to feta cheese recipe. I also like it crisped up a bit in my non stick frying pan.
Lovely to hear you enjoyed the tofu feta, Terri! Thanks for sharing :)
OMG this recipe is amazing!! I was skeptical that tofu could taste like feta, but it absolutely does! I pressed my tofu for several hours which I think helped the texture resemble feta. The flavor is amazing. I will never buy store-bought feta. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Amazing, AM! Thanks for giving the recipe a shot :)
Excellent recipe. I’ve tried many over the last 10 years and didn’t want to use coconut oil (trying to cut back on hidden saturated fat). You added just the amount of tartness, miso and Italian seasonings for my taste buds. For an upcoming potluck, I’m going to use someone else’s suggestion and and whip it with cream cheese ( vegan of course ) and top onto crostini with tomato and basil. Yum!
Hi there, we are so glad you enjoyed the feta! That spread sounds wonderful :)
This is amazing! I have two vegans in our house so this faux feta has been a game changer! We have used it in all sorts of ways, one that we love is using it with vegan cream cheese and making a whipped feta for Ina Garten’s Tomato Feta Bruschetta recipe. Thank you for the delish recipe!
Oooh, sounds delightful! Thanks for sharing, Thea :)
hello, because I wanna convert to grams, could you please tell me what “1 14-ounce” means? 1 and 1/4 ounce? 1,14 ounce? I don’t get it
Thank you in advance
Hi there Ele, sorry for the confusion! It’s 1 (14 oz) block of tofu!
Hi! I was wondering if you have tried freezing the tofu feta? Also, love all your recipes thanks for being awesome!
Hi Halle, we haven’t but we don’t recommend it. Freezing tofu changes the texture and will make it less feta-like. Instead we recommend potentially halving the recipe if you’re afraid you won’t be able to eat it all within a week.
Also, thank you! :) We appreciate you!
Must you use the oil in this?
Hi Wendy, there is no substitute for the oil in the marinade, as the tofu needs a little richness to mimic the flavors and textures of feta. Sorry!
Delicious! Cheese is the only dairy I miss, but this is delicious on pizza, in salads or on pasta.
I had to eliminate lactose from my diet because of the removal of half of my pancreas. I used to love feta cheese and truly missed it on salads. I love this recipe! It tastes great! My husband really enjoys it as well. He actually cheered when I made it again. I like it as a snack as a spread on rice cakes or crackers. Yum. I did add some olive brine because I had some. Thank you for the good recipe!
Hi Beverly,
Thanks for much for the kind review. My mouth is watering thinking about that incredible feta, everyone I’ve made it for loves it too! Thanks for including your husbands reaction too, I love that he’s cheering for feta! Try it spread on some toasted sourdough bread rubbed with a raw clove of garlic, it’s my favorite way to eat it :)
These vegan feta chunks came out so tasty for me!!!! Super flavorful, the 48 hour wait was totally worth it. It’s much more economical and tastier than the vegan feta I’ve bought in stores. The texture from the tofu is so much better. Store bought vegan feta doesn’t taste as plush. This was so easy to make and definitely awesome. I will absolutely recommend to make this again :)))))
Wonderful, Jenny! We are delighted you loved the recipe.
This is ine of tje best marinades for tofu I have tried thus far. Leaving you with a melt in your mouth, crumbly zingy gotta like tofu. I’m going to try this in q spanakopita it is so good!
Awesome, Sarah. We’re thrilled you loved it! Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Thanks. I made this for a Greek salad. I added olive brine and really liked that different taste. I will make it again.
Kimberly, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
I have tried tofu plenty of ways but have never liked it (apart from Chinese tofu pudding). Milk is easy to substitute when trying to decrease dairy intake, but cheese is harder! Thank you for this delish recipe; it doesn’t taste like tofu at all and retains protein in the meal.
Lani, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
I have only just started marinating, but I would serve this right now! I’m not vegan, but my daughter is. I always make sure she has something good to eat at family gatherings. I’m also trying to be more plant based for myself. I plan on using this in a watermelon, mint and “feta” salad, as as well skewers with cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves, drizzled with blueberry balsamic reduction.
Thank you so much for sharing, Lisa! :) We are delighted to hear you’re trying to be more plant based, and it is so sweet of you to always make delicious vegan food for your daughter! We hope you enjoyed the feta :)
So yummy and EASY! Even my omnivore hubby liked it!
Awesome, Patty! Thanks for sharing!
Soooooooo good! My cheese loving parents even loved this!
Emily, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Wow. Exquisite. Even after an hour of sitting in the marinade it’s delicious. I just had to sneak a taste. Looking forward to also using the leftover brine as a salad dressing as mentioned in another comment. Nisha, you killed it again.
Erin, we’re thrilled you enjoyed the vegan feta!
So delicious!! Even my non-vegan friends scarfed it happily. I like to whirl the last few pieces and marinade at the bottom of the jar with a stick blender for a killer creamy Greek salad dressing. Mmmmmmm. Thanks for all of your scrumptious recipes!
Thanks for sharing, Peggi! So good to hear you enjoy the recipes!
A real game changer for me. So easy, but definitely the best tofu cheese recipe I have made so far. Well worth the wait and you have a ready made dressing. I have tried it with and without the oregano and my preference is without, but great both times. Have made it twice in 2 weeks, excellent!!
Awesome, Jane. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
What tofu press do you use? I was looking but there are so many!
Hi Heather, we just use the cookbook and cans of beans trick as described in the recipe card!