Amazingly delicious vegan feta cheese made from...tofu! Zippy, briny, and perfect for salads! You have to try this tofu feta cheese to believe it.
I'm certainly not the first person to make feta cheese out of tofu. In fact, it's been a thing for a while, and for the most part, I've been dubious of the whole idea. I love tofu, but I recognize that it has its place and I just didn't think it could make a legit tasting feta cheese.
But people kept telling me it was awesome and I that needed to try it and post a recipe, so I decided to give it a go. And now tofu feta is one of my favorite things. This is my version, and well, I kind of think it's the best!
You may be wondering, would this stuff actually fool someone? Perhaps, but only in the right circumstances. If you feed someone a chunk of this stuff on its own and tell them it's feta cheese, they probably won't buy it. The texture of tofu isn't quite the same as feta cheese. But I bet they'll think it's tasty!
On the other hand, if you throw this in a vegan Greek salad where it's mixed with a bunch of other textures, the flavor will really have a chance to shine through. In that instance, you could easily mistake it for feta cheese!
The key to this recipe is capturing that tangy feta taste. It's actually pretty easy! Salty and sour are the key flavors, and we'll be working those flavors into a marinade, so we can infuse our tofu with cheesy deliciousness.
Jump to:
Ingredients You'll Need
- Lemon juice. Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best possible flavor, but especially in this recipe where lemon juice is a super important component of our marinade.
- Water.
- Miso paste. The recipe calls for white miso paste, also known as shiro miso. Look for this in the international foods section of your supermarket. If you happen to have another variety of miso on hand (like yellow or red miso) use it! The flavor and color of your tofu feta will vary slightly, but it will still be delicious.
- Garlic.
- Salt & pepper.
- Fresh herbs. These are optional, but great for adding to the marinade or garnishing tofu feta. I used parsley and oregano in the batch shown in the photos, but basil, chives, and tarragon would also be great choices!
- Tofu. The recipe calls for extra firm tofu. You could get away with substituting firm tofu, but I don't recommend using any other varieties. Super firm is too dense to soak up much marinade, while soft and silken varieties don't hold up well when pressed.
How It's Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- First, press your tofu. Make sure to press it for at least 30 minutes to get as much water out as possible.
- Once the tofu is finished pressing, dice it up. Make sure the pieces are ½ inch or smaller. This will ensure maximum surface area for the marinade to penetrate.
- Mix up your marinade in a small bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, water, miso, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Mix it well to ensure that the miso dissolves fully.
Tip: This is a good time to taste-test your marinade. It should have the balance of flavor that you want, but also taste quite strong.
- Add the cubed tofu to the bowl with the marinade and gently stir to coat the pieces.
- Allow the tofu to marinade for at least 30 minutes. You can then serve your tofu feta immediately, or move it to the fridge and store it for later.
Optional Accompaniments
Try drizzling your tofu feta with some olive oil, sprinkling it with red pepper flakes, or tossing it with Kalamata olives!
Shelf-Life & Storage
Tofu feta cheese will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Store it in the marinade so the flavor continues to intensify. I like mine the best on the second day.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is!
It's excellent in sandwiches and wraps, stuffed in a pita with fresh vegetables, on green salads or in pasta salads like this Greek orzo salad. I'm a big fan of using it as an alternative to baked tofu during the hot summer months when I don't want to turn on the oven.
If you can't find miso, try adding extra salt to the marinade instead. Miso is very salty so you'll need a lot! You won't get the same fermented, umami taste, but the flavors will at least be balanced.
Try using a vinegar instead. Red or white wine vinegar are preferable, but apple cider vinegar or even plain old white vinegar should work just fine.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
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Tofu Feta
Amazingly delicious vegan feta cheese made from...tofu! Zippy, briny, and perfect for salads! You have to try this tofu feta cheese to believe it.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh herbs of choice (optional), I used parsley and oregano
- Black pepper to taste (optional)
- 1 (14 ounce/400 gram) package firm or extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into ½-inch cubes
Instructions
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Whisk the lemon juice, water, miso, garlic, salt, herbs (if using), and black pepper (if using) together in a medium bowl.
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Add the tofu and toss to coat.
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Allow the tofu to marinate for 30 minutes.
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Serve immediately or refrigerate the tofu and marinade together in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
Substitute for the lemon (citrus allergy)?
Try red wine vinegar. :)
For citrus allergy - you can also use apple vinegar. This Tofu Feta is great in Greek Salad, Pizza (Any green Pesto, olives, mushrooms, Tofu Feta etc.)with garlic bread or just snacking on it. It does last in the fridge for quite a while. I don't use Miso in it and it is good too. Garlic slices and even dry Oregano (it softens in the marinade) is very good in it. I am not a Vegan or Vegetarian but really enjoy recipes. Thank you.
My extra firm tofu is pressing as I type! This is much easier than the previous recipe I have used for years that involved agar and setting etc. I have everything else - use miso a lot with vegan cheese making. Thanks so much for this recipe :).
Oh wow! I've worked with agar and it can be a bit of a project! I hope you enjoy this one!
Wow! I've been searching for a good tofu feta recipe to try for a while and may have just stumbled upon the perfect one. Thank you for sharing :)
Thanks Maria! I hope you enjoy it!
Can I break up my tofu into crumbles to look more like feta cheese?
Absolutely!
Would leaving out the garlic make a significant difference? I can't have it. I do have garlic infused olive oil, if that might work as a sub. Thanks.
I think garlic infused olive oil might actually be a nice addition. Either way, it should still be pretty tasty without the garlic. :)
Hi there, I’m about to make this cheese which sounds devine btw. How long will it last in the fridge please 😁
It should be good for at least 2-3 days. Enjoy!
I just saw your recipe for Frozen Tacos and was wondering if using frozen tofu for this recipe would alter the feta texture.
It will alter the texture by making it more crumbly. You could probably create a nice crumbled feta by freezing it first. :)
Love, love, love! Mad this tofu feta to replace the dairy feta in this recipe (https://joythebaker.com/2016/02/olive-oil-braised-chick-peas-with-feta/) and the two go perfectly together. I was hungry so I only pressed my tofu for 10 minutes and it still turned out fabulous!
Yay! That sounds delicious and I just might give it a try myself. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
What is the serving size for the 93 calories?
One fourth of the total batch, so about 3.5 ounces.
I’m new to Whole food plant based eating and have been looking for a recipe to satisfy my cheese craving. This is it! It doesn’t have the bite of feta so next time I may use the red wine vinegar suggestion, but it tastes great! Thank you!!
I'm glad you like it! Thanks Catherine!!
What does the miso add to the recipe? I have made it before but never with the miso paste. Thanks.
It adds saltiness and a savory flavor that mimics cheese - I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but it comes from fermentation. I use miso paste in a lot of my vegan cheese recipes. :)
Hi! This tofu feta is so tasty! I had mine on a greek salad and it was AWMAZING! Thank you for sharing! Do you think I could freeze it?
I'm glad you like it! You can freeze it, but the texture will change a bit. Tofu gets more crumbly when frozen, which might actually work well for this recipe.
I only have red miso - can I substitute for the white and if so, would you adjust the amount? Thanks! New to miso :)
Red should work! It might alter the color of your tofu feta a bit though. I'd stick with the same amount. Enjoy!