Marinated Tofu Feta (Vegan!)

Hello, my favorite chickpeas! Today I am sharing with you a delicious recipe that I invite you to use as a topping on EVERYTHING; my (vegan) Marinated Tofu Feta!

This one is so easy to make, and I honestly do use it as a topping on just about everything. I use it on salads, buddha bowls, pasta, and even avocado toast. It's so good and I can't wait for you to try it!

As I always like to remind my readers with any "substitute" style recipe, this is highly INSPIRED by traditional dairy feta. However, it is obviously not the exact same thing! The goal of this recipe was to create something that shares many characteristics with traditional feta. It is tangy, salty, and super flavorful! It is a fun substitute for anyone who wants a non-dairy option that will give them a somewhat similar experience to feta. (I would like to note that I have not used this Marinated Tofu Feta in any recipe where it is heated - this is intended to be used as a topping, not necessarily to be cooked!)

Let's make some feta!

Ingredients for Marinated Tofu Feta

We are going for a tangy, salty, and slightly herby flavor! We want it to be rich and really pop! Here are some of the ingredients that are going to get us there:

• Firm tofu: of course! This will be the structure of our vegan tofu. Firm is best since it will hold its shape pretty well!
• Nutritional yeast: a plant based staple! This provides a savory flavor that is a bit cheesy, so it's perfect for a feta substitute!
• White miso paste: this is salty and tangy, so it is a GREAT flavor boost for our marinated tofu feta!
• Lemon juice and white wine vinegar: these both add some acidity, which enhances our flavors and makes them taste even brighter. 
• Salt: feta is traditionally pretty salty, so this one just makes sense! However, if you'd rather keep this on the lower-salt side, feel free to use less!
• Onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning: to give us that herby flavor! (And because onion and garlic make every recipe better). 

How to Make Marinated Tofu Feta

This one is honestly so simple. Here's the breakdown: 

1. Press the tofu
2. Crumble the tofu
3. Mix together the marinade ingredients
4. Add the marinade to the tofu and refrigerate

Tips & Tricks

• Prefer a lower salt option? Well, feta by nature does have a salty flavor - HOWEVER you can of course adjust the amount of salt used to match your preferences! You can use a smaller amount of salt here, or you could even try leaving it out completely and just use miso for that salty kick! I haven't personally tried a version of this without the salt entirely, but I'd imagine that the miso would likely bring enough flavor on its own if you prefer a less-salty version!
• Don't have any Italian seasoning? No worries! If you're out of Italian seasoning, or just want to try something else, any herby seasoning should work here! Just use whatever herb (or herb mixture) you'd like!
• The flavor of this gets stronger the longer it sits - Because of this, I love making this the night before and letting it marinate in the fridge overnight! This makes it even more flavorful, tangy, and delicious!
• Looking for ideas on what to use this on? Use it on pretty much everything! I love this on simple side salads, cowboy caviar, avocado toast, or mediterranean buddha bowls. 
• Looking for more cheesey plant based substitutes? Then check out my quick vegan queso next!

Enjoy!

Marinated Tofu Feta (Vegan!)

Recipe by Delaney Romero - Joyful BalanceCourse: Topping, SidesCuisine: Mediterranean

Servings

6

servings

From Start to Finish

1

hour 

10

minutes

This Marinated Tofu Feta is tangy, salty, flavorful, and completely dairy free! Makes a great topping on salads, buddha bowls, and more. SO simple and delicious, you don't want to miss out on this one! For an even more flavorful version, make this the night before you want to use it and let it marinate overnight.

Note that the "From Start to Finish" time includes 30 minutes to press your tofu, and 30 minutes to let the Marinated Tofu Feta sit and marinate in the fridge. There's only about 10 minutes of hands-on time involved! Also note that this feta is intended to be used mostly as a topping and that it has NOT been tested in any recipe in which it would be cooked or heated.

Ingredients

• ½ block firm tofu

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 2 teaspoon white miso*

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 3 tablespoon water

Directions

• Press your tofu: press your tofu for 30 minutes to remove most excess moisture. You can use a tofu press for this, or you can wrap your tofu in paper towels and place a somewhat heavy plate on top of it.
• Crumble (or cube) your tofu: Once your tofu has been pressed, use your hands to tear pieces off and create "crumbles" of whatever size you prefer. If you prefer cubes rather than crumbles, you could instead cube your tofu with a knife. Once you have created your crumbles or cubes of tofu, place them in one layer in a shallow dish.
• Make your marinade: In a separate small bowl, combine all other ingredients to make the marinade. Whisk together with a fork until there are no longer any "chunks" of miso paste and it is all mixed and relatively smooth.
• Combine your tofu and marinade: Pour your marinade on top of the tofu in your shallow dish. Using a spatula, carefully move the tofu around a bit to make sure that it is evenly coated in the marinade. The tofu should not be "swimming" in a giant pool of the marinade - this is intended to be just enough to coat the tofu so that it can soak up all that yummy flavor!
• Let sit/marinate: Let the tofu/marinade mixture sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The longer it sits, the stronger the taste will be! You can also eat some right away if you're feeling impatient, but I personally think the 30 minutes is worth it!
• Use this as a topping on whatever you'd like and store in the fridge!

Notes

• *white miso: I use "Mellow White Miso" from Miso Master Organic (though any brand will do the trick). I am able to find this in my local grocery store, usually near the tofu and other soy products!

Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your feta-making ways.

Stay jouyfully balanced!