Learn how to make the most delicious vegan feta cheese at home! This Tofu Feta is bursting with flavor and an excellent dairy-free alternative to the real feta cheese!
Feta cheese is incredibly popular and versatile. Whether it’s in a Greek salad, baked with vegetables, or enjoyed as an appetizer with fresh bread, feta finds its way into many dishes. If you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, or simply curious to explore a feta alternative, you’re in the right place.
Learn how to make this vegan feta cheese recipe at home. It’s super easy and quick to prepare, requiring just a few ingredients. Tofu feta is incredibly flavorful and a fantastic dairy-free alternative to the original Greek cheese.
While vegan feta cheese is available in grocery stores, I personally haven’t found one that truly captures the authentic flavor. You can certainly try them, but making your own using this recipe ensures that you know exactly what goes into it. No artificial flavor enhancers, preservatives, unnecessary fats, or hidden additives—just pure, homemade goodness! 😉
Vegan Feta Cheese is:
- Very Flavorful
- High in Protein
- Perfect For Every Salad
- Quick & Easy to Make
- 100% Vegan
- Nut-Free
- Gluten-Free
👩🍳 How to Make Vegan Feta Cheese & How Does It Taste?
Vegan feta is crafted using tofu as a cheese substitute. The process involves pressing the tofu, cutting it into small cubes, and then marinating it in a mixture of olive oil, herbs, and spices. After a day in the refrigerator, the tofu absorbs a wonderfully delightful aroma and can be used just like traditional feta.
While cow or sheep’s milk feta is crumbly, slightly creamy, and has a mildly sour note, this dairy-free alternative has its unique characteristics. It crumbles well but is not as creamy and doesn’t melt the same way when cooked. I personally enjoy vegan feta best when it’s raw and cold. However, if you prefer, you can also use it in warm dishes.
It tastes amazing in various salads, such as Greek salad, pasta salad, or as a topping in any other summer salad. You can also enjoy it in wraps, on pizzas, or as an appetizer served with crackers.
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🛒 Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
Hint: If you’d like to give the vegan feta cheese a typical tangy flavor, you can add a good splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the mixture!
🔪 Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner!
- Pressing and Cutting Tofu: Start by pressing excess water from the tofu to allow it to absorb the oil and spice flavors better. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu in several layers of paper towels, gently squeezing out the liquid by hand. Then, cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes.
- Marinating Tofu: Place herbs, spices, and garlic in a sealable glass container (I love tu use a 16oz/500ml mason jar). Add ⅔ of the olive oil and mix well. Add the tofu cubes, seal the jar, and shake it thoroughly.
- Chilling the Tofu: Top up with the remaining olive oil until the tofu is fully covered. → Depending on the container size and tofu cube size, you may not need as much oil as indicated in the recipe. Start with ⅔ of the amount and add more as needed. Let it sit on the top shelf in the fridge for at least 24 hours. The tofu feta tastes best after it’s been marinated for 2-3 days.
📝 Recipe FAQ
Can I use other herbs and spices to marinate the tofu? Sure, throw in your favorites. About two tablespoons of herbs are ideal for a pint jar. If you don’t have all the individual herbs at home, use Italian seasoning.
How long does it keep fresh? For a good week! Store it on the top shelf in the fridge (that’s where it’s warmest) so that the olive oil doesn’t get cloudy and solidifies.
Help, my olive oil is solid? Don’t worry, this is a usual process of olive oil which becomes too cold. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before eating, and it will be liquid again!
What do I do with the rest of the olive oil after I have eaten the feta? Use it to make salad dressings. It has such a wonderful aroma due to all the herbs and spices, like expensive herb-infused olive oil! 😉 If you like, you can even make another batch of tofu feta cheese with it; you may just need to top it up with some fresh olive oil until the tofu is fully covered.
🧀 More Vegan Cheese Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Feta Cheese
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Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
Ingredients
- 7 oz firm tofu
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon dried thyme
- ½ tablespoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Start by pressing excess water from the tofu to allow it to absorb the oil and spice flavors better. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu in several layers of paper towels, gently squeezing out the liquid by hand.
- Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes.
- Place herbs, spices, and garlic in a sealable glass container (best to use a 16oz/500ml mason jar). Add ⅔ of the olive oil and mix well. Add the tofu cubes, seal the jar, and shake it thoroughly.
- Add the tofu cubes, close the lid, and shake it thoroughly. Top up with the remaining olive oil until the tofu is fully covered. → Depending on the container size and tofu cube size, you may not need as much oil as indicated in the recipe. Start with ⅔ of the amount and add more as needed.
- Let it sit on the top shelf in the fridge for at least 24 hours. The tofu feta tastes best after it's been marinated for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Herbs: If you don’t have all the individual herbs at home, feel free to substitute them with two tablespoons of Italian seasoning.
- Storing: It’s best to store it on the top shelf in the refrigerator, where it’s the least cold. Olive oil gets cloudy and solidifies if it’s too cold. This does not alter the taste or quality at all but can be prevented if stored as recommended.
- Stays fresh for a good week!
- Once the feta is gone, you will end up with quite an amount of olive oil. Use it to make delicious homemade salad dressings or make another batch of vegan feta cheese with it.
Equipment
Nutrition
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This recipe is fabulous. But my olive oil solidified no matter where I out it..should I let it marinate for a few days n then transfer to a different jar?
Hi Randi, I would not worry about it too much, it will clear up when it’s back to room temperature! Just let it sit for 30 minute at room temperature before enjoying and you should be good! 😉
Thank you!! I am so happy to have “feta” back in my life!! I had flavored olive oils so I did a mixture of garlic and Italian herbs with plain evoo… that with the herbs…. too die for! This will be a staple in my fridge from here on out.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Kim! So glad to hear that you like my “vegan feta” recipe! 🥰
This is a very nice recipe and useful for salads and as a part of a light meal. The oil was perfect as a sallad dressing. I also marinated smashed potatoes with the oil. It was super tasty. Next time I’ll try adding some vinegar to the oil hoping that the tofu will absorb some acidity. Mayby it is not going to make the taste more tofu-like but I’m sure it’ll be edible. I love to experiment in my kitchen.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Mari El. 💕 I love that you also love to experiment in your kitchen, please let me know how it tastes with vinegar. 😉
Tastes like herbed mozzarella cheese and I ate it with green olives stuffed with garlic. Truly incredible and will always have this in my fridge now! I’ll probably try to make this with different blends just to switch it up!
Hi Sydney, I am so glad you like this vegan feta alternative. The recipe is very versatile and can be made with almost any blend of herbs & spices! Have fun experimenting! 👩🍳